Free Picks: Breeders Cup Service Plays for Saturday, November 6,2010

WIZARD

BC JUVENILE TURF

(6) UTLEY
The European runners have done very well in the short history of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and this year should be no different. The weather and turf course at Churchill will be closer to what they are used to in Europe than the conditions were at Santa Anita during the last two Breeders' Cups, and Euros have done very well in the past in the Breeders' Cup turf races at Churchill Downs. This lightly-raced son of Smart Strike, one of the best sires in the world, has the breeding on his dam's side to be 'any kind' on grass. the dam won the G1 Del Mar Oaks on turf, and in addition to Utley, has dropped two G1 turf winners. Rainbow View won two G1 races on turf, and Just As Well also won one. Utley is owned and bred by George Strawbridge's Augustin Stable. He has campaigned so many classy turf horses over the years, and his Forever Together was named champion turf female in 2008. Utley was favored in his debut but finished 5th of 15 in an educational outing on August 27. He returned 19 days later to take on 15 rivals and improved quite a bit to win that race under a hand ride. Trainer John Gosden, who's won many of the best turf races in this country over the years, entered Utley back just 18 days Later in a Group 1 race on the Arc undercard October 3. He was asking a lot of this colt to take on Group 1 company while making his third start in just over five weeks, but Ultely acquited himself quite well. He finished 5th of 10 in that very strong field, and now should be sitting on his best race yet while having a lot more time between starts. Utley's stalking style will give his jockey some options as to where to position his mount, and given his distance breeding top and bottom, I expect Utley to love this stretch out from 7 furlongs. He's never raced on firm turf, but more often than not, when a horse moves from softer ground to firm turf for the first time, he or she improves.

(9) SOLDAT
While the Europeans may be a better group as a whole, I feel that this colt has the best shot of all of the American runners to win this race. He started off his career with two solid 2nd place finishes in dirt sprints, but when he was entered back for his third start, it became clear that they were really just 'preps' for his career running long on turf. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, among the best in the country, elected to run Soldat in the G3 With Anticipation stakes in that third career start, despite the fact that he was still a maiden, and despite the fact that he had never raced on turf or in a route. None of that mattered, and McLaughlin proved himself to be correct, as Soldat dominated his field at odds of 8-1. He broke from tough post 9, pressed a fast early pace of :23 flat for the first quarter, yet still had plenty in the tank to motor away from his field in the stretch. His final 5/16 of a mile in under :29 was tremendous, something that very few turf horses can do. Off the impressive stakes win on Sept 3, Soldat was heavily favored in the G3 Pilgrim on October 3. Unfortunately, he hit the gate at the start, and was unable to gain his usual position close to the lead. Further complicating his predicament, he was stuck rating behind a crawling pace while also running over yielding ground that he didn't seem to handle all that well. Despite all of the obstacles working against him, Soldat showed his class by rallying thru traffic to get up for 2nd, an effort that was much better than it appears to be on paper. Today Soldat will be back on firmer ground, and with a good amount of speed in this field, I expect him to rate somewhere around 4th or 5th, in good position to make his move into the stretch. Jockey Alan Garcia knows him well, and if they get away from the gate cleanly, then they should be in the thick of it near the finish.

(5) MASTER OF HOUNDS
Like our top selection Utley, Master of Hounds exits one of the best juvenile races in Europe, the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy on October 23. He finished an excellent 3rd that day when stretching out to today's 1-mile distance, and if he runs back to that performance, then he will be tough to deny in this race. It took a while for this son of outstanding turf sire Kingmambo to really get his career on the right track. He lost his first three starts, including two races when favored at odds of 3-5 and even money, then when he finally did break his maiden on July 11, it was against a weak group in a race where he was favored at odds of 1-7. However, after that facile victory, Master of Hounds was given 3+ months to grow and mature before making his next start, and the time off did him a world of good. When he returned to the races on October 23, Master of Hounds ran far better than he had in any previous start. Trainer Aidan O'Brien, one of the best in the world, knew what he was doing when bumping Master of Hounds way up in class for that Group 1 race, but I am a bit concerned that he may be running him back too soon now, just 2 weeks after a big effort that followed a layoff. Such a scenario often results in a regression, especially for a young horse, and there's also the stressful shipping from Europe to account for. Master of Hounds likes to stalk or rally from near the back of the field, and there appears to be plenty of pace in this race to give him a fair shot at making his late run effective. Regular jockey Johnny Murtagh will be back aboard, but the short rest makes it tough for me to select Master of Hounds higher than third in this race. He will be adding lasix for the first time.

(7) WILCOX INN
I find this lightly-raced longshot to be a very interesting entrant for trainer Michael Stidham. He entered Willcox Inn in a turf route to begin his career on Sept 18, but the race was moved to the main track. Stidham left him in, and Willcox Inn rallied from 9th after a half-mile to win going away by nearly 3 lengths. His late pace was fast, and he won despite rating behind tepid fractions. Off that promising debut win going long, Stidham took a shot by entering Willcox Inn in the G1 Breeder's Futurity over the Polytrack at Keeneland. In that October 9 race Willcox Inn again rated near the back of his field, then put in a steady rally to finish a very good 3rd. That effort alone shows that he belongs in one of the Breeders' Cup races for juveniles, but it's most interesting that Stidham chose the Turf rather than the Dirt for Willcox Inn. It's the breeding on the dam's side that makes Willcox Inn an intriguing grass prospect, and one who could improve a great deal over the lawn. His dam placed in 7 turf stakes during her career, and she hails from an exceptional turf family. She's a half sister to 2-time G1 turf winner Cetewayo, 2-time G1 turf winner Dynaforce, and G2 turf winner Bowman Mill. In addition, 5 of her other siblings either won or placed in turf stakes. Willcox Inn is her second foal to race. The other one was a $250,000 yearling who failed to win from 3 starts in Europe. Note also that Willcox Inn worked a sharp 5F on turf October 21. All things considered, this colt seems to have more upside on grass than most in here, and his odds will certainly be long.

(3) MANTOBA
Trainer Brian Meehan has several “live” horses in this year’s Breeders’ Cup and Mantoba appears to be one of them. He will be making his fourth start in a bit more than 2 months, which is a lot to ask of a 2 year old stepping up in class and shipping overseas. Even so, Mantoba is improving quickly, and with the addition of lasix for the first time, and Dettori back aboard, he could have one more forward move in him before heading back to England for a well deserved rest. Mantoba comes off a very sharp win at the Mile distance toting 129 Lbs. He carried 129 and 124 in his first 2 starts, so the 122 Lbs should be a welcomed relief. Mantoba broke slow in his debut and was well beaten.. In his second start, Mantoba broke much sharper, dueling from the start in a 15 horse field. He held on gamely for the win, after facing pressure throughout. Mantoba came back to score easily in his last start with the switch to Dettori. That afternoon, Mantoba was rated in mid pack, then made a big move to the lead with 2 furlongs remaining, scoring by 2 ¼ lengths. He draws the perfect post (3) in the Juvenile Turf where he should sit a nice ground saving trip, which can only help his chances. Adds lasix for the first time.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* A win bet on (6)UTLEY
* Exacta box 6-9
* Smaller exacta boxes 5-6, 6-7
* Begin a PICK 4 play, with two suggested tickets, as follows:
Ticket 1: 3-5-6-7-9 / 1-2 / 1-2-5-8-9-11 / 2 = $30 for a $0.50 wager
Ticket 2: ALL / 1 / 1-5-8-11 / 2 = $26 for a $0.50 wager

BC SPRINT

(1)BIG DRAMA Crystal Ball Best Bet
There are very few horses in the Breeders’ Cup this year that are as consistent as Big Drama. He has started 15times, winning 8 races, placing in 4 others, and finishing third once. He has only finished worse than third twice.Once was in the Preakness, when he dueled through very fast fractions at 1-3/16 miles. Big Drama actually heldvery well before tiring inside the 1/8 pole. In last year’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop, Big Drama was caught widethroughout, chasing quick fractions over a sloppy track he disliked. Following that race, trainer David Fawkessent Big Drama to the farm for a well earned vacation.Big Drama returned to the races 9-1/2 months later in a small stake at his home track at Calder in south Florida.Facing just 3 rivals, he easily disposed of them, and was hand-ridden to the wire. 4 weeks later, Big Drama wasa game winner in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap. Fawkes knew he had a top class sprinter, but he had toship Big Drama outside of Florida to face the cream of the crop in order to prove it. His destination was going tobe Saratoga, in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at 6 furlongs.Big Drama would have to face Majesticperfection, who, in my opinion, was the best sprinter in the country. Hewas going for his fifth straight win, all on the front end. The betting public made him even money, anddeservingly so. As expected, Majesticperfection went right to the front, but no one wanted to run with him. Thisenabled his rider, Shaun Bridgemohan, to set a slow pace. In all practicality, the race was over after a quartermile, when a time of: 22 4/5 was posted. Meanwhile, Eibar Coa was forced to chase in second the entire trip,and that was after having to rush up after being bumped at the start, and he also raced wide throughout. BigDrama had run very well considering all of the obstacles he had to overcome.Fawkes next shipped him back to Calder, where he would prepare for the toughest race of his career atSaratoga in the Grade 1 Forego at 7 furlongs. Another solid performance would earn Big Drama a start in the BCSprint as one of the betting choices. After stumbling at the start, Big Drama rushed up to chase the pacesetterin second. He put that one away, and then was met by stiff challenges to his inside and outside in mid-stretch.He edged clear from the intense pressure nearing the wire, but could not hold off the late rally of Here ComesBen. In defeat, I felt Big Drama ran the best race, even though he had to settle for second.Fawkes has given Big Drama 2 months off in preparation for the Sprint, and he shows a series of outstandingworkouts at Calder. There is little doubt that if Big Drama comes with his “A” game, which is very likely, that hewill be one tough customer to run down. My only concern is that he has only won twice outside of Florida, once at Delta Downs and once at Charles Town. Nevertheless, Big Drama has been vastly improved as a 4 year old. His 2 powerful races against the best sprinters in the country at Saratoga lead me to believe that Big Drama will fire a big shot once again at Churchill Downs. It also doesn’t hurt that he’ll be facing one of the weakest BC Sprint fields in memory.

