Betting Favorite Omaha Beach Scratched From Kentucky Derby

After some light exercise today, Omaha Beach developed a small, nagging cough.  The veterinarian was called, and an endoscopy was performed.  It was discovered that the colt's epiglottis, a triangular shaped piece of cartilage, had become entrapped in his throat. The entrapment can only be relieved by surgery, and the colt would have breathing problems throughout his life without the surgery.  After the surgery, the colt needs rest and no stress for at least 3 weeks before starting to train for racing again.  The Derby is out; the Preakness is out.  The owners, trainer, jockey, and stable hands are all in shock.  Everything must be re-planned and mapped out.
  With the scratch of Omaha Beach, the colt Bodexpress will load in gate 20, wearing saddle-cloth number 21 for the race. The horses who drew positions 13 to 20 will all move one slot over to the right, but will keep their original drawn post numbers. (Code of Honor, who drew post 13, will break from gate 12, but wear the number 13.)  Bodexprress, is a bay son of Bodemeister, out of the City Zip mare Pied a Terre.  His jockey will be Chris Landeros, and he is trained by Gustavo Delgado.
  With the betting favorite missing, odds-master Mike Battaglia has declared the new favorite to be Game Winner at 9 to 2, followed by both Improbable and Roadster at odds of 5 to 1.

Game Winner

Improbable

Roadster

Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday Results Plus 2 Stakes Races

**  All betting payouts are quoted for Churchill Downs, and represent winnings on either a $2 win, place, or show bet; or on a $1 exacta, trifecta, or superfecta bet.  **

The parentheses around today's Breeders' Cup  2018 Future Stars Friday began with a 1 mile race for 2-year-olds, with a guaranteed purse of  $100,000.  All entries were colts, and they all carried 122 pounds.  Results of the Street Sense Stakes were: in first, Improbable, by 7 1/4 lengths; second, Trophy Chaser, by 1 1/3 lengths; third, Distant Shore, by a head; and fourth, Manny Wah.  The rest of the order of finish was: 5th, Marquis Prince; 6th, Louder Than Bombs, 7th, Moonster; 8th, Reward the Miracle; and 9th, Unionizer.A $2 win slip paid $3.80; a #3 place bet paid $3.60; and a #1 show slip paid $4.  The $1 exacta paid $5.60; the trifecta paid $44.30; and the superfecta paid $153.90.  - The mile race was clocked at 1:35.61.
   The closing race, after the fifth Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was the Grade II Marathon Stakes, for horses 3 years of age and up, of any sex, racing 1 3/4 miles for a guaranteed purse of $200,000.  All entries were colts or geldings, and Imperative was a late scratch.  The winner, by 3/4 of a length was Rocketry; Dabster finished second, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of third placed Big Dollar Bill, who was 7 3/4 lengths in front of Toast of New York.   The fifth through ninth finishers were: Senior Investment, War Story, Term of Art, Finglas, and Honorable Duty.  A correct $2 win ticket paid $6.60;  place paid $5.80, and show paid $3.20.  A correct $1 exacta bet paid $18.20; a good trifecta paid $80; and a superfecta paid $389.60.  -  The 1 3/4 mile race was run in 2:57.62.

The first Breeders' Cup Race today was the Juvenile Sprint Turf.  Open to colts and fillies, run at 5 1/2 furlongs, the field was restricted to 12. The guaranteed purse was $1 million.  Shang Shang Shang was a morning scratch, and Big Drink of Water ran in her place. The winner was Bulletin, by 2 3/4 lengths.  Second was Chelsea Cloisters, a length ahead of third place So Perfect, who finished 3/4 length in front of Queen of Bermuda (IRE).  The rest of the field finished in the following order: Big Drink of Water, Soldier's Call (GB), Strike Silver, Sergei Prokofiev (Ont), Pocket Dynamo, Stillwater Cove, Well Done Fox (GB), and Moonlight Romance.  A $2 win ticket paid $10.60, a place ticket paid $19.80, and a show bet paid $5.80.  A correct $1 exacta paid $119.70; a trifecta paid $1,452.70; and a superffecta paid $25,489.90.  -  The winning time for the 5.5 furlongs was 1:05.54.

The Juvenile Filly Turf  was raced at a distance of 1 mile, with a guaranteed purse of $1 million.  The race was won in 1:39.00, by Newspaperofrecord (IRE), who won convincing by  6 3/4 lengths.  In second place was East (GB), a neck ahead of third place Stellar Angel, who was 3/4 length ahead of Just Wonderful.  The rest of the order of finish was: Varenka, The Mackem Bullet (IRE), Belle Laura, Concrete Rose, My Gal Betty, La Pelosa (IRE), Pakhet, Lily's Candle (FR), Summering, and Lady Prancealot (IRE).  A $2 win bet paid $3.20, a place bet paid $8.20, and a show bet paid $21.  A correct $1 perfecta bet paid $16.20; a trifecta paid $557.70; and a superfecta paid $5,766.20.

Next up was the 10 filly field in the Juvenile Fillies: 1 and 1/16 miles on the main track, with a guaranteed purse of $2 million.  Jaywalk won the race by 5 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:43.62.  Restless Rider finished in second, 1/2 length ahead of Vibrance, who was 3 1/4 lengths in front of fourth-placed Bellafina.  Following the top four finishers were: Cassies Dreamer, Sippican Harbor, Serengeti Empress, Splashy Kisses, Reflect, and Baby Nina.  Holding a $2 win ticket got you $13, a winning place bet gave $4; and a correct show bet paid $10.80.  A $1 exacta paid $25.20; a trifecta paid $387.60; and a superfecta paid $1,490.30.

The Juvenile Turf catered to the colts at a distance of 1 mile, with a guaranteed purse of $1 million.  Line of Duty (IRE) finished 1/2 length in front of Uncle Benny, who was a neck ahead of Somelikeithotbrown.  The son of Big Brown had led from the gate, but couldn't hold off the other two in a head-to-head-to-head duel near the end of the stretch.  Arthur Kitt (GB) finished in fourth.  The field following the colt raised on a nurse-mare was: War of Will, Forty Under, Current, The Black Album (FR), Anthony Van Dyck (IRE), Opry, Marie's Diamond (IRE), King of Speed, Henley's Joy, and Much Better.  Line of Duty (IRE) won the race in the time of 1:40.06.  A $2 win bet paid $9, a place bet paid $8, and a show bet paid $8.20.  A correct $1 exacta bet paid $37.60; the trifecta paid $427.10; and the superfecta paid $7,943.90.

Code of Honor was scratched this morning, leaving a field of 13 to contend the Juvenile Colts race.  Run at 1 and 1/16 miles on the main track, the guaranteed purse was $2 million.  The betting favorite, Game Winner, won the race by 2 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:43.67.  Second place finsher Knicks Go was 1 length ahead of Signalman, who finished 6 1/4 lengths ahead of fourth-placed Mr. Money.  The rest of the colts finished in this order: Gunmetal Gray, Dueling, Mind Control, Topper T, Tight Ten, Complexity, Derby Date, Well Defined, and Standard Deviation.  A $2 win bet paid $4, a place paid $21.40, and a show paid $15.80.  With a correct $1 exacta ticket, you received $56.60; a trifecta paid $965.60; and a trifecta paid $16,279.80.

  Tomorrow we'll see nine Breeders' Cup races for horses aged 3 and up, along with two other Stakes races at Churchill Downs.      -      Happy betting!!