Life Is Good, Happy Saver, and Malathaat are getting a feel for the Keenland paddock.
What to Know About the Future Stars Friday Breeders’ Cup Races at Keeneland.
The weekend racing fans wait for all year long is almost here. The top horses in the country and many from around the world will travel to Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., for the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.The action kicks off on Friday, Nov. 4, with five races for 2-year-olds. “Future Stars Friday” will feature three races on grass: the Juvenile Turf Sprint, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the Juvenile Turf, as well as the two most prominent 2-year-old races that will be run all year, the NetJets Juvenile Fillies and the FanDuel Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Both the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies are run at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. The winners of those races usually win Eclipse Awards as the champion of their respective divisions.
Let’s take a look at some key things to know about each of the Friday races.
Juvenile Turf Sprint
Distance: 5 ½ furlongs on turf
Post time: 3 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 5, All-Turf $3 Pick 3
Background: It’s hard to believe that this relative newcomer race on the Breeders’ Cup program will be run for the fifth time in 2022 after debuting in 2018. Trainer Wesley Ward has dominated this race, having won it three times in a row with Four Wheel Drive in 2019, Golden Pal in 2020, and Twilight Gleaming in 2021. Four Wheel Drive and Golden Pal went off as favorites. Twilight Gleaming paid $12.40 in a field of 12. The Todd Pletcher-trained Bulletin won the inaugural running at odds of 4.30-1 in 2018.
Favorites: Ward is likely to be represented in this year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint field with Love Reigns, who blew away maidens by 9 ¾ lengths in her Keeneland course and distance career debut in April. She then went to Royal Ascot for her second start in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, where she finished fourth. Love Reigns returned stateside to win the $150,000 Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga, after which she has been trained up to the Breeders’ Cup.
The Platinum Queen will give Europe its best chance for its first victory in this race. She is shipping over for trainer Richard Fahey off a win in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp, held at five furlongs on a straightaway and over very soft turf. On the west coast meanwhile, Speed Boat Beach has been very fast in winning his first two career starts for trainer Bob Baffert, first posting a maiden win on the dirt at Del Mar and then a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” victory on turf in the Speakeasy Stakes going five furlongs at Santa Anita Park.
Interesting storylines: Tyler’s Tribe, the undefeated Iowa-bred who has dominated all of his races so far at Prairie Meadows, will be a headline storyline in the first Breeders’ Cup race of the weekend. Not only will Tyler’s Tribe be a rare Iowa-bred racing in the Breeders’ Cup, but he will come in with a perfect 5-for-5 record, with those victories coming by a combined total of 59 ¾ lengths. From the first crop of sire Sharp Azteca, who is currently leading all freshman sires by wins in North America, Tyler’s Tribe was purchased for $34,000 from an Iowa yearling sale by owner Tom Lepic and trainer Tim Martin. The gelding was named for Lepic’s grandson Tyler Juhl, who has endured a two-year struggle to overcome leukemia. Eight-year-old Tyler has been to all of Tyler’s Tribe’s races and is the horse’s biggest fan.
Distance: 5 ½ furlongs on turf
Post time: 3 p.m. ET
Wagering Menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 5, All-Turf $3 Pick 3
Background: It’s hard to believe that this relative newcomer race on the Breeders’ Cup program will be run for the fifth time in 2022 after debuting in 2018. Trainer Wesley Ward has dominated this race, having won it three times in a row with Four Wheel Drive in 2019, Golden Pal in 2020, and Twilight Gleaming in 2021. Four Wheel Drive and Golden Pal went off as favorites. Twilight Gleaming paid $12.40 in a field of 12. The Todd Pletcher-trained Bulletin won the inaugural running at odds of 4.30-1 in 2018.
Favorites: Ward is likely to be represented in this year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint field with Love Reigns, who blew away maidens by 9 ¾ lengths in her Keeneland course and distance career debut in April. She then went to Royal Ascot for her second start in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, where she finished fourth. Love Reigns returned stateside to win the $150,000 Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga, after which she has been trained up to the Breeders’ Cup.
