We head into day two with one win, and just missing a 25/1 shot in the opening Breeders’ Cup race yesterday. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but we did not get completely shut out. Let’s see what we can do here today to make some money.
We have nine Breeders’ Cup races to go, and they will be the final nine races on the card. The first race is at 1:05 pm Eastern time, with the first Breeders’ Cup race at 3 pm.
Del Mar Race 4 – Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Sprint (Grade 1)
We begin the day with the Filly and Mare Sprint today and we have 10 horses entered, but the 5 Pandora’s Gift has been scratched. The remaining horses will go seven furlongs on the main track.
Favored in this race is the 9 Ways and Means (5/2 morning line) who comes into this race after winning three in a row. She found herself as a one-turn horse after wins at Saratoga, including a Grade 1 win in the Test. Then she won at Aqueduct in her final prep. Today’s distance seems like the perfect distance for her. She can be near the pace or off a few lengths. She will be difficult to beat here.
The 6 Society (3/1 ML) won the Ballerina last time out from close to the pace. She drew off to win that Grade 1 race. He could potentially be on the front or not far from it.
The 2 One Magic Philly (10/1 ML) has won three in a row including two races in a row over the summer at Del Mar. She enters after winning a four-horse race at Santa Anita last month, but it was over an extremely heavy favorite that finished dead last. She might be light on experience but could surprise here.
The 7 Zeitlos (6/1 ML) has won seven of her last nine races including the Grade 2 TCA at Keeneland. She is hoping for a hot pace up front because she is a closer here in a race where there appears to be enough speed to close.
I’ll take Zeitlos in a mild upset here to start the day off. I’ll call this 7-9-2-6 and my play is $20 to win on the 7.
Del Mar Race 5 – Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1)
We have 15 entered for the Turf Sprint here but only 12 will run. As of Friday evening, none of the horses in the body of the field have been scratched. The 13 Nothing Better, the 14 Charcoal and the 15 Frost at Dawn are hoping for someone to scratch out.
Favored in this Breeders’ Cup race is the 9 Cogburn (7/5 ML). He has won six of seven on the turf including the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs back in September. The connections found what he goes best which is sprinting on the turf. He can win from off the pace or demoralize you on the front end like in the aforementioned Kentucky Downs race or in the Jaipur at Saratoga.
The 1 Believing (12/1 ML) finished third on soft ground in France last month and should love the firmer ground today. But she will be on the rail here, so has to hope for the rail to open up or find a way out.
The 5 Ag Bullet (10/1 ML) will want to go for the lead, but will he be fast enough to keep up with Cogburn early? She shortens up after tiring in a mile race at Keeneland. Though she tired in that race, that could have been her bounce race after running a huge race in the Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs on the front end.
The 6 Star of Mystery (10/1 ML) could be the horse that picks up the pieces here. She has beaten the boys as in the Quick Call at Saratoga in July and finished third to Cogburn in that insanely fast Jaipur in June.
Part of me wants to eat chalk and take Cogburn and move on. But I think Cogburn will get beat here by a closer. Let’s beat him today with the filly Star of Mystery. I’ll call this 6-9-1-5 with a $20 win play on the 6.
Del Mar Race 6 – Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade 1)
We have 10 fillies and mares entered for the Distaff but we have two scratches so far. The 3 Batucada and the 8 Miss New York have been scratched.
Thorpedo Anna (#2, 4/5 ML) looks to close out an amazing 2024 season with a win here in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. I would not worry much about the filly’s race in the Cotillion at Parx last time out. She had nowhere to go most of the way with slow fractions in front of her. The Kentucky Oaks winner held off a game Gun Song in deep stretch to win like she was expected to do. This filly is a head away from having a perfect season intact after testing the boys in the Travers in August.
The 9 Awesome Result (4/1 ML) comes in from Japan looking to be the spoiler here. She is 7 for 7 lifetime running no shorter than today’s distance of 9 furlongs. But I have been unable to find any videos of her races. But from I have seen, this Justify filly can win in different ways.
