Breeders Cup Dirt Mile
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Breeders' Cup Breakdown
The Dirt Mile
1 mile & 70 yards; $1 million; 3up; 5:35pm Friday
The History
You’re witnessing it. This will be the inaugural running of the event.
The Best
All eyes will be on Discreet Cat to see if he can return to his winning ways that have seen him take races like last years G1 Cigar Mile with effortless brilliance. Since that win last fall at Aqueduct, Discreet Cat missed his prep for the G1 Dubai World Cup then subsequently finished last of seven in the desert earlier this season. The six month respite that followed resulted in a poor third place finish in the G1 Vosburgh going six furlongs. Despite that effort, trainer Saeed bin Suroor has pressed on with him and he figures to be the shortest priced favorite in the Friday Breeders’ Cup events.
Another looking to rebound from a pair of dismal efforts is Corinthian. After winning the prestigious G1 Met Mile back on Memorial Day, he was last of six as the 3-2 favorite in the G1 Suburban then finished a well beaten fourth to Lawyer Ron in the G1 Woodward on closing weekend at Saratoga in a race that saw him sputter after making a weak middle move towards the leaders for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.
Diamond Stripes is only one of two horses in the field coming into this on a high note having scored a hard fought win in the G2 Meadowlands Cup earlier this month while High Finance is yet another candidate that will look to return to his winning ways after tiring badly as the tepid 2-1 favorite in the Forego at Saratoga. He won the G2 Tom Fool at Belmont two starts back and the two best races of his life have arguably come going a mile. He shouldn’t mind the bit of added distance and racing around two turns.
The Rest
Lewis Michael won the G2 Washington Park two back before finishing fourth in the G1 Goodwood last out, both over Polytrack. G2 winner Wanderin Boy will be seeking his first win since the G3 Alysheba over a sloppy track earlier this season. Xchanger won the G3 Barbaro at Delaware this year and is two for three at Monmouth Park. Gottcha Gold has won five starts and finished second twice in eight starts at Monmouth and is looking for the hat trick coming off a pair of wins in the G3 Salvator Mile where he beat Lawyer Ron and the G3 Iselin. Park Avenue Ball is another Monmouth lover, hitting the board in all ten starts over the oval, a winner in six of those races.
The Scenario
This should be a fairly compact group. Gottcha Gold and Wanderin Bo will be setting the pace with Discreet Cat and High Finance sitting right off the lead. Lewis Michael and Diamond Stripes will be in the middle of the pack along with Diamond Stripes and Park Avenue Ball who shouldn’t be too far behind.
The Strategy
It all depends on if you like Discreet Cat or not. I think he’ll be a heavy favorite and he shouldn’t be based on his last pair. I don’t really like him so I’ll probably spread out a bit in here and hope for the best.
The Bomb
Xchanger intrigues me a lot in here. If there’s a wicked early pace like I think there will be, he is definitely capable of picking up the pieces.