The Platinum Queen will give Europe its best chance for its first victory in this race. She is shipping over for trainer Richard Fahey off a win in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp, held at five furlongs on a straightaway and over very soft turf. On the west coast meanwhile, Speed Boat Beach has been very fast in winning his first two career starts for trainer Bob Baffert, first posting a maiden win on the dirt at Del Mar and then a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” victory on turf in the Speakeasy Stakes going five furlongs at Santa Anita Park.
Interesting storylines: Tyler’s Tribe, the undefeated Iowa-bred who has dominated all of his races so far at Prairie Meadows, will be a headline storyline in the first Breeders’ Cup race of the weekend. Not only will Tyler’s Tribe be a rare Iowa-bred racing in the Breeders’ Cup, but he will come in with a perfect 5-for-5 record, with those victories coming by a combined total of 59 ¾ lengths. From the first crop of sire Sharp Azteca, who is currently leading all freshman sires by wins in North America, Tyler’s Tribe was purchased for $34,000 from an Iowa yearling sale by owner Tom Lepic and trainer Tim Martin. The gelding was named for Lepic’s grandson Tyler Juhl, who has endured a two-year struggle to overcome leukemia. Eight-year-old Tyler has been to all of Tyler’s Tribe’s races and is the horse’s biggest fan.
NetJets Juvenile Fillies
Distance: 1 1/16 miles on dirt
Post Time: 3:40 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Juvenile Fillies-Distaff double
Background: One of Friday’s “original seven” Breeders’ Cup races along with the Juvenile, the Juvenile Fillies has been a staple of the Breeders’ Cup since the event’s inception in 1984. The winner of this race is almost always voted the Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly, including all of the last eight winners up through Echo Zulu in 2021. Despite Echo Zulu’s win at the favorite last year, this race is typically not friendly to favorites. My Miss Aurelia in 2011 and Songbird in 2015 are the only other favorites to win the past 11 years. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has been the king of this race during his illustrious career, winning it six times (1985, 1988, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2014). He will be represented in this year’s field by longshot Naughty Gal.
Favorites: The winner of the course-and-distance Darley Alcibiades Stakes was Wonder Wheel, who went wire-to-wire to hold off Chop Chop for trainer Mark Casse. Wonder Wheel also won July’s Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs and was second in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. If she is not the favorite, that honor will likely go to the Todd Pletcher-trained Chocolate Gelato, who made a last-to-first move to defeat five opponents in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes.
Interesting Storylines: Jockey Joel Rosario has won the Juvenile Fillies three of the last four years with Echo Zulu in 2021, Vequist in 2020, and Jaywalk in 2018. This year Rosario seems to have a choice between Chop Chop, who just missed by a nose when second in the Alcibiades for trainer Brad Cox, or You’re My Girl, who was the front-running John Terranova-trained second-place finisher in the Frizette. You’re My Girl has been supplemented into the Breeders’ Cup for $100,000 by her connections.
Distance: 1 1/16 miles on dirt
Post Time: 3:40 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Juvenile Fillies-Distaff double
Background: One of Friday’s “original seven” Breeders’ Cup races along with the Juvenile, the Juvenile Fillies has been a staple of the Breeders’ Cup since the event’s inception in 1984. The winner of this race is almost always voted the Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly, including all of the last eight winners up through Echo Zulu in 2021. Despite Echo Zulu’s win at the favorite last year, this race is typically not friendly to favorites. My Miss Aurelia in 2011 and Songbird in 2015 are the only other favorites to win the past 11 years. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has been the king of this race during his illustrious career, winning it six times (1985, 1988, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2014). He will be represented in this year’s field by longshot Naughty Gal.
Favorites: The winner of the course-and-distance Darley Alcibiades Stakes was Wonder Wheel, who went wire-to-wire to hold off Chop Chop for trainer Mark Casse. Wonder Wheel also won July’s Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs and was second in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. If she is not the favorite, that honor will likely go to the Todd Pletcher-trained Chocolate Gelato, who made a last-to-first move to defeat five opponents in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes.
