Saturday 5th November 2022

Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing_)

Keeneland

Welcome aboard to my preview for Saturday’s action at the Breeders Cup, which this year takes place at Keeneland. Kicking things off on Saturday is the 3:50 which is the Grade 1 Filly & Mare Sprint over seven furlongs. I’ve sided with Echo Zulu in this who’s currently a 13/2 chance for Ricardo Santana Jr and Steve Asmussen. She was a three-time Grade 1 winner last term and her season culminated with success in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies contest. She lost her unbeaten record this season, when finishing fourth in the Kentucky Oaks back in May, however, bounced back to form when returning from a lay-off in September when winning a Grade 3. It’s likely that she’ll progress further from that effort which I think makes her a big player here.

Next up it’s the 4:29 which is the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint that’s contested over five and a half furlongs. I’m siding with a horse that I’ve tipped up several times now, including at last year’s Breeders Cup, and that’s Golden Pal at 2/1 for the team of Irad Ortiz Jr and Wesley Ward. He dominated this race from the front last year, putting the race to bed early on with his devastating break speed. He opened his campaign this year with another impressive performance when bolting up here in a Grade 2 back in April, before things went terribly wrong at Royal Ascot where he finished dead last. Since then, he’s bounced back with successive victories in graded contests, and I think he could well be primed to defend his crown here. His speed from the gates will give him a crucial edge over European runners, who could find it very difficult to peg him back.

It’s the 6:30 where I next turn my attention too, which is more sprinting action in the form of the Grade 1 Breeders Cup sprint over six furlongs. This is my NAP of the meeting, and that comes in the form of Jackie’s Warrior at 5/6 for Joel Rosario and Steve Asmussen. I’m a big fan of this horse, and I think it would be fitting for him to bow out with a Breeders Cup success after failing to get the job done on his previous two attempts. He doesn’t arrive here in perfect form, having suffered a shock defeat on his most recent outing when turned over at odds of 3/20 in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga back in August. However, before that, he’d strung a winning sequence of four straight victories together, which were all graded victories including two Grade 1s. He’s got the best form in this race by some way, and if he’s anywhere near his best he’ll be incredibly hard to beat. (NAP/Best Bet)

Moving onto the 7:10 now which is the Breeders Cup Mile, another Grade 1 affair.  I think this can go to the Europeans and be won by Modern Games who’s currently trading at 9/4 for the team of William Buick and Charlie Appleby. He’s a very likeable and game performer, who tasted Breeders Cup success last season when winning the Juvenile Turf in pretty comfortable fashion. Since then, he’s developed into somewhat of a globetrotting superstar, winning top-level races in both France and Canada, whilst also placing in domestic Group 1s on British shores at Goodwood and Ascot. I think he’s more than proved himself as a top-level miler, and he could well be primed for this particular assignment.

The penultimate race for me will be the 7:55 which is the Breeders Cup Distaff a race on the dirt for filles & mares over a mile and a furlong. I’m taking a chance on Malathaat here at 7/2 for John Velazquez and Todd Pletcher. She arrives here in great form this season, with her most recent outings being back to back Grade 1 victories in the Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, before following up with succes in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes at this track earlier last month. I think she’s very solid, and has proved that she’s somewhat of a specialist over this sort of trip. If getting some luck in the run she’s got every chance of adding a third succesive Grade 1 success to her tally here.

I’ll be signing my blog off with the 8:40 which is the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Turf that takes ridden over a distance of a mile and four furlongs. This is a race that’s known for being dominated by the Europeans, with Frankie Dettori being the current jockey with the most wins in the race with five victories to his names. They once again have an expected strong hand, however, I’m taking them on with a home challenger in the form of War Like Goddess at 9/2 for Joel Rosario and William Mott. She’s a five-year-old mare who’s ironically from a sire called English Channel, I actually put her up at last year’s Breeders Cup when she got no luck in the run when finishing third in the Filly & Mare Turf. She didn’t dwell on that defeat though, and is unlucky not come into this with four successive victories, having won three graded contests, and only going down by a neck in the other. Her most recent outing came when tasting Grade 1 success last time out in the Classic Stakes at Belmont, where she won impressively by just shy of three-lengths. I think she’s got every chance to run a massive race here on her form this season.