(2) GIROLAMO
The Godolphin Racing operation has had tremendous success in recent years, no matter where they have set up shop to race. Their breeding operation and the money they spend at yearling sales and private purchases is hard to match by any racing operation on the planet. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum of Dubai is the orchestrator, and it is he and his racing manager who decide which horses fit where. They like to invade the U.S. each year with several of their top class runners. After a slow start in 2009, they dominated racing in the summer and fall, most notably at Saratoga and Belmont Park, racking up Grade 1 wins in bunches. The story has been quite different this year. Godolphin was blanked in the Grade 1 department until Girolamo ended the long drought October 2 in the Grade 1 Vosburgh. It is this impeccably bred 4 year old who can turn a poor year in the US into a respectable showing before heading back to Dubai for the winter. Girolamo has started 9 times and has won 5 races. He has had a few setbacks in his career, but appears to be peaking at the perfect time for a strong showing in the BC Sprint. Girolamo was privately purchased by Godolphin after his 2 year old campaign and given over to trainer Saeed Bin Suroor. In his first 3 starts as a 3 year old, Girolamo dominated his opposition until he was thrown to the wolves in the BC Classic. Having never been beyond a mile, it was folly to think he would have any chance to compete at that level going 1-1/4 miles over a synthetic surface he had never raced over. At odds of 25-1, so did the betting public. Godolphin learned their lesson the hard way after Girolamo took up the rear in the 12-horse field, beaten 28 lengths. This year, Godolphin’s management of Girolamo, and their goal of winning the BC Sprint, has been much more realistic. He was given plenty of time to recover from the debacle, resurfacing 10 months later in the Grade 1 Forego. He finished a dull fifth, but that was to be expected after being on the bench for so long. There was no need to squeeze the lemon at that point as there were bigger fish to fry down the road. One month later Godolphin targeted the Grade 1 Vosburgh, which had been run at 7 furlongs for many years, but now is run at 6F, the distance of the BC Sprint. Girolamo was bet down to 2-1 favoritism and did not disappoint with a clear cut victory. He lost some momentum when forced to steady on the turn, but quickly recovered. Girolamo’s pace and final time were excellent. He enters the BC Sprint peaking at the perfect time and is still lightly raced. There is every reason to believe that Girolamo has another forward move in him. His versatility will allow regular rider Alan Garcia to place him in perfect striking position from the start. In every race that Girolamo has won, he has had the lead at the top of the stretch. His powerful middle move is what allows him to break the race open. In a full field, this running style helps him and his rider to avoid trouble that can affect horses that are forced to make their run from well off the pace.

(3) WISE DAN
Many people will dismiss the chances of Wise Dan because he is one of only two horses in the field who are 3 year olds. With only 4 career starts, he is the most lightly raced as well. In addition, Wise Dan began his career back in Feb 26 at Turfway Park. So why in the world would I consider him a danger to win the BC Sprint? First and foremost, other than Big Drama, who I feel is the one horse in the Sprint is a legitimate Grade 1 horse on dirt, the rest do very little to excite me. Since the inception of the Breeders’ Cup, this is the weakest renewal I can remember. Wise Dan is the wild card and I will play this hand. He has done very little wrong, and his trainer, Charles Lopresti, who flies well below the radar everywhere with the exception of Kentucky, is one the finest trainers in the country. He is having a banner year, winning over 30 %. Lopresti is also the trainer of Here Comes Ben, my top selection to win the BC Dirt Mile, which shows you how much I respect him. Wise Dan was well meant in his debut. After a slow start, and after making a premature middle move to take a big lead into the stretch along a dead rail, he flattened out late. There was no need to worry when Wise Dan returned for his second start. He blew away the field by 15 lengths in fast time with the rider basically standing up in the irons the last 1/8 of a mile. Both races were on synthetic surfaces, so the verdict was still out whether or not Wise Dan could handle conventional dirt. It took only 1:09-2/5 to answer that question, with a wide sweeping move to easily draw clear of a tough field in the final 1/8 of a mile. The race was on the slop, but it was also at Churchill Downs. I am not sure what the reason was for Lopresti to put Wise Dan on the sidelines after the race, but 5 months later, he had him dead fit to step up in class into the Grade 3 Phoenix at Keeneland. He would be facing older horses for the first time, but it did not matter. Despite being a bit rank while fighting new rider Bejarano, Wise Dan was able to overcome a heated battle through the stretch to score by a half length in fast time. With 3 wins in 4 starts, and having had an excuse in his debut, this 3 year old has tremendous upside. Most of his opposition is basically “what you see is what you get”, and what you are getting is a bunch of horses, who, if they faced each other 5 times, there would be 5 different winners. With an abundance of early speed and likely a fast pace, Wise Dan has shown he can rate a little, attack, and finish, traits you want to possess in this year’s BC Sprint.

(7) KINSALE KING
This 5yo gelding showed some ability early in his career in 2008 when he won a MSW race in good time in his second career start, but he clearly took a quantum leap in development after being away from the races from Jan 2, 2009 until October 30, 2009. He went off at 61-1 in that return race, an allowance at Santa Anita, and shocked most of us when he won easily on the lead by 3 widening lengths. He proved that effort was not a fluke, and that it wasn't a result of a love for Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface, when he stepped up in class last Dec 3 and wired the G3 Underwood over Hollywood Park's Cushion Track. He continued his unexpected streak in the G2 Palos Verdes on Jan 23 of this year, beating last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Dancing In Silks in the process. Kinsale King's record since the layoff was now 3 for 3, and he was as good as any west coast sprinter in training. Low-profile trainer Carl O'Callaghan decided at this point to really test his gelding by sending him to Dubai for the $2 million Golden Shaheen, which was contested over yet another type of synthetic track, Tapeta. Kinsale King again rose to the occasion, this time showing the ability to stalk and pounce as he won his fourth straight race, this one being by far the most important. I don't know why, but instead of bringing Kinsale King back to the U.S. to race on synthetics and dirt in preparation for the BC Sprint, O'Callaghan instead took him to England, where he raced twice in turf sprints. The performance in the June 19 Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes was very good, finishing third of 24, but he flopped in the prestigious G1 July Cup on July 9. Away for 4 months since the disappointing effort on July 9, Kinsale King has been training brilliantly for nearly 2 months. He's proven to fire fresh, and is one of the few proven G1 winners in this field, which came up as one of the weakest BC Sprints in memory. He's never raced on a 'real dirt' track, but his Oct 16 work at Fresno suggests he'll handle it as well as he's handled other surfaces, and the versatility that he's shown this year to be able to lead or stalk the pace is a plus. He'll also be reuniting with Martin Garcia, who's won all three times that he's been aboard.

(12) WARRIOR’S REWARD
If you want a horse that could prove to be a danger if the pace in the BC Sprint falls apart late, Warrior’s Reward is the deep closer who could get it done. He has had similar set ups in the past, but has at times disappointed at short odds. The main problem I have with Warrior’s Reward is that 6 furlongs is clearly shorter than his best distance. He has attempted this distance twice, with a second at 1-2 odds and a third last time out over synthetic, which I can forgive because he is a dirt horse only. The dynamics of this race and the pace scenario will find Warrior’s Reward towards the rear of the pack, many lengths back into the far turn. He must overcome traffic problems, which could be a tall task, unless he is swung out very wide into the stretch with a clear path to the wire. This would result in loss of ground and possible interruption of his momentum. Warrior’s Reward cannot afford any of this because he is one-paced. Everything must go his way, which is possible but unlikely. Warrior’s Reward will be closing late as usual, but I expect him to run out of ground, with a minor award more in the cards than a victory.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* A Win and Place bet on (1)BIG DRAMA
* Begin a Pick 3 play with two suggested tickets, as follows:
Ticket 1: 1 / 1-2-5-8-9-11 / 2-3-7 = $18 for a $1 wager
Ticket 2: 1 / 1-5-8-11 / 2-7 = $8 for a $1 wager

BC TURF SPRINT

(5) SILVER TIMBER
There have been some great claims in recent years, but few better than Silver Timber. Since trainer Chad Brown claimed this 7 year old grey gelding for $25,000 for very sharp connections, Silver Timber has won 7 times, with 2 seconds, in 11 starts. 5 of his victories have been in Grade 3 stakes. One of his two off-the-board finishes was in this race last year, when, in a 14 horse field, he drew an inside post, and his fate was sealed early when he was caught in tight in mid stretch. Despite the rough trip, Silver Timber was only beaten 4 lengths. What makes Silver Timber so dangerous is that he is extremely versatile. He can stalk, sit in mid pack, or close from well off the pace. In many of his races, Silver Timber gets a very fast pace to close into, and usually gets first run on the horses who like to rally from far back. The obstacle those deep closers have to overcome is traffic problems, which are difficult to overcome at 5 and 5.5 furlongs. The BC Turf sprint this year is run at 5 furlongs, with a full field of 14 sprinters. Horses that have drawn an outside post are at a disadvantage. If you are not agile, there is not enough time to recover if you are caught in traffic. Silver Timber draws the perfect post (5). He has push button acceleration and several gears that can be utilized in negotiating congestion on the turn and in the stretch. When it comes down to tight finishes, Silver Timber has proven to have tremendous heart, which accounts to several tight finishes that have gone his way. Julien Leparoux is one of the best grass riders in the U.S., especially at Churchill Downs, where he rides this grass course to perfection. Silver Timber’s trainer Chad Brown was an assistant to the late, great horseman Bobby Frankel. Brown trained Ginger Punch when Frankel took ill, and was responsible for her getting ready for the 2007 BC Distaff, which she won. Soon after, Brown went out on his own, and acquired several horses, in particular a 2 year old filly named Maram, with whom he won the 2008 Juvenile filly Turf. This year Brown had an amazing Saratoga meet. There is no doubt that this 32 year old trainer will be recognized as one of the finest horseman in the country. Silver Timber defeated several horses he meets in the BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland 4 weeks ago in the Grade 3 Woodford. He is 1 for 1 over the Churchill turf course, and that win came back in April at today’s 5F distance. Silver Timber appears to be peaking just at the right time, and he should get an ideal pace set up, with no less than five horses in this field that prefer to run on the lead. With a clean journey, he will be one tough customer, as he has proven time and time again.

(11)GRAND ADVENTURE
This 4yo colt has been a classy turf runner from the very start. He won his juvenile debut in 2008 very easily on turf, then won the G3 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in his second start. He had some problems and some layoffs last year at age 3, but has had a stellar campaign as a 4yo in 2010. He came off a layoff on April 10 to miss by just a neck to Silver Timber in the G3 Shakertown, then won back-to-back graded stakes at Woodbine. His victory in the G2 King Edward was particularly impressive, with G1 winner Rahy's Attorney in 2nd, and the rest of the field strung out behind. Although Grand Adventure faded in the G1 Woodbine Mile on Sept 19, he had to break from outermost post 13, was part of the fast pace, and may have needed the race off a 2-month layoff. He returned to his best form 4 weeks later in the G1 Nearctic, Canada's premier race for turf sprinters. In that event he rated patiently off moderate fractions, moved to the lead mid-stretch, and held gamely for 2nd while more than 3 lengths clear of 3rd. He will now make his third start off the layoff, often a horse's best performance, and he projects to get the right pace set up as a stalker in a field loaded with early speed.