Interesting Storylines: Jockey Joel Rosario has won the Juvenile Fillies three of the last four years with Echo Zulu in 2021, Vequist in 2020, and Jaywalk in 2018. This year Rosario seems to have a choice between Chop Chop, who just missed by a nose when second in the Alcibiades for trainer Brad Cox, or You’re My Girl, who was the front-running John Terranova-trained second-place finisher in the Frizette. You’re My Girl has been supplemented into the Breeders’ Cup for $100,000 by her connections.
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Distance: 1 mile on turf
Post Time: 4:20 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3
Background: This race is somewhat of an anomaly amongst the grass races run on Breeders’ Cup weekend in that it has been dominated by U.S.-based fillies in its 14-year history since first being run in 2008, with only two winning European invaders and none since 2013 (Flotilla won in 2012, Chriselliam in 2013). In 2020, Europeans did finish second, third, and fourth but they could not catch wire-to-wire winner Aunt Pearl, who was bred in Ireland but campaigned in the United States by Brad Cox. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay has owned two Juvenile Turf winners: More Than Real in 2010 and last year’s winner Pizza Bianca.
Favorites: Keeneland’s JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes has proven to be one of the most important prep races through the years for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the results of the former take on added significance when the latter is run at Keeneland on the same course and at the same distance. The last time the Breeders’ Cup was contested at Keeneland, the Juvenile Fillies Turf was won by the Jessamine winner, Aunt Pearl. The winner of this year’s Jessamine was Delight, who went wire-to-wire to draw off to an impressive five-length victory for trainer Jonathan Thomas.
The top European hope in the 2022 Juvenile Fillies Turf is likely to be Meditate, trained by Aidan O’Brien. Meditate has racked-up a record of four wins and two seconds in six lifetime starts so far but has not yet raced at a distance beyond seven furlongs. She will stretch out for the first time in in the Breeders’ Cup coming off back-to-back seconds in the Group 1 six-furlong Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and the seven-furlong Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Interesting storylines: One big reason for the success of American fillies in this race has been trainer Chad Brown, who has single-handedly won five of the 14 runnings of the race, including Newspaperofrecord (2018), Rushing Fall (2017), New Money Honey (2016), Lady Eli (2014), and Maram in the inaugural running in 2008. Chad Brown lost in 2021 when Haughty finished third and Consumer Spending finished sixth, but he will try to re-assert his dominance in the 2022 Juvenile Fillies Turf with his top contender this year, Free Look, who exits a second-place finish by three-quarters of a length over yielding turf at Belmont at the Big A in her last race, the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes.
Distance: 1 mile on turf
Post Time: 4:20 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Pick 3
Background: This race is somewhat of an anomaly amongst the grass races run on Breeders’ Cup weekend in that it has been dominated by U.S.-based fillies in its 14-year history since first being run in 2008, with only two winning European invaders and none since 2013 (Flotilla won in 2012, Chriselliam in 2013). In 2020, Europeans did finish second, third, and fourth but they could not catch wire-to-wire winner Aunt Pearl, who was bred in Ireland but campaigned in the United States by Brad Cox. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay has owned two Juvenile Turf winners: More Than Real in 2010 and last year’s winner Pizza Bianca.
Favorites: Keeneland’s JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes has proven to be one of the most important prep races through the years for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the results of the former take on added significance when the latter is run at Keeneland on the same course and at the same distance. The last time the Breeders’ Cup was contested at Keeneland, the Juvenile Fillies Turf was won by the Jessamine winner, Aunt Pearl. The winner of this year’s Jessamine was Delight, who went wire-to-wire to draw off to an impressive five-length victory for trainer Jonathan Thomas.
