Tag: santa anita

Breeders’ Cup Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The star names may be missing but Saturday night at the Breeders’ Cup is always special and drama is virtually guaranteed.

The first realistic European interest is in the Filly & Mare Turf where Sir Michael Stoute’s Dank bids to win the race for the second successive year. She was in irresistible form this time last season but has only managed two moderate outings this term and she makes little appeal at odds of around 9-4. If anyone can get her back to her best it will be Stoute but I prefer to look elsewhere for value. The one that could spring a surprise is the front-running Dayatthespa who could get a soft lead with so many hold-up horses in the field.

Another horse that could go wire-to-wire is Reneesgotzip in the Turf Sprint. The mare was only just beaten by Mizdirection last year in this race and was third behind the same rival in 2012. Her build-up suggests that trainer Peter Miller has only had one race on his mind for the daughter of City Zip.

It’s a bold move by Aidan O’Brien to send over The Great War for the Juvenile Dirt but Todd Pletcher saddles two highly promising colts in Daredevil and Carpe Diem. There aren’t really any form lines to tie the two up so Carpe Diem’s proven ability to handle the surface gives him the nod.

Telescope looks to have everything in his favour in the Turf as he should relish the quicker surface. It has taken some smart animals to lower his colours this season, notably Noble Mission and Taghrooda. Flintshire looks the man threat to Telescope on form after his fine run in the Arc but I am not convinced that he wants it quite as quick as this. The O’Brien team must be disappointed that Magician didn’t make the line-up this year due to injury and I’m siding with his conqueror Hardest Core to upset the Europeans.

Toronado falls into a similar category as Telescope in that he should find things in his favour and has much the best form in the race. He has had a light campaign so should not fail through fitness but his odds are not tempting and I’m going to have a little on The Aga Khan’s Veda. She looked like winning last time but may just have blown up in the closing stages and could have been primed for this race. She was second in the French 1000 Guineas in the spring and is entitled to go well.

The Classic features the winners of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont and yet neither California Chrome nor Tonalist start favourite. That honour goes to Shared Belief who is unbeaten and comfortably beat UK hope Toast Of New York previously. I liked the way Tonalist travelled last time and he makes more appeal at 6-1 in what should be a thrilling finale.

Dayatthespa (Filly & Mare Turf) @9-1 Paddy Power

Reneesgotzip (Turf Sprint) @11-2 Coral

Carpe Diem (Juvenile Dirt) @7-2 Coral

Hardest Core (Turf) @11-1 BetVictor

Veda (Mile) @10-1 Bet365

Tonalist (Classic) @6-1 Coral

Breeders’ Cup Friday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Breeders’ Cup starts at Santa Anita on Friday with four Grade 1 races. The meeting has come in for some criticism this year for its failure to attract the big names, although injury and retirement have contributed to that. Rather like the recent Champions’ Day at Ascot, the meeting is sure to provide some excellent racing even if it is unlikely to be the stuff of legends.

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf is the first of the big events and there is every reason to anticipate a European-trained winner here. The favourite is Wesley Ward’s Hootenanny who has already plundered the UK to take a Royal Ascot prize. He has since been beaten in France in very soft ground and now steps up to a mile for the first time.

He has the best form on show but I have reservation about him over this trip and am siding with the Charles Hills-trained Commemorative. This attractive colt has won a couple of races the hard way, battling away to win his maiden at Doncaster before making all at Newmarket. The form of his most recent success has taken a knock with the runner-up running poorly since but Commemorative strikes me as the sort to keep a bit to himself.

Charles Hills won at this meeting a year ago with the sadly ill-fated Chriselliam and it would great for him to go back and do it again this year. Aidan O’Brien’s War Envoy is also entitled to respect having finished within a length of the winner in a Group 1 in France last time. Aktabantay was not far behind for Hugo Palmer but it was one of those messy races where they finish in a heap and I’m not convinced by the form.

The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile looks booked for Goldencents for the second year running. He recently broke a track record over seven furlongs and was also beaten a nose over six. His form looks better than anything his rivals can offer here in a disappointing renewal.

Wesley Ward also has a good chance in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Sunset Glow. UK racing fans may remember this filly chasing home Cursory Glance at Royal Ascot and she has gone on to win twice at Del Mar. Osaila was hugely favoured by the race conditions when winning one of those obscenely rewarded sales races last time but has a few lengths to make up on Sunset Glow.

The Distaff brings down the curtain on day 1 for the Breeders’ Cup races and I like the chances of Bob Baffert’s Tiz Midnight here at an each-way price. She has to improve to beat Close Hatches but that one ran a shocker last time when beaten at 1-5 so I’ll take a chance on the more lightly-raced filly.

Commemorative 9.25 @10-1 Ladbrokes

Goldencents 10.05 @5-4 Bet365

Sunset Glow 10.50 @100-30 Skybet

Tiz Midnight 11.35 @10-1 Betfair

Breeders’ Cup 2013 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Breeders’ Cup gets under way on Friday night at Santa Anita and the Europeans have a terrific record at this venue. Their main hopes of success on the opening night depend on the juvenile races where they are strongly represented.

I cannot remember three top class winners from Europe going for a juvenile race at the Breeders’ Cup before but Vorda, Chriselliam and Al Thakhira have all won important trials in the UK. Vorda is the clear pick on form having won the Cheveley Park Stakes and her prospects of staying the mile will be helped by the fast surface.

Of the other two, I much prefer Al Thakhira who was always travelling like a winner in the Rockfel Stakes. You never quite know how they are going to match up against the Americans but Vorda looks overpriced at 4-1. The European challenge is not as strong in the Juvenile but both Giovanni Boldini and Outstrip have been favoured by low draws.

Outstrip won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in great style and then finished third to War Command in the Dewhurst Stakes. That form matches up well against this field and he is tempting at around 6-1 to provide Godolphin with another Breeders’ Cup victory. On Saturday, the European challenge is spearheaded by two super fillies in The Fugue and Dank.

I was confident that Sir Michael Stoute’s filly would win the Beverly D Stakes but I was surprised by just how easily she did so. She looks a stand out bet in the Filly and Mare Turf. The Fugue has her ground at last after missing out on the Arc and the Champion Stakes. I’d say she was a certainty over a mile and a quarter but this mile and a half just causes me a bit of concern. William Buick got it all wrong in the Filly & Turf last year but can make amends here and land a cracking big-race double for the Brits.

I will be opposing Olympic Glory in the mile as his best form is on soft ground and a straight course. He gets neither here and has it all to do to beat Wise Dan. Declaration Of War has had a long old season and runs in a race that has not been kind to Aidan O’Brien over the years. Game On Dude looks very hard to fault and can send the punters home very happy!

Santa Anita (Friday) Outstrip 6-1 Paddy Power, Vorda 4-1 Coral Santa Anita

(Saturday) Dank 2-1 William Hill, The Fugue 9-4 William Hill, Wise Dan 11-10 888Sport, Game On Dude 3-1 Coral.