(1)CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE
If you like Silver Timber, then you also have to give a big chance to this hard-knocking veteran. Like our top choice, he has an exceptional career record in turf sprints, including numerous stakes wins, and he's really been a tough customer over the Churchill Downs turf, where his only loss from four starts was a neck defeat to Silver Timber on April 30 of this year. He's faced Silver Timber three times this year, and although he finished behind him in each race, he was beaten a total of just 3 lengths in those 3 races.Chamberlain Bridge reeled off three straight wins in turf sprints over the summer before finally tasting defeat on October 9 in the G3 Woodford. However, he was held much farther off the pace than usual that day, and also had to go very wide turning for home, losing valuable ground. All things considered, his loss by just 1-1/2 lengths to Silver Timber was an excellent effort. The expected fast and contested pace in this race should set things up perfectly for Chamberlain Bridge's usual stalking style. I expect him to retain his excellent form, and from the rail post he'll probably save ground rating behind a hot pace before swinging out when turning for home. He's won 13 of 24 lifetime in turf sprints at 5 or 5.5 furlongs, hitting the board in 21 of those 24 races, and regular jockey Jamie Theriot will be back aboard for high-percentage trainer Bret Calhoun.

(8)QUICK ENOUGH
It's rare indeed to see a horse have a year like this 6yo gelding has had. He was away for 15 months prior to his July 25 return, yet he's improved with every race this year while also stepping up in class each time, and he enters this race in the best form of his career. Quick Enough won that July 25 return in a $32,000 claiming race on Polytrack, with trainer Ron Ellis doing a terrific job to have him ready off the long absence. Quick Enough was claimed that day by Mike Mitchell, who ran him back just 11 days later while moving him to turf. The result was another game win and another claim, this time by Doug O'Neill. The new connections clearly liked what they saw in their new acquisition, as they bumped Quick Enough up into stakes company on August 18, again on relatively short rest (13 days). This time Quick Enough did not get the win, but he should have. He was blocked for most of the final furlong while full of run, and when he finally found room he finished fast to miss by a nose. Despite the tough loss on Aug 18, O'Neill knew that he had an emerging classy turf sprinter on his hands, one who could compete in the Breeders' Cup. He freshened up Quick Enough for nearly two months, then brought him back in the G3 Morvich on Oct 11. This was the toughest test of Quick Enough's career, yet he prevailed by 1-1/2 widening lengths. It was a perfect 'prep' for the Breeders' Cup, and I feel that he'll put in a performance at least as good today. His stalking style is perfectly suited to this field that's loaded with early speed, and he's the kind of horse that loves a good battle in the final furlong. Jockey Pat Valenzuela certainly rode him well when aboard for the first time in the Morvich, and is back aboard today.

(9)ROSE CATHERINE
While she's proven to be the best female turf sprinter in the east, if not in the entire country, I feel that this 3yo filly may be up against it today while also probably being overbet. She's undefeated in 6 career turf sprints, and although she likes to run on the lead, she's also shown that she can stalk effectively, winning the last two times that she's been taken a bit off the pace. However, my concern is one based on class, not running style. She'snever faced males in a race, and has never won a graded stakes race of any sort. The last time that she did runin a graded stakes event, the G3 Appalachian on April 15, she finished 3rd at odds of 3-5. Granted, she's a better racehorse now, but I don't know if she's good enough to beat the best turf sprint males in the country. The only race where she earned a 'figure' good enough to possibly compete for the win in this race was last time out in the Turf Amazon, and in that race she faced only 4 rivals while going off at odds of 3-5. While I have all the faith in the world that Todd Pletcher will have her as good as she can be, I have real doubts that she's good enough to beat some of the hard-knocking males that she'll be facing today.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* Ten Cent superficial wager:
5 / 1-2-8-9-11 / 1-2-3-8-9-10-11-12 / ALL = $38.50 for a $0.10 wager

BC JUVENILE

(2) BOYS AT TOSCONOVA CRYSTAL BALL BEST BET
If there is one horse that can run down Uncle Mo, it’s Boys At Tosconova. Before Mo came along, this colt stood alone as the best 2 year old in the country. His trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr, made it clear that Boys was the best 2 year old he had ever trained. Unlike Uncle Mo, Boys at Tosconova did not win his debut, which came at Churchill. He ran a solid second, but when you consider that the race was a Grade 3 stake, his performance was clearly more impressive than it looks. Boys was transferred from the barn of Bob Hess to Dutrow and was shipped to Belmont Park. Three months later he resurfaced in a maiden race, and the result was an “eye opening” 12-length win under a hand ride. The pace he set was solid and his final time was one of the fastest ever recorded by a 2 year old in his second start. Like Uncle Mo, who stepped up to a Grade 1 race after his maiden win, Boys did the same. In the Grade 1 Hopeful, he had to work harder to prevail, but he overcame a bumping incident at the start to defeat three overmatched rivals under mild urging from Ramon Dominguez. Boys At Tosconova’s win was not as visually impressive as Uncle Mo’s Champagne victory, but he showed a lot of determination, and once again his final time was excellent. This year’s BC Juvenile seems to come down to a 2-horse race, and you can make a case for either winning. Uncle Mo has proven in his two races that he wants the lead. If you want to beat him, you must catch him from behind. In Boys At Tosconova’s case, he has proven to be more versatile. He wired the field in his maiden win, and then closed from off the pace in the Hopeful. He has been trained to relax and finish in all his workouts leading up to the Juvenile. If you question whether or not Boys Of Tosconova is fit enough to win the Juvenile off a 2-month layoff, the spacing of his three prior races says loud and clear that it should be no problem. His powerful maiden win came off a 2-month break, as did the victory in the Hopeful. Since then he has worked 37 furlongs. Boys At Tosconova’s last 3 workouts have all been at 6 furlongs over the Aqueduct main track, which is among the best surfaces in the country to get horses fit. His mother, Little Bonnet, won 3 races, all around 2 turns, so distance should also prove to be no obstacle. Uncle Mo is expected to be the favorite and will probably be overbet. Boys At Tosconova is the better of the two, in my opinion. I feel there is no better rider in the country at rating a horse and having plenty left for the stretch run than jockey Ramon Dominguez, who deserves to win the Eclipse Award. He should seal the deal with a victory aboard Boys At Tosconova in the this year’s Juvenile.

(7) UNCLE MO
On Travers day at Saratoga, two 2 year olds were unleashed. Both were heavily bet at the first flashes on the tote board and continued to take money right up to post time. Both were impressive in victory. Of the two juvenile winners, it was Uncle Mo who was by far the most impressive. He opened up at odds of 4-5 and closed at the same price. When the gates opened, Uncle Mo broke like a shot. Under John Velazquez, he rated beautifully on a clear lead despite setting rapid fractions. When Velazquez shook up the reins, Mo quickly distanced himself from 9 other rivals, winning by 14 lengths under a hand ride. All who observed this dominant performance catapulted him to the head of the class for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The only two questions I had were the quality of those horses behind him, and how much did he benefit by the intense speed bias which prevailed all afternoon. I soon concluded that my answer to both questions was that it did not matter. I based my final decision on the pace he set and on his final time, which was extraordinary for a 2 year old first timer, and he was never asked for his best. In his next start, the Grade 1 Champagne, Uncle Mo would prove that his maiden win was no fluke. In previous runnings of this prestigious stakes race it has proven to be a daunting task for a 2 year old to stretch out to a mile at Belmont from 6 furlongs with only one race under his belt. It did not matter at all for Uncle Mo. This time Mo was confronted with pace pressure from the start. Entering the stretch, Uncle Mo pulled away from his 5 overmatched rivals and drew off to 4-3/4 length victory. He was taken in hand by Velazquez in the final 70 yards. Once again, Uncle Mo had set a swift pace, and his final time was very fast. Actually, it was one second faster than the Grade 1 Frizette for 2 year old fillies, run at the same distance, one race earlier. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Uncle Mo will be stretching out to 2 turns and will be asked to carry his speed an additional 1/16 of a mile. When a front-runner can motor along the way Uncle Mo did going a one-turn mile at Belmont, it will be easier for him to relax into the first turn unless there is another horse who is hell bent for the lead. Mo is bred very well on his mother’s side to have no problem handling the distance, which compensates for his sire Officer, who was a top class sprinter. Trainer Todd Pletcher has had a miraculous year with his 2 year olds. Many have won first time out and have continued to progress into quality juveniles. Uncle Mo is at the top of this list, and unless he is softened up early on, he will be very tough to run down.

(3) J.B.’s THUNDER
There are always several “wild cards” in the Breeders’ Cup. J.B’s Thunder fit’s this profile to a tee. Despite having never run a race on conventional dirt, there is evidence that he should handle it just fine. If you look at his past performances, you will notice that J.B.’s Thunder has worked 7 times going back to September 6. Six of those works were over Polytrack at Keeneland. His last workout was at Churchill Downs. What you may not be aware of, is that J.B.’s Thunder first 7 workouts were on dirt, with 5 of them over this track. Trainer Al Stall has mentioned on several occasions that he handled it just fine. That’s enough for me to consider him a major player in the Juvenile. J.B’s Thunder has a strong distance pedigree, which was the main reason Stall entered him around 2 turns at first asking at Saratoga on August 21. The race was on grass and the result was a wire to wire victory. It is the exception rather than the rule when 2 year old first time starters are entered at a route. They have to be very fit, have the right breeding, and must have quality, especially when facing other horses that might already have experience around 2 turns. Stall boosted J.B.’s Thunder into stakes company when he faced 10 rivals in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct 9. Once again, another wire to wire victory, this time even more impressive than his debut win. Neither Boys At Tosconova nor Uncle Mo, who are the 2 clear-cut favorites in the Juvenile, have raced around 2 turns. I feel both should have no problem handling it, but once thing you know for sure is that J.B.’s Thunder will have no problem. My main concern is that in both victories he was in front from start to finish. With other speed in the race, especially Uncle Mo, J.B.’s Thunder may have to rate off the pace for the first time, which may prove a tough obstacle to overcome. He does relax and finish in his works, so this may not be a problem. If either of the top two choices has trouble handling 2 turns for the first time, I feel that J.B.’s Thunder could be the most likely candidate to upset the applecart.