The top European hope in the 2022 Juvenile Fillies Turf is likely to be Meditate, trained by Aidan O’Brien. Meditate has racked-up a record of four wins and two seconds in six lifetime starts so far but has not yet raced at a distance beyond seven furlongs. She will stretch out for the first time in in the Breeders’ Cup coming off back-to-back seconds in the Group 1 six-furlong Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and the seven-furlong Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Interesting storylines: One big reason for the success of American fillies in this race has been trainer Chad Brown, who has single-handedly won five of the 14 runnings of the race, including Newspaperofrecord (2018), Rushing Fall (2017), New Money Honey (2016), Lady Eli (2014), and Maram in the inaugural running in 2008. Chad Brown lost in 2021 when Haughty finished third and Consumer Spending finished sixth, but he will try to re-assert his dominance in the 2022 Juvenile Fillies Turf with his top contender this year, Free Look, who exits a second-place finish by three-quarters of a length over yielding turf at Belmont at the Big A in her last race, the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes.
FanDuel Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
Distance: 1 1/16 miles on dirt
Post Time: 5 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Juvenile-Classic double
Background: Arguably the feature race on Breeders’ Cup Friday, the Juvenile has been one of the Breeders’ Cup’s marquee events since the first Breeders’ Cup in 1984. Featuring the best and most precocious 2-year-old colts and geldings in the land, the Juvenile is the place where the search unofficially begins for the next year’s Kentucky Derby winner. Most Juvenile winners, including Corniche who won the 2021 running for trainer Bob Baffert, and Essential Quality who won in 2020 for Brad Cox, go on to win the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. The race, however, has not been a good predictor of Kentucky Derby winners. Only two winners in the history of the race won the Derby the following year, Street Sense in 2006 and Nyquist in 2015.
Favorites: Cave Rock, trained by Bob Baffert, has begun his career 3-for-3 including wins in the Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity and the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park and is expected to be the heavy favorite. This race is often viewed as an east vs. west match-up, but if that’s the case, the Juvenile has had more of a west coast tilt the last decade with recent winners like Storm the Court (trained by Peter Eurton) in 2019 and Nyquist (Doug O’Neill) in 2015 and a trio of Baffert-trained winners the last decade, New Year’s Day in 2013, Game Winner in 2018, and Corniche last year. The top eastern-based challenge is likely to come from Todd Pletcher’s multiple Grade 1 winner Forte, who took Saratoga’s Hopeful Stakes and Keeneland’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.
Interesting Storylines: Will the 2022 produce some of the principal contenders for the 2023 Triple Crown? The 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile failed to yield one single starter in the 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. It was a different story in 2020, however, when the Juvenile proved to be a sterling edition of the race, producing a several future stars like winner Essential Quality, plus Hot Rod Charlie, Jackie’s Warrior, and Rombauer, who finished second, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Distance: 1 1/16 miles on dirt
Post Time: 5 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, double, Juvenile-Classic double
Background: Arguably the feature race on Breeders’ Cup Friday, the Juvenile has been one of the Breeders’ Cup’s marquee events since the first Breeders’ Cup in 1984. Featuring the best and most precocious 2-year-old colts and geldings in the land, the Juvenile is the place where the search unofficially begins for the next year’s Kentucky Derby winner. Most Juvenile winners, including Corniche who won the 2021 running for trainer Bob Baffert, and Essential Quality who won in 2020 for Brad Cox, go on to win the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. The race, however, has not been a good predictor of Kentucky Derby winners. Only two winners in the history of the race won the Derby the following year, Street Sense in 2006 and Nyquist in 2015.
Favorites: Cave Rock, trained by Bob Baffert, has begun his career 3-for-3 including wins in the Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity and the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park and is expected to be the heavy favorite. This race is often viewed as an east vs. west match-up, but if that’s the case, the Juvenile has had more of a west coast tilt the last decade with recent winners like Storm the Court (trained by Peter Eurton) in 2019 and Nyquist (Doug O’Neill) in 2015 and a trio of Baffert-trained winners the last decade, New Year’s Day in 2013, Game Winner in 2018, and Corniche last year. The top eastern-based challenge is likely to come from Todd Pletcher’s multiple Grade 1 winner Forte, who took Saratoga’s Hopeful Stakes and Keeneland’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.