Raging Sea (#5, 7/2 ML) bobbled at the start of the Beldame at Aqueduct and had to fight off Batucada to win by a head. She will close, but she will have to do more to win this today.
The 1 Candied (15/1 ML) just missed in the Alabama at Saratoga, a race with Thorpedo Anna skipped. She faded last time out in the Spinster at Keeneland. Blinkers will be added today, but she will need to run like she did at Monmouth back in June with an authoritative move for an upset win.
This looks like the Kentucky Oaks here for Thorpedo Anna. She could go to the lead and never look back. We all know she is the horse to beat and could be the horse of the year. I’m not worried about that race at Parx. It looks like a weird running where they tried to box her in with nowhere to go. She keeps herself out of trouble and romps.
I am calling this race 2-9-1-5 with a $20 win wager on Thorpedo Anna.
Del Mar Race 7 – Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade 1)
When we have the turf main event, the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Remember, the two biggest races are earlier in the day to accommodate NBC’s coverage of Big Ten football.
The 11 Rebel’s Romance (5/2 ML) is favored here today. This six-year-old gelding won this race two years ago at Keeneland and is looking to get his title back. He took the same path in 2022, winning at Cologne in Germany prepping for this race. He is a stone cold closer that should enjoy the action up front today.
The 5 Jayarebe (4/1 ML) impressively fought back to win the Prix Dollar at Longchamp in France last month. He looked like he was going to drop back in the stretch but he fought back to win by a head over soft ground.
The 6 Far Bridge (6/1 ML) closed very well against a slow pace to win the Turf Classic at Aqueduct last month. This could be on the lead like he was in another shorter field in the Sword Dancer, which probably won’t happen today or from off the pace. He looks like he is the best American chance in this race.
The 12 Gold Phoenix (15/1 ML) closed well in the Del Mar Handicap back in August going 11 furlongs. He did not show much in the John Henry Turf Classic last out at Santa Anita but looks like a horse that can bounce back here today.
Usually I throw red flags all over the place when a horse races in very small fields, but I am going to take those flags down today. I think Far Bridge gets his nose down just in time to beat Rebel’s Romance and Jayarebe. I’ll call this 6-11-5-12 with a $20 win wager on the 6.
Del Mar Race 8 – Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1)
Then we have the main event of the day here as we have 15 horses entered with 14 horses running. No horses are scratched as of last night, so the 15 Rattle N Roll will likely be scratched.
Favored in the Classic is the 3 City of Troy (5/2 ML). He’s 6 for 7 lifetime winning from 7 furlongs to a mile and a half. But he never has run on the dirt. That may not be an issue as his sire is Justify who was the last Triple Crown winner in America. City of Troy has won on the lead and off the pace.
The 1 Forever Young (6/1 ML) draws the rail for his return trip to the United States. He won his prep race in Japan next month and looks to avenge that defeat in the Kentucky Derby in a blanket finish for a memorable 150th running.
The 9 Fierceness (3/1 ML) learned to rate after his Kentucky Derby flop, After an almost three month break he returned to win the Jim Dandy and Travers. He has shown his heart of a champion the last two times out. He should end up the favorite in this race.
The 11 Sierra Leone (12/1 ML) returns here looking to close like he always does in his eight-race career. He has had some bad luck in his races and comes back fresh to take on some old friends here today.
Have we ever had a horse run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic where the classic distance of a mile and a quarter is too short for someone? Well, that is the case for the 14 Next (8/1 ML). He is the Ivan Drago of the marathon running horses. What he sees, he destroys.
I’m not worried about that 14 post. He will have almost three furlongs to get good position onto the first turn. He gets tested here today after outclassing horses the last two years after an off the turf romp at Delaware Park turned him into a marathon horse.
I’m swinging for the fences here. I don’t think City of Troy will do anything. Fierceness will be tough, but I am hoping that everyone is scared to play the 14 Next. I’ll take him all day here. I’m calling this race 14-9-1-11 with a $20 win bet on the 14 Next.
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