(10) JAYCITO
There are more questions to answer for Jaycito than my top 3 selections. In the Juvenile he will be racing on conventional dirt for the first time, and has never worked over it. But like J.B’s Thunder, he has raced around 2 turns, and the result was a solid victory in the Grade 1 Norfolk at Oak Tree at Hollywood. Jaycito made 2 moves while overcoming a slow pace and a wide trip. He has also shown that he can stalk the pace successfully, like he did Oct 2, or even rally from well back, when he was a fast-closing second to J P’s Gusto, who he will meet again on Saturday. With an expected lively pace, this gives Mike Smith several options. Jaycito has also shown steady improvement as the distances have increased. This is no surprise, as he was sired by Victory Gallop, who won the 1998 Belmont stakes at 1-1/2 miles, spoiling Real Quiet’s quest for a sweep of the Triple Crown by a whisker in one of the greatest finishes of all time. Year in and year out, trainer Mike Mitchell wins a high % of races on the southern California circuit. He does not ship horses for stakes races out of his home state unless he is certain he has the ammo to be competitive. With Jaycito, he invades Churchill with a talented colt, and if he takes to the dirt, he can be dangerous at a price.

( 9 ) ROGUE ROMANCE
Rogue Romance will be making his first start on dirt after 3 very good races on grass. This is the type of horse that can easily be passed over, but in analyzing his pedigree over the last 3 generations, I noticed that he is better bred for dirt than the turf. It is interesting that trainer Ken McPeek has opted for this race, which was his first preference, instead of the Juvenile Turf. What I like most about Rogue Romance is his versatility. He can rate in mid pack or take back and make one run. He worked 3 times over the Saratoga training track during the summer and seemed to handle it. Rogue Romance worked a terrific 5 furlongs on Oct 23, which was the fastest of 42 horses that morning. Jockey Leparoux is 2 for 2 aboard Rogue Romance, and has been the top rider on the Kentucky circuit for quite some time. At morning line odds of 30-1, it is impossible for me to pass up using him in my plays.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* A in bet on (2)BOYS AT TOSCONOVA
* Exacta 2-7, reverse for less
* Smaller exactas 2-3, 2-9, 2-10, very small reverse on each

BREEDERS’ CUP TURF MILE

(10) GOLDIKOVA
When I witnessed the great French filly Miesque defeat the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1987 and 1988, I never thought I would see another filly or mare that would accomplish what she did. I was wrong. Goldikova, who will be heavily favored to win her third straight BC Mile, has surpassed Miesque as the greatest miler ever, regardless of sex. The only reason I say this is that it comes down to who has won the most Grade/Group 1 stakes. After Goldikova won the Prix de la Foret on Oct 3 at Longchamp, the ledger reads 11 Grade 1 victories for Goldikova, including 7 against males. Miesque won 10 Grade 1 events, several also against the opposite sex. In dissecting Goldikova’s record, all you see are scintillating victories against the best of the best whether in France, England, or the U.S. 12 of her 14 career wins have been at a mile. Interestingly, Miesque was ridden by Freddie Head, who now trains Goldikova. Even though Goldikova has won several races on “soft” turf, she is at her best over “good to firm” ground. Unlike Miesque, whose preferred running style was to stalk and then pounce with push button acceleration, Goldikova has so many different gears that her jockey, Olivier Peslier, has many options. She has gone to the lead (not her preferred running style), stalked, rated in mid-pack, and rallied from far back, and always seems to be able to make one powerful burst as if shot out of a cannon, like she did in last year’s Breeders’ Cup. What Is also remarkable about Goldikova is that she does not fall victim to the pace, trip, configuration of the grass courses at different venues, or to the quality of the competition she so often disposes of, whether it’s a tight finish or a blowout. In reality, there is little reason to believe that Goldikova will be beaten in this year’s BC Mile. Upsets do occur for any number of reasons, but Goldikova looks like she may be the closest thing to a “single” that you’ll find on the card. She will also go back on Lasix today.

(3) GIO PONTI
When I heard that the connections of Gio Ponti were leaning to the BC Classic instead of the Mile, I knew that it was not trainer Christophe Clements decision, but the owners. This was confirmed by a friend of mine who was speaking with Clement last week at Belmont. He was upset that Gio Ponti could be entered in a spot where he had very little chance to win, or even hit the board. Obviously, the owners came to their senses over the weekend, and on Saturday Gio Ponti will break from the gate in the BC Mile, where he will be one of the few contestants in the race who has a chance to defeat Goldikova. In 22 career starts, Gio Ponti has raced on grass 18 times, with 10 wins and 6 seconds and over 3 million dollars in earnings, most in Grade 1 stakes. His other 4 races were over synthetic surfaces, with a win and a gallant second to Zenyatta in last year’s BC Classic. Gio Ponti has raced at a mile 4 times with 3 victories. Based on his past performances, it is difficult to pinpoint what is the distance he is most effective at. You can make a case that he is at his best running at distances ranging from 1-1/8 miles to 1-3/8 miles. Another person might say a mile is Gio Ponti’s best distance. I feel it is splitting hairs, as he has proven to be effective at all route distances. He can handle firm, good, and soft turf. He has won big races on many different courses and configurations with his patented powerful late run. What it all boils down to is that Gio Ponti is one of the most versatile grass horses you will ever see. Trainer Clement has proven to be one of the finest trainers in the world, especially when developing grass horses into top-class performers. His handling of Gio Ponti has been a work of art. Clement knows how to get him to keep his form and peak for a race that he has pointed to. Following a fast closing second to Debussy in the Arlington Million, Clement gave Gio Ponti 49 days off, then shipped him to Keeneland for the Shadwell Mile. He knew that the BC Mile was the race he was pointing to, not knowing at that point that his owners had other plans. Gio Ponti won by a measured length after being bumped at the start. It was the perfect prep for Saturday. He defeated some hard knockers without having regular rider Ramon Dominguez ask him for his best. In the BC Mile Dominguez will set him down for the stretch run and ask Gio Ponti for everything he has. If Gio Ponti can avoid traffic trouble, he can upset Goldokova, who must be at her best to win her third straight Breeders’ Cup.

(6) PACO BOY
If Goldikova is not at her very best, or encounters a less than ideal trip, then Paco Boy could be right there to take advantage of the situation. He's faced Goldikova three times this year, and although she finished in front of him every time, the margins were only a neck, a neck, and a half-length. He's clearly capable of winning this race if he gets a clean trip and his main rivals do not, and thus he must be considered a serious win candidate. Paco Boy is one of those rare performers who is proven to be top-class over three full racing seasons. He won Group 1 turf races in Europe at ages 3, 4, and 5, and this year has gotten the better of most of Europe's top milers at one time or another. His most recent performance on the Arc undercard on October 3 was one of his best, but he just couldn't get by nemesis Goldikova in the final furlong. This will be his first start in the U.S., but that shouldn't affect his performance. He's handled all types of footing equally well, and is in fact a 2-time Group 1 winner at a mile over firmer ground. He has a better post than Goldikova today, but will be getting a new jockey in Ryan Moore. While he's certainly capable, one would prefer not to see a horse getting a new rider for a race that's as important as this one. **Will be getting Lasix for the first time. **

(11) PROVISO
With the exception of Goldikova, the horse that appears to have the strongest closing kick is the 5 year old mare Proviso. Her 2010 campaign has been spectacular, and now Proviso goes for her fifth straight win in the BC Mile. Her lone defeat was clearly a “prep” back in January off nearly a 3 month layoff at 7 furlongs, which is not her best distance. Proviso is at her best going a mile to a mile and eighth. She has faced males 4 times and won 3. Her nose victory in the Kilroe Mile back in March was a beauty. Proviso has not been beaten since, as she goes for her fifth straight win in Grade 1 stakes. She has overcome slow paces, wide trips, and traffic on several occasions. What also makes Proviso so special is her tremendous versatility. She can stalk, sit in mid pack, or close from well off the pace, as she did in the Kilroe, and in her last start in the First Lady at Keeneland. Jockey Mike Smith has never lost aboard Proviso in 4 starts. It is expected that the pace in the BC Turf could be quick. If so, Smith will take her back well off the pace and time his move just perfectly, similar tactics which he will employ aboard Zenyatta in the Classic. Hall of Fame trainer Billy Mott does his best work with grass horses, and his handling of Proviso has been a work of art. It would be astonishing if 2 female runners, Goldikova and Proviso, run first and second in the Mile, and Zenyatta wins the classic. You could not script a better ending to this fairy tale story.

(4) COURT VISION
Court Vision has always been on the brink of greatness, but in my opinion he has proven to be an underachiever. Court Vision has won 8 times in 24 starts, but it is still unclear after 3 years of racing, what his best distance is. He has won twice at a mile. On September 19 at Woodbine, Court Vision overcame a rough trip to win the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. He also has a second Grade 1 victory in last year’s Shadwell mile at Keeneland. Court Vision has also run well in stakes races up to 1-1/4 miles. But in the end, after analyzing his career past performances, I have decided Court Vision is at his best going a mile. The key to his success boils down to 2 factors. His rider, Robbie Albarado, must time his late run perfectly. Court Vision has one strong run in him which begins with 3/8 of a mile left in the race. Court Vision is one-paced, so if he is forced to check in traffic, it is difficult for him to regain his momentum and put in a second run. Court Vision overcame trouble in the Woodbine Mile when he was checked in mid-stretch, altered course to the outside, and re-rallied. In the BC Turf Mile, Court Vision cannot afford similar trouble because of the quality of the horses he will be facing. In last year’s BC Mile, Court Vision was only beaten 1-½ lengths by Goldikova. It is unlikely that he will be able to out-finish her this time around, and could face a difficult task defeating horses I favor over him. Nevertheless, Court Vision will be a big price, and would be no surprise if he hits the board.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* Begin a Pick 4 play with two suggested tickets, as follows:
Ticket 1: 10 / 2-5-8-12 / 5-6-7-8 / 5-8 = $32 for a $1.00 wager
Ticket 2: 3-6-10-11 / 5-8 / 5-6-7-8 / 5-8 = $32 for a $0.50 wager

BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE

(5) HERE COMES BEN CRYSTAL BALL BEST BET
Trainer Charles Lopresiti is one of those great horsemen who remain under the radar despite winning 33 % of his races this year, mostly on the tough Kentucky circuit. Lopresti does not have a large stable, but it houses several quality runners. His best horse is Here Comes Ben, who illustrates his uncanny ability to develop horses with supreme patience. This year, Lopresti has run in 10 graded stakes races around the country and has won 3 times, with a 40 % in the money percentage. His finest moment came in the Grade 1 Forego when he won with Here Comes Ben at 9-1, when he rallied from well off the pace to run down the top class sprinter Big Drama, who will be one of the favorites in the BC Sprint. Here Come Ben was nothing more than a quality allowance horse and minor stakes winner last year as a 3 year old. This year he has been transformed into a horse that has all the credentials to win the BC Mile. Lopresit has found the key to Ben’s success. Ben broke his maiden first time out at Churchill Downs. He was placed on the grass in next 2 starts with poor results. It was not just the turf which he was uncomfortable running over, but the spacing of his races of 23 days and 43 days. Lopresti tried a different approach when preparing for Ben’s upcoming races. He figured that if he could get him to win first time out off a series of solid works, maybe he would respond better if Ben’s races were spaced apart more. Lopresiti gave him 2 months off from Aug 16 to Oct 18. Ben then ran his best career race, scoring and easy win at Keenland. Lopresti did not listen to his instincts for Ben’s next 2 races. He ran Ben back too soon for his next 2 races, which were 32 days and 22 days apart. The decision backfired both times. Ben was well beaten each time. Lopresti decided after his poor race in a minor stake Dec 12 at Turfway that he had earned a well deserved vacation.With time to mature both mentally and physically, Here Come Ben returned to the races 4 months later at Keeneland. He romped by 6 lengths while setting the pace for the first time. He had plenty of gas left in the tank that Lopresti felt that from 3 to 4 years of age, Ben had developed so much, that maybe it did not matter if his races were spaced 5 weeks apart. His next 2 races proved him correct with back to back wins at Churchill. Ben had not won his last 3 starts at 7 furlongs. He was at the top of his game, but the real acid test would come 2-1/2 months later in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga. Even though Ben was running well now off just a bit more than a month hiatus, Lopresti’s feeling that he would be even better with a longer break was confirmed when Ben came from off the pace to upset the field at 9-1 against several horses who were multiple Graded stakes winners. These same tactics will be employed in the BC Mile, and Ben is assured he will get lively fractions to close into. Here Comes Ben sports a record of 6 career win in 12 starts, including 3 victories from 5 starts at Churchill, and is a horse that is at the top of his game. He is 1 for 1 at a mile and 3 for 3 with Alex Solis, who has ridden him to perfection each time. Then you add in the fact that Ben enters the mile off a bit more than 2 months rest, with a series of excellent works for a great horseman, it all adds up to a horse who will be very dangerous while offering generous odds once again.

(8) CROWN OF THORNS
If trainer Richard Mandella was able to get one more race into Crown Of Thorns, he would be in the BC Classic rather than the dirt mile. It could end up being a blessing in disguise. Crown obviously has had his share of physical issues, as evidenced by having raced only 8 times as a 5 year old. Twice he has returned to the races off 19 and 10 month layoffs with good results. This year, however, I feel Crown Of Thorns’ physical problems are behind him, and that he is primed for a huge effort. The only question, and it’s a big one he must answer, is if he can handle conventional dirt for the first time in his career, as well as shipping out of the confines of southern California. Crown Of Thorns enters the Mile off a similar pattern as last year. Prior to his powerful second place finish in the BC Sprint, he had 2 races off the layoff. This year he also has raced twice, but the difference is that both races were in Grade 1 Stakes. In Crown Of Thorns return in the Pat O’brien, he closed boldly into a slow pace and a horse that was loose on the lead. In the Goodwood, he was stretching out to 1-1/8 miles for the first time and nearly won the race after battling for the lead the entire way. Like last year, when the BC Sprint was his thirdstart off the layoff, the same occurs here in the Mile. I feel his versatility, the cut back in distance, and coming into the race in peak form, makes him a major contender to win.

(2) TIZWAY
Tizway has had his share of physical problems throughout his career, but it appears that trainer James Bond has him healthy and dead fit for the Breeders’ Cup dirt mile. If his powerful win in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont Oct 3 off a 4-month layoff is any indication, I agree. Tizway has always been a talented horse. He did not blossom until last year as a 4 year old. Following his third place finish in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, Tizway was shipped to Japan for the Group 1 Japan Cup. He would be racing without Lasix for the first time, and facing a very strong field for a 2.7 million dollar purse. The result was a very disappointing twelfth place finish at 34-1. When horses ship to another county, whether they win or lose, it takes a lot out of them. When they return to the states, it takes a long time to recover. Some horses never do. In Tizway’s case, Bond put him away for the winter. Tizway resurfaced 4+ months later in an optional claimer at Aqueduct, where he easily handled 6 rivals in very fast time. Off just one seven furlong race, Bond entered him in the Grade 1 Met Mile, where he would face the top older horse Quality Road and several other quality runners. Tizway was beaten 3 lengths in an excellent performance. He was pinned down along the rail chasing a fast pace. On the far turn, Tizway was 3 lengths behind leaders, and did not lose any ground to the finish. Soon after the Met Mile, some physical issues occurred, forcing Bond to put Tizway on the bench once again. He is stabled a very short distance from Saratoga racetrack. When Tizway returned to training in August, all his work was done on the training track. Horses who work well over that course benefit greatly by the deep and tiring surface. Following a series of great workouts, Tizway and Bond were ready to have their final prep race in the Kelso, with a start in the BC Mile as their main objective. He did not disappoint. Showing good speed from the start, Tizway fought off a stiff challenge by Cool Coal Man, and drew off to an easy win. Tizway has great tactical speed and does not need the lead to win. I expect him to be in perfect stalking position from the outset and then make his move midway on the far turn. James Bond has indicated that Tizway came out of his last race in perfect order and has been training as good as ever since then. He is at his best running a flat mile. Tizway has more wins (3) than any in the BC Mile field at this distance. Jockey Maragh has been aboard in his last 4 victories and rides him to perfection.

(12) VINEYARD HAVEN
If I like Here Comes Ben in the BC Mile, it is difficult to dismiss the chances of Vineyard Haven, who ran very well in the Grade 1 Forego in his final prep. You might wonder if Vineyard Haven is sharp enough to win the Mile off only 2 races this year, but the powerhouse Godolphin Stable always has a master plan to get their horses to peak for major stakes races. Godolphin has had a poor year in the US as far as winning Grade 1 events, which leads me to believe that Vineyard Haven is more likely to “hit the board” than win, even though a victory would not be a surprise, based on his quality wins in the last 3 years. Vineyard Haven was purchased after his 2 year old campaign by Godolphin. When he returned as a 3 year old, the investment paid off handsomely. With back to back wins in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop and the De Francis Mile, Vineyard Haven proved to be one of the top sprinters in the country. His third place finish in the Cigar mile was an excellent effort after dueling throughout and losing to the top class Kodiak Cowboy in the very late stages. Godolphin called it a day and shipped Vineyard Haven back to Dubai to start preparing for his 4 year old campaign, with the BC Mile their main objective. He won a small stake in the mud at Saratoga and then followed that up with a fine effort in the Forego. Vineyard Haven has excellent tactical speed. He does face pressure on the front end, but he has shown he can handle a heated battle. At the mile distance in the BC, it may come down to his ability to stalk and pounce, then withstand the closers late, if another speed horse in the field is hell bent for the front end. Vineyard Haven is a fighter, so don’t expect him to go down easily when the race is on the line in deep stretch.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* A win and place bet on (5)HERE COMES BEN
* Equal exacta boxes: 2-5, 5-8
* Smaller exacta box: 5-12
* Begin a Pick 3 play with two suggested tickets:
Ticket 1: 2-5-8-12 / 5-6-7-8 / 5-8 = $32 for a $1 wager
Ticket 2: 5-8 / 5-7 / 5-8 = $8 for a $1 wager

BREEDERS’ CUP TURF

(7) BEHKABAD
If you are looking for a 1-1/2 mile specialist who can handle any type of footing, Behkabad is certainly near the top of the list. His owner, the Aga Khan, has had great success in winning this race, scoring with Lashkari in the inaugural running of the BC Turf and again in 2000 with Kalanisi. It has proven to be a very difficult task to win the Arc and the BC Turf, both which are grueling races, and only about 1 month apart. I have felt all along this year that that the turf distance horses in the U.S. are inferior to their overseas and Canadian counterparts. This fact has been proven time and again if you look at the results of the Graded stakes races run at various venues throughout North America. Behkabad has improved leaps and bounds as a 3 year old and has taken to distance racing like a fish takes to water. He has also proven to be effective on any type of grass surface, from very soft to a course which has just a touch of give to it. Behkabad scored his first win as a 3 year old in a Group 3 stake at 1-1/8 miles, but his transformation into a top class runner began in Chantilly in the Group 1 Prix Du Jockey Club, when he ran a “better than it looks” fourth. Behkabad was bumped hard with 3 furlongs left and then recovered to finish very strongly too late. It was then on to Longchamp to prepare for the Arc in the Group 1 Grand Prix De Paris. Behkabad out-gammed Planteur and then came back to defeat that rival again in the Group 2 Prix Niel, which is the local prep for the Arc. With 2 wins in a row at the 1-1/2 mile distance, Behkabad was sent off as the slight choice in a 19 horse field in the prestigious Group 1 Arc de Triomphe. He experienced some trouble when steadied in traffic a couple of times, but once clear late, Behkabad was one paced to the wire. He ran well, but his hard fought wins in his prior 2 starts might have had some affect on him. Even though I feel that Behkabad could be a bit “over the top” while making his seventh start this year, he has shown the quality and staying power to be a major danger in the BC Turf. A concern of mine is that he does not have push button acceleration, so if Behkabad gets into some trouble like he did in the Arc in a 20-horse field, I am not sure he can recover. But with only 8 horses listed to run, and possibly only 7 if Workforce scratches, he will likely have a much cleaner trip. Like all Europeans who ship in for the BC, watch to see if Behkabad will be getting first time Lasix, which is always a plus.

(5) AL KHALI
Coming into this race in outstanding but somewhat hidden form is Al Khali, who may be America's best hope in the BC Turf. He was a G3 winner on turf last year at Saratoga, and ran a good race when beaten by just 2 lengths in the G1 Hollywood Derby to conclude a solid 3yo campaign. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott seems to have deliberately brought Al Khali along slowly during his 4yo campaign of 2010, and that approach may pay off today, as Al Khali enters in career-best form. He finished third in the G1 Sword Dancer at today's 1-1/2 mile distance on Aug 14, and then was really much the best in the G2 Bowling Green on Sept 11. In that race he was blocked and trapped down on the rail almost the entire length of the stretch as jockey Alan Garcia had to strangle him back, having a horse full of run but nowhere to go. Near the 1/16 pole Garcia finally found a way to extricate Al Khali from his predicament, and they altered course about 4- wide, at which point he was able to let loose his grip. Al Khali responded with a sensational late turn of foot to get up in time, exploding thru that final furlong in about :11 flat. Mott stretched Al Khali out to 1-1/2 miles in the G1 Canadian International on Oct 16, and he again exploded thru a very fast final furlong, but was left with too much to do after rating too far off a crawling pace. He was still dead last with a furlong to go, and lost by just 3/4 length after his late rally fell just short. Bill Mott was obviously not enamored with Garcia's ride in the Canadian International, and today switches to last year's Eclipse Award winning jockey, Julien Leparoux. The pace in this race will be on the slow side, but Al Khali is just as effective sitting close to the pace as he is rallying from off of it. In fact, he won on the lead back on July 8, and he's also won pressing the pace. I expect him to be up close today, and with his strong stretch kick he may prove tough to pass for most of the horses in this field.