Interesting Storylines: Will the 2022 produce some of the principal contenders for the 2023 Triple Crown? The 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile failed to yield one single starter in the 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. It was a different story in 2020, however, when the Juvenile proved to be a sterling edition of the race, producing a several future stars like winner Essential Quality, plus Hot Rod Charlie, Jackie’s Warrior, and Rombauer, who finished second, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Juvenile Turf
Distance: 1 mile on the turf
Post Time: 5:40 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, Juvenile Turf-Turf double
Background: The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was first held in 2007. Unlike its filly counterpart on the Breeders’ Cup card, Europeans have historically done very well in this race. European-trained invaders have won 10 of the first 15 editions. Americans have completed the exacta by running 1-2 in this race only twice, in 2010 and 2019. In 2020 when Fire at Will pulled off the upset for Mike Maker, Europeans still managed to finish second, fourth, and fifth. The 2021 running of the Juvenile Turf was just the opposite. Trainer Charlie Appleby’s European invader Modern Games won the race, while the second- through ninth-place finishers were all based in North America.
Favorites: Appleby will be at it again in the Juvenile Turf. He will send out the probable favorite for Godolphin, Silver Knott, who exits a win in the Group 3 Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket for his third career victory. Aidan O’Brien will also have two contenders in the field, Cairo and Victoria Road.
The best hope for the Americans may be the Todd Pletcher-trained Major Dude, the winner of the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont at the Big A. Pletcher was the first American trainer to win this race back in 2010 with Pluck. Chad Brown’s Pilgrim runner-up, I’m Very Busy, will also get plenty of support. Brown won this race in 2019 with Structor.
Interesting Storylines: Bettors and racing fans will simply be seeking some normalcy in the 2021 running of the Juvenile Turf after the fiasco that happened in the race last year, when, through a strange and unlikely series of events, horseplayers were not able to have their bets processed on the eventual winner of the race, Modern Games, who ran for purse money only. Win bets were paid on the second-place finisher, Tiz the Bomb. It all stemmed from an incident in the starting gate before the race when Albahr reared up and fell and got trapped under the gate, which forced the rest of the field to be backed out of the gate. Modern Games was in the stall next door to Albahr and was inadvertently scratched from the race by the stewards. Track veterinarians intervened and ruled Modern Games was not injured and physically fit to race. The judges allowed Modern Games to race for purse money only – and wouldn’t you know, he proved much the best that day and won the race. Adding to the happy ending, Albahr was not seriously injured.
Distance: 1 mile on the turf
Post Time: 5:40 p.m. ET
Wagering menu: Win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, super hi-5, Juvenile Turf-Turf double
Background: The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was first held in 2007. Unlike its filly counterpart on the Breeders’ Cup card, Europeans have historically done very well in this race. European-trained invaders have won 10 of the first 15 editions. Americans have completed the exacta by running 1-2 in this race only twice, in 2010 and 2019. In 2020 when Fire at Will pulled off the upset for Mike Maker, Europeans still managed to finish second, fourth, and fifth. The 2021 running of the Juvenile Turf was just the opposite. Trainer Charlie Appleby’s European invader Modern Games won the race, while the second- through ninth-place finishers were all based in North America.
Favorites: Appleby will be at it again in the Juvenile Turf. He will send out the probable favorite for Godolphin, Silver Knott, who exits a win in the Group 3 Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket for his third career victory. Aidan O’Brien will also have two contenders in the field, Cairo and Victoria Road.
The best hope for the Americans may be the Todd Pletcher-trained Major Dude, the winner of the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont at the Big A. Pletcher was the first American trainer to win this race back in 2010 with Pluck. Chad Brown’s Pilgrim runner-up, I’m Very Busy, will also get plenty of support. Brown won this race in 2019 with Structor.
Interesting Storylines: Bettors and racing fans will simply be seeking some normalcy in the 2021 running of the Juvenile Turf after the fiasco that happened in the race last year, when, through a strange and unlikely series of events, horseplayers were not able to have their bets processed on the eventual winner of the race, Modern Games, who ran for purse money only. Win bets were paid on the second-place finisher, Tiz the Bomb. It all stemmed from an incident in the starting gate before the race when Albahr reared up and fell and got trapped under the gate, which forced the rest of the field to be backed out of the gate. Modern Games was in the stall next door to Albahr and was inadvertently scratched from the race by the stewards. Track veterinarians intervened and ruled Modern Games was not injured and physically fit to race. The judges allowed Modern Games to race for purse money only – and wouldn’t you know, he proved much the best that day and won the race. Adding to the happy ending, Albahr was not seriously injured.
