Day one of the highly anticipated Breeders’ Cup World Championship starts today. The best horses our sport has to offer will put on a show today and tomorrow, battling it out to decide who will be the next Breeders’ Cup champion. All of these horses earned this illustrious opportunity. All of their racing, training, and hard work has led to this. There is nothing quite like this weekend of racing. It is truly breathtaking to see the world’s greatest equine athletes all come together, all in pursuit of the same coveted prize. Superlative talent will be on display for the next two days and in the end, the best will make themselves known.
In previous articles I covered the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the Classic, the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies’, the Sprint and Filly and Mare Sprint. There are a few more races with horses that look very promising in their upcoming races, and I want to discuss them before the starting gates burst open and the races begin.
The first race I want to discuss is the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. I will start with Mor Spirit because I honestly don’t know what to make of him. To be blunt, I am not picking him to win. However, if he does win, I won’t be shocked. His jaw dropping exhibition in the Metropolitan Handicap back in June was one of the best performances I have seen by a miler. He could not have looked any more superior than he did that day. I was expecting him to continue the summer by adding more victories to his name, but to my surprise, he did not race again after that day. Bob Baffert knows how to get a horse ready for a big event, but it is still asking a lot of a horse to score in a race as competitive as this after such a long layoff. As talented as this stately horse is, I’m just not wild about him in this spot. He may very well prove me wrong, but at the short price of 3-1 I have to risk it and play against him.
So that brings me to my top three picks for the Dirt Mile. Practical Joke, Sharp Azteca, and Accelerate. From both a fan’s perspective and as a bettor, I love Practical Joke in here. I have always loved this courageous colt and am hoping to see him finally get his first win around two turns. Practical Joke has been a freak in one turn races, and despite the fact that he has hasn’t won while stretching out, he’s never run poorly in his longer races either. This audacious colt is a true racehorse. He shows up every time, willing to fight anyone to the wire. He has come painfully close to winning quite a few two turn events, suggesting that the mile distance of this race won’t be a real issue. The horse has guts. He’ll be right there at the finish, just like he always is.
I can’t leave Sharp Azteca out of my top three. This bold colt has had a terrific season this year, hitting the board in all five of starts. Three of those starts resulted in thundering wins. Sharp Azteca is a horse that is gifted with blazing speed and hulking strength. He is currently riding high off of back to back stakes victories and is coming into this race as sharp as ever. Watch out for him to run a fierce race today. He’s a good one.
Last we have Accelerate. I think this nimble colt will love the distance of this race. He is a horse with speed and endurance, and that will take him very far. This mighty runner has hit the board in every start this season, including a commanding win in the San Diego Handicap, where he soundly defeated the once unsinkable Arrogate. There is no reason to think that Accelerate won’t show up today, so I am going to box him with Sharp Azteca and Practical Joke.
Another race that I have high expectations for is the Turf Sprint. I really like Lady Aurelia in here. I have looked forward to seeing her in this spot all year. She has been training beautifully up to this, so there is no reason for me to change my mind now. This filly has breathtaking speed that will make her very difficult to catch on Saturday.
I also really like Marsha in this race. With an impressive resume of seven wins in seventeen starts, there’s no reason to count her out. In fact, Marsha has already defeated Lady Aurelia before. It wasn’t by much. They finished side by side. But a win is a win and this filly knows how to make a photo finish count. Marsha has looked flawless training up to the Turf Sprint. She is in top form and will likely have a say in the outcome of this race.
As much as I like Marsha and Lady Aurelia, there is no value in betting both of them. So I am going to throw in two horses to use in the exotics. The first one is Disco Partner. At morning line odds of 9/2 Disco Partner does not provide a ton of value, but his chances of hitting the board in this race are very high in my opinion, so I can’t leave him off of my ticket. In fact, I have liked this spot for Disco Partner for a while. He is a gifted sprinter who always runs a solid race.
I am hoping that Disco Partner’s odds will climb at least somewhat by post time, but if they don’t, another horse that I really love in here will give you the value you need. That horse is Bucchero and he is coming into this race with morning line odds of 12-1.
It is amazing to me that Bucchero is a long shot in this race, considering the fact that he is coming into the Breeders’ Cup on a three race winning streak. This swift sprinter has an incredible turn of foot and a powerful drive to win. Once he strikes the front he gives it everything he has to stay there. This intrepid colt is as tough as they come. He is consistent, agile, and a real threat to this field. He is my best long shot pick for this deeply talented field, and I honestly believe he will show up in a big way.
I want to end this with a quick thought on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Handicapping juvenile races can be tricky, but I have found two horses in this race that stand out to me. They are Masar and Catholic Boy. Masar possesses an immense amount of talent for such a young horse. He has hit the board in all four of his races, and is already a stakes winner, having claimed decisive victory in the Betbright Solario Stakes. It also helps that his trainer, Charlie Appleby, knows how to get a horse ready for this event. He won this race back in 2013 with Outstrip, and now is back for more. His aristocratic charge has looked superb during his Breeders’ Cup preparations at Del Mar. I cannot pick him apart. Masar is fit and ready to join the fray when the starting gates spring open. This horse is here because Appleby expects him to win, and I have to agree with his faith in this colt.
Masar is the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. But luckily, Catholic Boy’s morning line odds are a juicy 12-1. The value will come with this horse. I have high hopes for him to either win or run second. It’s a daunting task considering the depth of this race, but with a perfect two for two record, I can’t find a reason not to believe in him. He has done everything right so far, showing a world of promise in both of his wins. The gritty display that Catholic Boy put on to win the With Anticipation Stakes showed that he will not shy away when the going gets tough, and that’s good to know considering the fact that he will be competing in a full field for the Breeders’ Cup. This unflappable youngster knows how to hold his own when things get dicey and that is a quality that I really admire. Watch out for him to run a big race in the Juvenile Turf.
In my opinion, Catholic Boy is much better than his odds suggest. Box him with Masar and you may just have a winning ticket. And if you want to play the trifecta, put Snapper Sinclair under them. I think this up and coming youngster looks sneaky good in this spot and he will add extra value to your ticket with his 15-1 odds.