(6) WORKFORCE
Despite a perfect trip to win the Arc a bit more than a month ago, it was questionable whether or not the connections of Workforce would try their hand in the BC Turf. Any decision about making the trip across the pond would be decided on October 23, when this impeccably bred 3 year old worked at Newmarket. Workforce covered 9 furlongs over the grass with regular rider Ryan Moore in the saddle. Rating behind 2 quality workmates, Workforce easily blew on by in a very impressive gallop. A decision would be announced a few days later whether or not he would ship to Churchill for the Turf. It only took a few hours for Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, to announce that Workforce would run, but only if the ground was not too hard. Only after the race will we know if trainer Sir Michael Stoute’s decision to run in the Turf was the right or wrong move. As far as I am concerned, if Stoute signals that Workforce, who is expected to be the clear cut favorite, is ready to roll once again, then the rest of the field could be running for second money. Sir Michael Stoute has earned the right to be called one of the greatest horseman ever. His resume of stakes victories all over the world would take several pages. Stoute has won a remarkable 5 Breeders’ Cup races, but his greatest success, which may never be matched, was in the BC Turf. In 1996 Stoute won with Pilsudski, in 2000 with Kalanisi, and then he had back to back victories in 2008 and 2009 with Conduit. When Workforce broke his maiden at Goodwood by 6 lengths under wraps, there was no doubt that a superstar was in the making. It was no disgrace that Workforce ran second in a Group 2 stake at York in his 3 year old debut off more than a 7 month layoff to a quality rival in Cape Blanco from the Aiden O’Brien barn. Workforce never changed leads and raced “greenly”, which pointed clearly to his inexperience and the rigors of a tough course like Epsom. With a solid race under his belt, Workforce’s coming out party would come 22 days later in the Epsom Derby, where he dismantled 11 other opponents. He could not have been more professional, and any rustiness and inexperience was a thing of the past. With one powerful move from well off the pace to reach striking position, and another burst of acceleration to overhaul the pacesetter in mid-stretch, you would have thought that Workforce’s energy level would have dissipated. On the contrary, as his powerful stride just propelled him to distance himself further from the competition. Workforce finished the race stronger than when he started it. Anyone who witnessed this tour de force would have to place Workforce’s victory in this prestigious Group 1 race as one of the finest performances ever seen in the Epsom Derby. So what happened 50 days later when Workforce was sent off as the odds-on favorite at Ascot in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes? His fifth place finish, beaten almost 17 lengths, was a nothing short of a debacle. Workforce showed speed tracking the leaders, but with 3 furlongs left, he gave up all fight, and backed up badly. After the race, Stoute could only say that he had over trained Workforce, but even he was baffled. If he had won the Queen Elizabeth, Workforce may have been one of the shortest priced favorites in the history of the Arc. With this awful defeat, it was anybody’s guess which Workforce would show up. Stoute listened to his instincts and this time did not push Workforce hard in his training towards the Arc. Sent off as the second choice behind the lukewarm favorite Behkabad , Workforce was a totally different horse. Rider Moore gave him the perfect trip, saving ground and avoiding much of the trouble that victimized several others in the stretch run. Moore split horses late, took the lead, and held on gamely to the wire. What was so impressive about Workforce’s victory, was that in his prior 2 wins, he distanced himself from the competition and was never in a battle in the last 3 furlongs. In the Arc, he showed his tenaciousness to overcome intense pressure over a soft turf course he had never run over. Workforce joined an elite class of runners to complete the Derby/Arc double. The others were *Sea- Bird (1965), Mill Reef (1971), Lammtara (1995), Sinndar (2000) and Sea the Stars (2009). If Workforce brings his “A” game to Churchill off his hard effort in the Arc, I feel he is clearly the best horse in the field. The question is, will he even run? His trip to the U.S. was brutal. There has been a drought in Kentucky, especially in the Louisville area. The grass course at Churchill Downs is very firm, and unless there is a substantial amount of rain, Stoute has indicated Workforce is too valuable to risk any chances of defeat or injury racing under conditions which could prove too big an obstacle to overcome. Stoute learned his lessons well from Workforce’s awful performance At Ascot. In this race he will get Lasix for the first time.

(8) DANGEROUS MIDGE
Of all the BC races, one of the most intriguing horses who figures to offer generous odds is the English invader Dangerous Midge. Anyone following long distance grass racing in the U.S. this year is aware that our horses are inferior to those overseas. There have been very few races this year when one of our North American horses has defeated the Euro invaders. It has even happened several times in Canada at Woodbine race course. The most interesting runner hails from England, and that is the 4 year old Dangerous Midge, trained by Brian Meehan, who attempts to win his second BC Turf after scoring with Red Rocks at a big price in 2006 over this same Churchill Downs course. As a 3 year old, Dangerous Midge was your ordinary run of the mill distance grass runner with only 1 win worth less than $10,000. When the dust cleared in 2009, Dangerous Midge had won a measly $23,000. Why in the world would you even consider this son of Lion Heart a candidate to win the Turf? Things have changed dramatically for Dangerous Midge this year. He was an easy winner in his first start as a 4 year old at Doncaster. Dangerous Midge did not run well in his second start, but rebounded with a much improved effort at Ascot against the toughest field he had ever faced. He appeared to have turned the corner, and this was confirmed when he blew away a good field by 8 lengths in a $134,000 stake at Haydock Park at 1- 1/2 miles. Dangerous Midge would step up in class against a top class field at York in a $322,000 handicap. He ran eighth, but on closer inspection, I am willing to toss the race out. Midge was toting high weight of 136 lbs in a 20-horse field at a distance of 1-3/4 miles, which is too far for him to be at his best. In addition, he did not have the best of trips, as seen on a You Tube video I watched of the race. Dangerous Midge would make amends in a big way when he crushed 6 rivals in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial at Newbury on Sept 17. He showed good tactical speed and a strong turn of foot to assume command easily on the turn and go on his merry way. Rainbow Peak, who ran second, came back to win the Grade 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club Oct 17. Rainbow Peak had run very well against top class rivals in previous starts, which proved that Dangerous Midge’s win was a quality victory. The third place finisher Campanoligist was coming off 2 straight Group 1 victories, which make the Duty Free Arc Trial a “key” race. Obviously, Dangerous Midge must hold that Newbury form, and possibly improve on it, to win the BC Turf. He does hold an important edge over the other Euro imports, because the courses at Doncaster, Haydock, and Newbury are left handed courses like Churchill Downs. Dangerous Midge should feel at home negotiating the Turns on his correct lead, giving him ample opportunity to have plenty of gas left in his tank turning for home. All of these factors add up to a very intriguing “long shot” for a trainer who has had plenty of success invading the U.S. and taking down the top prize in Grade 1 events. You also get Frankie Dettori aboard, who is undoubtedly one of the finest riders in the world. ** Will wear blinkers for the first time as well as getting first time Lasix **

(2) WINCHESTER
As I illustrated in detail when I wrote about Gio Ponti in the Mile, trainer Christophe Clement is a master at developing grass horses and getting them to keep their sharp form for a long time. Winchester beat Gio Ponti the only time they met in this year’s Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont, but nevertheless, I feel certain that Gio Ponti is the better horse, up to 1-3/8 miles. In the BC Turf, the distance is 1-1/2 miles, which is more to Winchester’s liking. In 19 career starts, Winchester has won at 12 different race courses. He has raced in Grade 1 stakes 5 times, with 3 wins. Winchester only raced 4 times last year with no victories, but this year he has turned his game around and become more reliable. Winchester is clearly in the best form of his career and could not be coming into the BC Turf in better form. Can Winchester make another move forward, which will likely be necessary to defeat the Euros, as well as horses like Al Khali? In analyzing Winchester’s past performances, he has never beaten the true Group 1 horses from overseas. All his wins have been against top class American’s, who in recent years have not stacked up with Europe’s best. I don’t envision Winchester winning, but he certainly has shown enough class, is razor sharp, and is trained by a master horseman, so hitting the board is a realistic possibility.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
I have included this race in our Pick 4 and Pick 3 wagers. Because this race is very competitive, I
am passing on the individual race bets.

BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

(5) BLAME
It’s usually the case that when a horse is defeated as a heavy favorite like Blame was in his final Breeders’ Cup prep, the next time he runs, you will get higher odds than what he should offer. On the surface this makes sense, but there are many reasons a horse like Blame’s second place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup can be forgiven. He had never run at Belmont Park, which can be a quirky surface. Blame was also making his first start at 1-1/4 miles, and he was returning from a 2-month layoff. When you add those factors together, and factor in a horse like Haynesfield who was loose on the lead, then his second place finish was far better than it appears. The final ingredient that leads me to believe that Blame will prove a major danger in the Classic is that top trainer Al Stall was simply looking for the right prep before the Cup. Sometimes even a Grade 1 race like the Gold Cup is used as a springboard for something bigger and more important. A win in the Classic would probably earn him Horse Of The Year. His body of work this year would amount to three Grade 1 wins, with a second place finish in a Grade 2 and a third in a Grade 3. Critics of Blame will point out that he is unproven at 1-1/4 miles, and that he was no match for Haynesfield at that distance. I don’t buy it, as I pointed out earlier. Blame has a nice turn of foot to be placed in good striking position at the top of the stretch, and a strong grinding run through the stretch. And if you want to talk about a horse for the course, you are looking right at him, as Blame has scored 3 times at Churchill, including a win in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster and the Grade 2 Clark last year. No one in the field comes close to Blame’s record over this track. He has a sparkling career record of 8 wins in 12 starts, with 2 seconds and 2 thirds. Blame has worked brilliantly for the Classic and has actually worked once in the early dawn with the lights on, which will shine by the time this race goes off. Blame is one hard-knocker, and if he gets the right pace set up, which I believe he will, he could be very tough to beat at generous odds.