Breeders’ Cup Sprint at a Glance
The posted speed limits will be removed on Saturday at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships as the dirt sprinters take to the main track at Keeneland Race Course. Last year, it was a thrilling finish as trainer Wayne Catalano’s Aloha West cut to the outside and won the Breeders' Cup Sprint by a whisker at the finish line at Del Mar.Who will take the top prize this year in the Qatar Breeders’ Cup Sprint? Here is a glance at the field …
1. Manny Wah (30-1 morning-line odds): A salty runner with 34 career starts, this 6-year-old by Will Take Charge wowed the crowd at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes with a neck victory coming up the rail. One of a pair of Catalano entries that is sure to be a big price.
JOCKEY: Corey Lanerie; TRAINER: Wayne Catalano
2. Kimari (4-1): Trainer Wesley Ward’s Munnings mare is going in the right direction after a pair of graded stakes wins in New York. Taking on the boys, her closing ability on the dirt is something to behold, as new rider in Jose Ortiz will try to replicate this past success with a perfectly timed ride. The class is undeniable here.
JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Wesley Ward
3. O Besos (20-1): The former Derby Trail runner is trying to get back to the winner’s circle in what will most assuredly be his toughest test for trainer Greg Foley. Fortunately, he will once again retain the services of Tyler Gaffalione, who just missed winning the Keeneland meet’s riding title. The colt by Orb will have to take it up a notch if he wants to win a race like this one.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Greg Foley
4. American Theorem (10-1): The son of American Pharaoh punched his Breeders’ Cup ticket in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in late July. He cruised to victory that afternoon with Joe Bravo aboard.
JOCKEY: Joe Bravo; TRAINER: George Papaprodromou
5. Aloha West (12-1): He’s back seeking a repeat victory, and once again he will have to prove that he belongs. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, he was outclassed by Flightline in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets undercard. It is going to take a monumental effort to repeat … but this is horse racing.
JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Wayne Catalano
6. Elite Power (6-1): One of the hottest horses in this race, the son of Curlin comes to Keeneland with four wins in a row. The Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes was against a short field but this colt was still impressive with a 5 ¾-length victory. Superstar jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., has the call and the ability to take over a race.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Bill Mott
7. Super Ocho (30-1): Here is a Chilean outsider that does have several stateside attempts to his credit. He is going to have to find much more though, especially considering the company he is keeping this time around.
JOCKEY: Hector Berrios; TRAINER: Amador Sanchez
8. C Z Rocket (20-1): A stalwart in the sprinting ranks for a number of years, the now 8-year-old gelding is looking to return to the glory days. He has 12 wins in his career, and earnings in excess of $1.6 million. If anyone can help get him to the winner’s circle it is Flavien Prat, who is known for making it happen from the irons when you least expect it.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Peter Miller
9. Jackie’s Warrior (4-5): Owned by Kirk and Judy Robison, the equine highlight reel is taking to the track for the final time. A born sprinter, the son of Maclean’s Music has given Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen arguably his greatest speedster of all time. If he makes the lead, then it could be over. A special runner to be sure.
JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
10. Willy Boi (30-1): When this gelding by Uncaptured runs in Florida, he can be unbeatable. Shipping to Kentucky, he will be up against the best field he has ever faced. Chantal Sutherland is a talented rider, but this might be too tough an ask, especially since her mount was a distant third last time out in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course in late July.
JOCKEY: Chantal Sutherland; TRAINER: Jorge Delgado
11. Flash of Mischief (30-1): Based in Texas, Karl Broberg isn’t supposed to compete outside of the claiming ranks, but nothing could be further from the truth. He is an accomplished trainer and he has the opportunity to prove it at the highest level of racing. This colt by Into Mischief is a natural sprinter, and he could be a sleeper drawn from the outside.
