My Picks for Saturday's Breeders Cup Races

Saturday's first Breeders Cup race is the Juvenile Fillies; twelve two-year-old girls will carry 122 pounds for a mile and 1/16 on the main dirt track.  All of the fillies were bred in Kentucky, except Wonder Gal, who is New York-bred.  Four of the fillies are chestnuts, the rest are bays.  Three of the fillies - Feathered, Danette, and Puca - are descendants of Hyperion.  I was able to view half of the field in photos.  Based on pedigree and available photos, my picks are:  Take Charge Brandi (trained by D Wayne Lukas), Majestic Presence, Puca, Wonder Gal (under Mike Smith) and By the Moon...
   All entries in the Filly & Mare Turf are four years or older, so all will carry 124 pounds in the mile and 1/4  race worth $2 million.  There is one 6-year-old mare, Abaco, five  5-year-olds, and four 4-yesr-olds in the race.  Two are Irish-bred - Just the Judge and Fiesolana - and two were bred in Great Britain - Secret Gesture and Dank, the defending champion.  Dayatthespa was bred in New York, Irish Mission was bred in Ontario, Canada, Parranda was bred in Florida, and the other four entries are Kentucky bred.  Four of the eleven are related to Hyperion.  Honestly, I love the way that each of these ladies look.  So, here are my picks, based on pedigree (and avoiding betting the favorites): Secret Gesture, Emollient (with Rosie Npravnik in the irons), Irish Mission and Parranda.
   The Filly & Mare Sprint is 7 furlongs (or 7/8 mile) and has a purse of $1 million. The six 3-year-olds will carry 122 pounds,while the two 4- and two 5-year olds will tote 124. Stonetastic is the grey (roan) filly; Thank You Marylou and Judy the Beauty are chestnuts; the other seven entries are bays. Living the Life was born in Ireland; Than You Marylou is Virginia-bred; Artemis Agrotera was born in New York; Judy the Beauty was bred in Ontario, Canada; the others are Kentucky-bred.  Four of the ten ladies descend from Hyperion.  My picks:  Sweet Reason, Stonetastic, Living the Life, and Artemis Agrotera.  Mike Smith has the mount on Judy the Beauty, the morning line betting favorite.
   The Turf Sprint is worth $1 million and covers about 6 and 1/2 furlongs (.8125 mile).  The weight the horse carries depends upon it's sex and it's age; since that can get a little crazy, I'll just list information regarding each entry on a single line...
1.    Reneesgotzip    5 year-old chestnut mare; bred in Kentucky; 123 #
2.    Silentio      5-year-old dark bay horse; bred in Kentucky;  126 #
3.    Sweet Swap      5-year-old chestnut horse; bred in Kentucky;  126 #
4.    Tightend Touchdown      5-year-old chestnut gelding;  Florida-bred;  126 #
5.    Ambitious Brew      4-year-old bay gelding; California-bred;  126 #
6.    Bobby's Kitten      3-year-old bay colt; Bred in Kentucky;  124 #
7.    Marchman      4-year-old bay colt; bred in Kentucky; 126 #
8.    Something Extra      6-year-old dark bay gelding; bred in Kentucky; 126 #
9.    Free As A Bird      5-year-old chestnut mare; bred in Kentucky; 123 #  She refused to board her plane and is scratched - other horses move up in post position and Ageless is now an entry.
9.    Home Run Kitten      3-year-old chestnut colt; bred in Kentucky; 124 #
10.  Undrafted     4-year-old chestnut gelding; bred in Kentucky; 126 #
11.  Dimension     6-year-old dark bay gelding; Great Britain-bred; 126 #
12.  Caspar Netscher      5-year-old bay horse; Great Britain-bred;  126 #
13.  No Nay Never      3-year-old dark bay colt; bred in Kentucky; 124 #
14.  Ageless      5-year-old bay mare; bred in Kentucky; 123 #
My choices: Silentio (a grandson of Sunday Silence); Ambitious Brew, ridden by Mike Smith; Marchman, with Kent Desormeaux in the irons; Undrafted, with John R Velasquez in the saddle, and owned by Denver Broncos player Wes Welker; and No Nay Never under the guidance of Frankie Dettori.
   With American Pharoah out of the Juvenile, eleven 2-year-old colts and one ridgling will carry 122 pounds each over 1 and 1/16 miles on the main dirt track for a purse of $2 million. Upstart was bred in New York (and is the ridgling); Lucky Player and Calculator are Florida-breds; the other nine were bred in Kentucky.  Calculator is a grey (roan); Mr. Z is a chestnut; Carpe Diem and Daredevil are listed as chestnuts, but their photos show a black mane, tail and legs - which would make them bays; the others are listed as bays and dark browns.  My picks are: Private Prospect; Texas Red ridden by Kent Desormeaux; Mr. Z, with Mike Smith in the saddle and trained by D Wayne Lukas; Upstart, and One Lucky Dane.