(8) ZENYATTA
Simply put, Zenyatta, has accomplished more than almost any horse, male or female, in the history of thoroughbred racing. Actually, I would venture to say that Zenyatta’s career record is the greatest of all time. She comes into the Classic with the chance to close out her career with her second straight win in this same race against males. Zenyatta is 19 for 19, and with a win in her final start before heading to the breeding shed, she will have won her 14th Grade 1 race. This story line could not be scripted any better. From the hard core horseplayer, to the person who only watches the Kentucky Derby, by the time the latch is sprung and Zenyatta is taken in hand to race towards the back of the pack, the ratings for the finale will break all records for previous running’s of the BC classic. If you are lucky enough be at Churchill Downs Saturday, it will feel as if you were in the stands at Belmont Park when Secretariat glided through the stretch, distancing himself from the rest of the field with giant strides, to the thunderous roar of the crowd. With all of the accolades in honor of Zenyatta set aside for now, it’s time for me to decide if she will be my top selection, or will I be looking to beat her in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It would be folly for me to say that Zenyatta cannot repeat her scintillating victory from off the pace last year, but this year’s Classic offers a different set of dynamics and obstacles that she must overcome. From a betting standpoint, Zenyatta will be grossly over bet. Every woman who likes to play the “big one” will wager on Zenyatta. A ton of money will be bet on $2.00 tickets just to have a souvenir of her 20 for 20 record in the event she wins. A ton of money will be bet on Zenyatta simply because of the reasoning, faulty or not, that if she won this race last year, and has not lost in 2010, then why should Zenyatta lose her final career race? People relish in fairy tale ending. With all of these factors, there is every reason to bet against her at underlaid odds, especially if you have sound reasoning to do so. In 19 starts, 17 have come over synthetic surfaces, all in southern California. Zenyatta is 2 for 2 on conventional dirt, with powerful wins in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn in 2008, and in that same race last year. The Apple Blossom is run in early April, and at that time of the year, fillies and mares are usually not in peak form. Zenyatta defeated a very week field last year and the previous year easily beat the top class Ginger Punch, who was returning from a layoff, and was put right on the lead while setting a pressured, strong pace. Ginger Punch was at her best when she would stalk and then pounce on the front runners. Based on Zenyatta’s 2 dirt efforts, there is no guarantee that she can handle dirt just as well as synthetic surfaces, such as Polytrack and Pro-Ride. Churchill Downs can be a quirky dirt surface. The Classic will be run under the lights for the first time, just another potential obstacle Zenyatta must overcome. Last year’s BC Classic was not a stellar field. This year’s renewal is tougher. What Zenyatta has been facing out west cannot compare to some of the rivals that she will be facing at Churchill Downs. Nevertheless, the one thing we all know about Zenyatta is that she will be rolling through the long Churchill Downs stretch with her giant strides. Regular jockey Mike Smith rides her with supreme confidence. There have been a couple of races this year when Smith may have been too over confident that could have resulted in narrow defeats. What makes Zenyatta such a “freak” of nature, is that when she ranges up to the head of the horse who is in front in deep stretch, she cocks her head a bit to the left looking that rival in the eye. It’s on to victory from there. Zenyatta will be concluding her career facing her toughest task to date. She will run her race regardless of the competition. Zenyatta has proven to handle any obstacle in her way. The same may be said after the Classic. My heart wants Zenyatta to close out her career on a perfect note. But it would not be true to my work as a professional handicapper to select horses on emotion. I will be including Zenyatta in several of my wagers, but when it comes to my selections and bets for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, I will be looking to beat her and her odds that will be much shorter than they should be.

(12) LOOKIN AT LUCKY
I have stated several times this year that I felt the 3 year olds who have competed in the spring classics and this summer and fall in Grade 1 stakes are at best an average crop. The exception is Lookin At Lucky, who has proven to be in a class by himself. He is one of the few 3 year olds in recent years who was the finest 2 year old in the country, and has continued his dominance this year. Trainer Bob Baffert has done an outstanding job developing and managing Lookin At Lucky’s career. The question now is if he has the quality to defeat a field of older horses going 1-1/4 miles in what clearly will be his toughest race in his 12-race career. Lookin At Lucky has attempted the Classic distance once, in the Kentucky Derby. He was victimized by a brutal trip from an impossible post (one) over a sloppy surface. Lookin At Lucky redeemed himself with a game victory in the Preakness at a distance just slightly shorter. He returned 2-1/2 months later in the G1 Haskell at Monmouth and ran what I felt was his most dominating race thus far. Lucky had a set back after the Haskell. Baffert gave him time to recover from his illness, and then it was back to work to prepare for the Indiana Derby. Once again, Lucky defeated 8 rivals with another professional off the pace victory. Martin Garcia replaced Garrett Gomez after the Kentucky Derby, and is 3 for 3 aboard Lucky. Each ride has been picture perfect. I have no doubt that Lookin At Lucky can stay the 1-1/4 mile distance if Garcia can get him to relax, and then asks him to launch his rally at the right time. Lucky will fire his best shot, as he always does. What makes him so dangerous is that Lucky can be placed anywhere in the field. He can stalk, sit in mid-pack, or take back well off the pace and make one well-timed rally. In the Classic, I feel that Garcia will sit in mid-pack and make his move before Zenyatta launches her rally. Lucky will then have to contend with others who will be moving powerfully in the final furlong. When you have a trainer like Baffert, a rider like Garcia, and a 3 year old with quality, tremendous heart, and versatility, what you have is a top class horse like Lookin At Lucky. He has all of the attributes which are needed to win a race like the Breeders Cup Classic, and for that reason I will include Lookin At Lucky in many of my wagers.

(7) MUSKET MAN
There is no doubt that Musket Man will not get the respect that he deserves when the gates close and the final odds are posted on the tote board. When you see names of horses that have beaten him recently like Blame and Quality Road twice, and now Musket Man takes on the likes of Zenyatta and Lookin At Lucky, who have gotten far more press than he, there is no doubt that his odds will be much higher than what they should be. How can you knock a horse that has run 14 times and never finished worse than third? Musket Man has run in Grade 1 races five times and Grade 2 and 3 races twice. As a 3 year old, he ran third in the Kentucky Derby over a very sloppy surface that he had trouble handling. In the Preakness, Musket Man was a fast-closing third to Rachel Alexandra, beaten less than 2 lengths despite having some trouble. As a 4 year old, He ran huge in the Grade 1 Met Mile to be second to Quality Road, who was at the top of his game at that time. Musket Man’s third place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney was even better, as he was forced to chase a moderate pace, racing wide throughout. Running first and second were Blame and Quality Road, who together only defeated him by less than 2 lengths. Simply put, Musket Man brings his “A” game every time he runs. As you can see from my selections, Musket Man was selected ahead of Quality Road, despite that one defeating him twice. In the Met Mile, I actually picked Musket Man to upset Quality Road. He ran second, beaten 1-1/2 lengths, but for a moment in deep stretch, it looked as if my prediction was going to be right on the money at the tune of 8-1. It wasn’t meant to be that day, but it was becoming apparent to me that the margin between the two in terms of ability was narrowing. Since then, I feel that Musket Man has improved and Quality Road has a lost a step. He was beaten at 1-2 odds in his final prep race for the Classic at Monmouth, but there was no doubt that his connections were not going to squeeze the lemon dry 4 weeks before the big one. When the final odds are posted for the Classic, the price between the two will be so out of line that it is difficult for me not to say, of all the horses in the race, Musket Man will offer the best value. He has outrun his pedigree on many occasions. He is bred more for middle distances than 1-1/4 miles. But don’t tell that to Musket Man, because he will prove you wrong, as he has done several times in his career.

(1) QUALITY ROAD
Obviously if I am selecting him fifth, what I am telling you is that Quality Road is extremely vulnerable at odds much shorter than he deserves to be. That is not to say that he cannot hit the board, but it appears unlikely he will win. Quality Road has not improved since the summer. His victory at Saratoga on Sept 4, in the weakest Grade 1 Woodward I have ever witnessed was not nearly as good as it may look on paper. Jockey john Velazquez really had to get into him at the top of the stretch to get going, and even to the wire, Quality Road had to work very hard to distance himself from the others. Three horses have come back out of that race to be beaten a country mile, which just illustrates how bad the race was. Quality Road draws the rail, so he will be used to either get the lead early or stalk. If not, he could get shuffled back, and be in serious trouble quickly. I expect Quality Road to sit a stalking trip, but at some point approaching the stretch, Velazquez will have to make his move for the lead, to get the jump on horses beginning their rally. In the final eighth of a mile, I expect Quality Road to get leg wary, and have very little left in deep stretch, especially at 1-1/4 miles, a distance which I feel is too far him to be at his best.

WAGERING STRATEGY:
* A win and place bet on (5)BLAME
* Exacta Box: 5-8-12 = $24 for a $4 wager
* Press with exacta boxes: 5-8, 5-12 = $8 for a $2 wager
* Smaller saver exacta boxes: 5-7, 5-1 = $8 for a $2 wager
* 10 cent Superfecta Part-Wheel:
5-8 / 5-7-8-12 / 1-3-5-6-7-8-12 / ALL = $27 for a $0.10 wager

Mike Dempsey

CD Race 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf G2
#3 Mantoba 5/1
#10 Madman Diaries 12/1
#5 Master of Hounds 9/2
#6 Utley 6/1

Analysis: #3 Mantoba gets the slight nod as the most promising of the trip of Euro invaders and he will likely be a better price that our third choice. While Master of Hounds has a Racing Post Rating edge of 115 to 102 looking at their last races, Timeform has them both at 110. Our top pick stalked the early pace from mid pack and drew off inside the final furlong to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Note Dettori also rode #6 Utley last out and sticks with our top pick. The Meehan winner is showing solid improvement with each outing.

#10 Madman Diaries will make his turf and two turn debut here for the Ward barn. The gelding went gate to wire to win the Sapling (G3) last out at Monmouth Park going six furlongs on the main track. He has run well on poly and hopefully takes to turf. He has a decent turf pedigree, by Bring the Heat out of an unraced Outflanker mare. The second dam is multiple sprint stakes winner Meafara ($838K), who was second in the BC Sprint back in '92. The Ward barn is 23% winners moving runners from sprint to route. I am not crazy about backing a speedster in this race, but he intrigues me at what is going to be a generous price.

#5 Master of Hounds may go off as the favorite here off his third in the Racing Post Trophy (G3), which was his first go against winners. It was his first go off a three-month break and is certainly eligible to move forward off that effort. He has the pedigree, by Kingmambo out of the stakes winner Silk And Scarlet ($199K) who has dropped one other foal to race, the Japan based Eishin Appollon (2 for 11, $1.5 million). Murtagh was aboard Marathon winner Man of Iron for O'Brien last year.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 7/2 or better.
EX: 3,10 / 3,5,6,10
TRI: 3,10 / 3,5,6,10 / 3,5,6,8,9,10

4th (1:50)
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2)

1 Mile (Turf) | Open | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Typhoon Slew Leparoux J R Maker Michael J 122 LA 15-1
2 2 Deciphering Dreams Dominguez R A Dutrow, Jr. R E 122 L 20-1
3 3 Mantoba (GB) Dettori L Meehan Brian 122 L 5-1
4 4 Air Support Maragh R McGaughey III C R 122 L 8-1
5 5 Master of Hounds Murtagh J P O'Brien Aidan P 122 L 9-2
6 6 Utley Buick W Gosden John H M 122 6-1
7 7 Willcox Inn Velazquez J R Stidham Michael 122 LA 20-1
8 8 Banned Rosario J Proctor Thomas F 122 LA 10-1
9 9 Soldat Garcia Alan McLaughlin Kiaran P 122 LA 8-1
10 10 Madman Diaries Sanchez J Ward Wesley A 122 L 12-1
11 11 Rough Sailing Napravnik A R Stidham Michael 122 LA 15-1
12 12 Humble and Hungry Peslier O Correas Ignacio IV 122 LA 20-1
13 13 Pluck Gomez G K Pletcher Todd A 122 LA 6-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta Superfecta / Pick 3 (Races 4-5-6) Pick 4 (Races 4-5-6-7)

Battaglias picks 8-9-1

#8 Banned- trainer is having another huge year with his turf runners. This one was very impressive in his win at KEE winning by 5 easy lengths going this same distance. He will prove too good for these.