JOCKEY: Cristian Torres; TRAINER: Karl Broberg
THE PICK: Jackie’s Warrior
LIVE LONGSHOT: Flash of Mischief
SUPERFECTA: 9-11-6-2
Breeders' Cup Classic at a Glance.
The 2022 Longines Breeders’ Classic is the race fans have eagerly awaited for months. The undefeated Flightline will receive the toughest test of his career as he tries to cement his spot in racing history. He’s won his five starts by nearly 63 lengths and when last seen he was winning the TVG Pacific Classic by an unbelievable 19 1/4 lengths. There’s no doubt he’ll be heavily favored, but he should be sternly tested by the likes of Epicenter, Life Is Good, Olympiad, and Taiba in what should be an epic showdown1. Taiba (8-1 morning-line odds): He’s only turned in one bad effort, albeit that came in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve when he was 12th. Since returning to trainer Bob Baffert’s barn, he was narrowly beaten in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes and was a decisive winner of the Pennsylvania Derby. He’s definitely getting better and should be a key contender.
JOCKEY: Mike Smith; TRAINER: Bob Baffert
2. Life Is Good (6-1): He’s a threat to Flightline on a couple of levels. He’s very good, as evidenced by four Grade 1 wins, including one in last year’s Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He’s also brilliantly fast and the battle on the front end with Flightline should be epic. His only loss in his last seven starts was in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline at 1 ¼ miles, which is a concern. But he’s a central figure here as someone who could beat Flightline or weaken him enough to set up the race for someone else.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
3. Happy Saver (30-1): It’s been a long time between graded stakes wins for him. Specifically, more than two years. Yet before tossing him, consider that he’s been out of the money just once in 12 career starts. He could sneak into the superfecta here.
JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
4. Flightline (3-5): Hard to add something about him that hasn’t been said before. That landslide win in the Pacific Classic says it all. If he runs anything close to that performance, he’s a winner here. The hope for his rivals is that Life Is Good will present enough of a headache that he’s vulnerable in the stretch. We’ll see. It should be an incredible race.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: John Sadler
5. Hot Rod Charlie (15-1): It’s a huge morning-line price for a horse who has not been higher than 5-1 since he was second at 94-1 in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. He’s a $5.5 million earner and finished ahead of Life Is Good in the Dubai World Cup. Picking against him to figure in the trifecta is a difficult task yet it speaks volumes about the quality of the field that he’s the sixth-choice on the morning line.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Doug O’Neill
6. Epicenter (5-1): The Runhappy Travers Stakes was his shining moment as posted his first Grade 1 win after seconds in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Not only did he win the Travers, but he won it decisively in his best performance in a campaign that dates back to September 2021 without an extended break. Steve Asmussen should have him ready for another peak effort and he’s a major factor here.
JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
7. Olympiad (10-1): He was no match for Life Is Good in the Whitney Stakes but then rebounded with a nice win in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. He’s won six of his seven starts this year and on his best day he can give the favorites fits. Whether Saturday will be that day is the big question mark.
JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado; TRAINER: Bill Mott
8. Rich Strike (20-1): Most people remember his 80-1 victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. What happened that day? There was a brutal pace. What’s in the cards for the Classic? A brutal pace duel? Maybe, but even that may not help him in a field much tougher than the one in the beat on the first Saturday in May.
JOCKEY: Sonny Leon; TRAINER: Eric Reed
THE PICK: Flightline
LIVE LONGSHOT: Taiba
SUPERFECTA: 4-2-6-1
Breeders’ Cup Mile at a Glance.
An outstanding collection of turf milers will be on hand on Nov. 5 for one of the most interesting races on the Breeders’ Cup card. Europeans have dominated the last four editions, winning three of them, and this year’s field surely includes an array of impressive stars from overseas.
1. Pogo (20-1): He comes off a Group 2 win at Newmarket and seems to be on an upswing. He’s winless in graded or group stakes company, but with 36 starts and eight wins, the 6-year-old certainly has experience on his side.