   The one and 1/2 mile Turf race is open to both sexes, and all ages.  All males, aged 4, 5 and 6 years will carry 126 pounds, while the 4-ear-old filly Chicquita will haul 123 pounds, contesting for the $3 million purse.  Magician, the defending champion, is scratched due to lameness,which leaves a field of twelve.  Telescope and the filly Chicquita were bred in Ireland; Brown Panther and Flintshire are from Great Britain; Big John B is a Florida-bred; Hangover Kid was bred in New York; Starspangled Heat is from California; and the other five entries were bred in Kentucky. Imagining, Starspangled Heat and Main Sequence are chestnuts, the other runners are bays.  My picks:  Telescope, Twilight Eclipse, Flintshire and Big John B.
    The $1.5 million Sprint covers 6 furlongs (3/4 mile)and is a weight for age and sex race.  Secret Circle is back to defend his championship.  Once again I'll list the post positions and information.
1.    Seeking the Sherif      5-year-old dark bay gelding; Kentucky bred; 126 #
2.    Indianapolis      3-year-old bay colt; Kentucky bred; 124 #
3.    Wind Fire      3-year-old filly; Kentucky bred; 121 #
4.    Secret Circle      5-year-old bay horse; Kentucky bred; 126 #
5.    Private Zone      5-year-old bay gelding; bred in Ontario, Canada; 126 #
6.    Rich Tapestry      6-year-old bay gelding; bred in Ireland; 126 #
7.    Mico Margarita      4-year-old chestnut colt; Kentucky bred; 126 #
8.    Palace      5-year-old bay horse; bred in New York; 126 #
9.    Salutos Amigos      4-year-old bay gelding; Kentucky bred; 126 #
10.  Big Macher      4-year-old bay gelding; Bred in California; 126 #
11.  Bakken      4-year-old bay colt; Kentucky bred; 126 #
12.  Fast Anna      3-year-old bay colt; Kentucky bred; 124 #
13.  Work All Week      5-year-old chestnut gelding; bred in Illinois; 126 #
14.  Bourbon Courage      5-year-old bay horse; Kentucky bred; 126 #
In this race, my picks are: Wind Fire, the filly; Rich Tapestry; Palace; Bakken under Gary Stevens; Indianapolis  with Mike Smith; and Bourbon Courage.
   The Breeders Cup Mile is run on the grass for a $2 million purse.  With Wise Dan, the two-time defending champion sidelined by injury, the race is wide open.  This is a weight for age and sex race; entrants are aged three to six, and are of both sexes.  Six of the entries are Kentucky-bred; eight are from other countries.  This makes for yet another listing...
1.    Grand Arch      5-year-old bay gelding; Kentucky bred; 126 #
2.    Obviously      6-year-old bay gelding; bred in Ireland; 126 #
3.    Veda      3-year-old bay filly; bred in France; 120 #
4.    Mustajeeb      3-year-old chestnut colt; bred in Great Britain; 123 #
5.    Toronado      4-year-old bay colt; bred in Ireland; 126 #
6.    Tom's Tribute      4-year-old chestnut colt; Kentucky bred; 126 #
7.    Kaigun      4-year-old chestnut gelding;  bred in Ontario, Canada; 126 #
8.    Trade Storm      6-year-old bay horse; bred in Great Britain; 126 #
9.    Anodin      4-year-old bay colt; bred in Ireland; 126 #
10.  Summer Front      5-year-old bay horse; Kentucky bred; 126 #
11.  Sayaad      4-year-old bay colt; Kentucky bred; 126 #
12.  Seek Again      4-year-old chestnut colt; Kentucky bred; 126 #
13.  Tourist      3-year-old dark bay colt; Kentucky bred; 123 #
14.  Karakontie     3-year-old bay colt; bred in Japan; 123 #
I really like the looks and breeding of Toronado, but he's the early  betting favorite - so here are my picks: Veda, the 3-year-old French filly; Anodin, the brother of Goldikova; Summer Front; Tourist under the guidance of Rosie Napravnik; and Karakontie, the Japan-born grandson of Sunday Silence.
   The early betting favorite for the $5 million Classic is Shared Belief, a 3-year-old dark brown gelding, who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year.  He looks impressive, has a Cryptoclearance and Northern Dancer pedigree, and will have Mike Smith in the saddle.  I'd like for him to win, but I like longer shots on the tote board. There is a full field of fourteen horses; 7 of them are 3-year-olds and will carry 122 pounds; the other seven entries are aged four to six, and will carry 126 pounds.  California Chrome has not been in the winner's circle since the Preakness in May; he is the only California bred and carries 122 pounds.  Zivo is a 5-year-old bay horse bred in New York; all other entries were bred in Kentucky.  All of the horses are bays, except California Chrome and V. E. Day, who are chestnuts.  The other five youngsters getting a 4 pound weight break are: V. E. Day, Bayern, Toast of New York, Tonalist, and Candy Boy.Since Shared Belief is the betting favorite, my picks are: Prayer for Relief, Toast of New York, Candy Boy under Corey Nakatani, Majestic Harbor with Tyler Baze in the irons, and Moreno with Javier Castellano up.