5th (2:30)
Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)

6 Furlongs | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $2,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Big Drama Coa E M Fawkes David 126 L 7-2
2 2 Girolamo Garcia Alan bin Suroor Saeed 126 L 3-1
3 3 Wise Dan Bejarano R Lopresti Charles 124 LA 10-1
4 4 Hamazing Destiny Rosario J Lukas D Wayne 126 LA 20-1
5 5 Smiling Tiger Baze R A Bonde Jeff 124 LA 6-1
6 6 Pashito the Che Castellano J J Lake Scott A 126 LA 15-1
7 7 Kinsale King Garcia M O'Callaghan Carl 126 LA 8-1
8 8 Cash Refund Velazquez J R Margolis Steve 126 LA 20-1
9 9 Supreme Summit Gomez G K Puype Mike 126 LA 15-1
10 10 Riley Tucker Dominguez R A Asmussen Steven M 126 LA 8-1
11 11 Atta Boy Roy Borel C H Lund Valorie 126 LA 12-1
12 12 Warrior's Reward Leparoux J R Wilkes Ian R 126 L 12-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta Superfecta / Pick 3 (Races 5-6-7)

Battaglias picks 11-3-12

#11 Atta Boy Roy- Ran an incredible race here to win the grade II CD HCP going wire to wire on a track that was not kind to the front speed runners. He shows winning at 7f and runs his favorite 6f distance today.

6th (3:15)
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G2)

5 Furlongs (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Chamberlain Bridge Theriot H J II Calhoun W. B 126 LA 6-1
2 2 Central City Albarado R J Werner Ronny 126 LA 12-1
3 3 Stradivinsky Velazquez J R Dutrow, Jr. R E 126 L 10-1
4 4 Unzip Me Bejarano R Jones Martin F 123 LA 8-1
5 5 Silver Timber Leparoux J R Brown Chad C 126 LA 4-1
6 6 Waveline Dettori L Cecil B D A 123 LA 20-1
7 7 Bridgetown Trujillo E McPeek Kenneth G 124 LA 12-1
8 8 Quick Enough Valenzuela P A O'Neill Doug 126 LA 8-1
9 9 Rose Catherine Castellano J J Pletcher Todd A 121 LA 6-1
10 10 Due Date Gomez G K Margolis Steve 126 LA 15-1
11 11 Grand Adventure Husbands P Frostad Mark 126 LA 12-1
12 12 California Flag Espinoza V Koriner Brian 126 L 12-1
13 13 Tropic Storm Flores D R Dollase Craig 126 Blk-On LA 15-1
14 14 Canadian Ballet Desormeaux K J Rice Linda 123 LA 20-1
15 AE Yield Bogey Samyn J L Kelly Patrick J 126 LA 50-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta / Superfecta Pick 3 (Races 6-7-8) / Pick 6 (Races 6-11)

Battaglias picks 9-5-1-7

#9 Rose Catherine- Has really improved since shortening up and running on the turf, winning 4 stakes in a row. He gets Castellano who is riding the best he ever has and they will be tough to beat.

7th (3:55)
Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)

1 1/16 Miles | Open | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $2,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Biondetti Ajtebi A Al Zarooni Mahmood 122 L 12-1
2 2 Boys At Tosconova Dominguez R A Dutrow, Jr. R E 122 L 5-2
3 3 J. B.'s Thunder Bridgmohan S X Stall Albert M Jr 122 LA 12-1
4 4 J P's Gusto Valenzuela P A Hofmans David 122 L 10-1
5 5 Riveting Reason Espinoza V Cho Myung Kwon 122 Blk-On L 30-1
6 6 Stay Thirsty Castellano J J Pletcher Todd A 122 LA 8-1
7 7 Uncle Mo Velazquez J R Pletcher Todd A 122 LA 7-5
8 8 Murjan Bejarano R Miller Darrin 122 L 30-1
9 9 Rogue Romance Leparoux J R McPeek Kenneth G 122 LA 30-1
10 10 Jaycito Smith M E Mitchell Mike 122 LA 8-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta / Superfecta Pick 3 (Races 7-8-9)

Battaglias picks 2-3-7-9

#2 Boys At Tosconova- is the only runner in here who has raced at CD and that was a good second place finish. He came back with a big 12 length maiden win and then won a grade I. He is bred for this distance and we have to try to beat the big short price favorite.

8th (4:40)
TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1)

1 Mile (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $2,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Beethoven (IRE) Murtagh J P O'Brien Aidan P 123 L 20-1
2 2 Society's Chairman Leparoux J R Attfield Roger L 126 LA 20-1
3 3 Gio Ponti Dominguez R A Clement Christophe 126 L 4-1
4 4 Court Vision Albarado R J Dutrow, Jr. R E 126 L 12-1
5 5 Delegator (GB) Dettori L bin Suroor Saeed 126 L 12-1
6 6 Paco Boy (IRE) Moore R L Hannon Richard 126 L 6-1
7 7 The Usual Q. T. Espinoza V Cassidy James 126 LA 15-1
8 8 Get Stormy Castellano J J Bush Thomas M 126 LA 20-1
9 9 Sidney's Candy Rosario J Sadler John W 123 LA 10-1
10 10 Goldikova (IRE) Peslier O Head Freddie 123 L 6-5
11 11 Proviso (GB) Smith M E Mott William I 123 LA 12-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta Superfecta / Pick 3 (Races 8-9-10) Pick 4 (Races 8-9-10-11)

Battaglias picks 3-10-5

#3 Gio Ponti- is at the top of his game with 2 wins and 3 seconds this year earning 1.5 million. The favorite will be tough to beat but we can always play an exacta box.

9th (5:20)
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1)

1 Mile | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Dakota Phone Rosario J Hollendorfer Jerry 126 LA 30-1
2 2 Tizway Maragh R Bond Harold James 126 LA 6-1
3 3 Aikenite Velazquez J R Pletcher Todd A 123 LA 50-1
4 4 Mad Flatter Court J K Thornbury Jeffrey D 126 LA 12-1
5 5 Here Comes Ben Solis A Lopresti Charles 126 L 6-1
6 6 Gayego Dettori L bin Suroor Saeed 126 LA 6-1
7 7 Thiskyhasnolimit Theriot H J II Asmussen Steven M 123 LA 10-1
8 8 Crown of Thorns Bejarano R Mandella Richard 126 L 4-1
9 9 Hurricane Ike Borel C H Sadler John W 123 LA 20-1
10 10 Morning Line Castellano J J Zito Nicholas P 123 LA 7-2
11 11 Mine That Bird Smith M E Lukas D Wayne 126 LA 20-1
12 12 Vineyard Haven Garcia Alan bin Suroor Saeed 126 L 10-1
13 13 Cool Coal Man Leparoux J R Zito Nicholas P 126 L 20-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta / Superfecta Pick 3 (Races 9-10-11)

Battaglias picks 5-2-6

#5 Here Comes Ben- Really turned things around as a 4 year old. He has 4 wins in a row and continues to train like a champion. He will be a solid price and should run a big race.

10th (6:00)
Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (G1)

1 1/2 Miles (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $3,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Champ Pegasus Rosario J Mandella Richard 126 L 10-1
2 2 Winchester Velasquez C Clement Christophe 126 Blk-On L 8-1
3 3 Telling Castellano J J Hobby Steve 126 LA 20-1
4 4 Debussy (IRE) Buick W Gosden John H M 126 L 10-1
5 5 Al Khali Leparoux J R Mott William I 126 LA 10-1
6 6 Workforce (GB) Moore R L Stoute Sir Michael 122 L 7-5
7 7 Behkabad (FR) Lemaire C P Rouget Jean-Claude 122 9-5
8 8 Dangerous Midge Dettori L Meehan Brian 126 Blk-On L 12-1

Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta / Superfecta

Battaglias picks 6-4-7

#6 Workforce (GB)- despite yesterday nose upset of the big European filly favorite Midday this one looks like a sure thing. He actually gets the weight advantage over most of these and will be very tough to pass.

11th (6:45)
Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)

1 1/4 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $5,000,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Quality Road Velazquez J R Pletcher Todd A 126 LA 5-1
2 2 Paddy O'Prado Desormeaux K J Romans Dale 122 LA 15-1
3 3 Haynesfield Dominguez R A Asmussen Steven M 126 LA 12-1
4 4 First Dude Albarado R J Romans Dale 122 LA 15-1
5 5 Blame Gomez G K Stall Albert M Jr 126 LA 9-2
6 6 Fly Down Leparoux J R Zito Nicholas P 122 LA 15-1
7 7 Musket Man Maragh R Ryan Derek S 126 LA 20-1
8 8 Zenyatta Smith M E Shirreffs John 123 LA 8-5
9 9 Pleasant Prince Rosario J Ward Wesley A 122 L 30-1
10 10 Etched Garcia Alan McLaughlin Kiaran P 126 LA 30-1
11 11 Espoir City (JPN) Sato T Adachi Akio 126 20-1
12 12 Lookin At Lucky Garcia M Baffert Bob 122 LA 6-1

Exacta / Trifecta / Superfecta Super High Five

Battaglias picks 5-8-2-4

#5 Blame- has been our best bet to win this race since last NOV when he won the grade I S Foster here. He is now 3 out of 4 over this, his favorite track. He has 7 wins with 2 seconds in his last 9 races and should end his career winning over his favorite track one last time and helping our pocketbooks!

#8 Zenyatta- The champion is attempting to retire with a perfect 20-0 record but she has picked a very tough race to try to accomplish that remarkable feat. She will of course, not only be the big betting favorite, but the overwhelming sentimental pick of pretty much everyone who enjoys this sport including us. No matter the out come of this race she will always be remembered not only as the greatest filly of all time, but as one of the greatest horses of all time. Thank-you Zenyatta for the memories we will never forget!