JOCKEY: James Doyle; TRAINER: Charles Hills
2. Shirl’s Speight (30-1): He won the Maker’s Mark Mile to open the year but has struggled since then, going winless in in four subsequent starts. He’s been no closer to the winner than 4 1/2 lengths in those losses and seems overmatched here.
JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Roger Attfield
3. Dreamloper (6-1): European mare turned in a couple of weak efforts early in the summer in Group 1 company, then regained her top form and registered a powerful 5 1/2-length victory over males in the prestigious Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. An encore of that effort on these shores will make her very hard to beat.
JOCKEY: Kieran Shoemark; TRAINER: Ed Walker
4. Modern Games (7-2): You might remember him as the 2-year-old who was scratched, then not scratched, and ultimately was a winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year. He was an impressive winner of the Ricoh Woodbine Mile in September then last month traveled back to England and finished second in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Given his trainer’s record of success in the United States, expect a bounce-back effort from him.
JOCKEY: William Buick; TRAINER: Charles Appleby
5. Smooth Like Strait (10-1): He’s a gem of consistency with a record of seven wins, nine seconds, and three thirds in 22 starts. His speed could be dangerous in this field and he’s definitely a threat to land in the superfecta.
JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Michael McCarthy
6. Ivar (15-1): He was second in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland and was third and fourth in the last two editions of the Mile. He has a nice late kick and, if he gets a smooth trip, can be dangerous.
JOCKEY: Javier Castellano; TRAINER: Paulo Lobo
7. Beyond Brilliant (20-1): Has enough speed to be a threat here but has been facing weaker company and this seems a tall task for him.
JOCKEY: Victor Espinoza; TRAINER: John Shirreffs
8. Regal Glory (6-1): Talented mare should get the pace she needs to enhance her late speed. Distaff milers have fared quite well in this race and she could add to that list.
JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Chad Brown
9. Malavath (15-1): Definitely worth a look after closing for second in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de la Foret in France. The mile might be a tad long for this 3-year-old filly but she deserves some attention.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Francis-Henri Graffard
10. Order of Australia (12-1): Won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in a 73.20-1 shocker. Was 5 1/2 lengths behind Dreamloper two starts back and then third in the Coomore Turf Mile at Keeneland. He’ll be a longshot here. He won’t be 73-1 … but he’ll be a longshot nonetheless.
JOCKEY: Ryan Moore; TRAINER: Aidan O’Brien
11. Annapolis (10-1): It was smooth sailing for this 3-year-old in his sharp victory over his elders in the Coolmore Turf Mile. He keeps getting better and can make his presence felt here.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
12. King Cause (30-1): Seven-year-old gelding has been racing in stakes company since 2018 but has yet to post a Grade 1 win. Unlikely that he’ll do that here.
JOCKEY: Juan Hernandez; TRAINER: Mike Maker
13. Kinross (9-2): He’s won four in a row in Europe, the last two in Group 1 company. The big concern is the post position with a short run to the first turn. If he can overcome that, he will be hard to handle.
JOCKEY: Frankie Dettori; TRAINER: Ralph Beckett
14. Domestic Spending (8-1): He’s a top-notch distance runner so a mile may be too short for him. Not racing in more than a year and post-position 14 add to the challenges he will have to overcome.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Chad Brown
15. Front Run the Fed (Also eligible): Fourth in a sprint stakes last time, he will need a scratch in order to run.
JOCKEY: Francisco Arrieta; TRAINER: Caio Caramori
16. Gear Jockey (Also eligible): Another sprinter who will need a couple of scratches to run.
JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Rusty Arnold
THE PICK: Modern Games
LIVE LONGSHOT: Annapolis
SUPERFECTA: 4-11-3-8
Vulnerable Favorites
Live longshots
International Contenders
Good Morning,
I'm a long time capper. I grew up in HR in Chicago and then moved to the West Coast.
Made my bones at Santa Anita and Del Mar. I was very involved in the Del Mar Forum for years.
I love betting on BC Sat.
Thanks for all the info you have posted for this weekend.
Good luck to all.
Watch beginning at 2 pm ET on USA Network.
Thank you Mel. Good luck
