‘The Best Is Yet To Come’: HN’s Guide to the Breeders’ Cup

October 29, 2015Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#BREEDERS' CUP, #HORSE RACINGLeave a comment

The biggest weekend in horse racing kicks off in less than 24 hours, headlined by American Pharoah’s bid to win racing’s ‘Grand Slam.’ Here’s a preview of what to expect on October 30 and 31.

Breeders Cup Ltd.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships have taken place every year since 1984, crowning the finest racing Thoroughbreds over a variety of surfaces, distances and age groups. The inaugural Breeders’ Cup championship card had only seven races, taking place at Hollywood Park in 1984. Since then, the event has grown into a two-day celebration of the best of horse racing, welcoming champions from all over the world to various American tracks.

This year, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships take place on October 30th and 31st at Lexington, Kentucky’s Keeneland track, the first time the event has ever been in the Bluegrass State — ironic, considering that many champions are born there. Thirteen races will take place this weekend, building up to the final race on Saturday afternoon, the prestigious $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. American Pharoah, winner of the 2015 Triple Crown, will attempt to become the first to capture Thoroughbred racing’s “Grand Slam” by adding a Classic victory to his resume. This is American Pharoah’s last race of his life, as the Pioneerof the Nile colt is slated to retire to stud.

Horses qualify for the Breeders’ Cup either based on their performances in graded stakes races throughout the season (points are awarded based on final placing and grade) or by winning a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race (also called the “Win and You’re In” races.) This ensures that only the very best will compete on Friday and Saturday for a chance at glory. While it’s not a given, the placings of Breeders’ Cup race often help determine who receives the titles of Horse of the Year for various distances and age groups.

Fast facts:

13 races
$26 million in purses
174 total entries
5 countries represented (United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Chile, Japan)
Friday first post at 12:30 PM; first Breeders’ Cup post 3:30 PM (full schedule is available here)
Saturday first post at 11:00 AM
TV coverage: NBC Sports Network, NBC
Live stream: www.breederscup.com
Weather forecast: Friday, sunny with a high of 56; Saturday, partly sunny with chance of showers, high 62

Breeders Cup Ltd.

So what races make up the Breeders’ Cup? We’ve broken down the whole race card below:

Juvenile Turf

3:30 PM on Friday, October 30
1 mile over turf for two-year-old colts
$1,000,000 purse
14 entries plus an alternate
Favorite: Cymric at 7-2; Kentucky-bred but based in Europe
2014 champion: Hootenanny
Two entries from Ireland and one from Great Britain round out an international field.

Las Vegas Dirt Mile

4:10 PM on Friday, October 30
1 mile over dirt for three-year-olds and older
$1,000,000 purse
11 entries
Favorite: Liam’s Map at 1-1
2014 champion: Goldencents
Liam’s Map was also a possible entry for the Classic but connections opted for the Mile. Lea, also a strong contender, is a five-year-old who is strong on both dirt and turf.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

4:50 PM on Friday, October 30
1 mile over turf for two-year-old fillies
$1,000,000 purse
15 entries on the card with one scratch (Tin Type Gal)
Favorite: Harmonize at 7-2
2014 champion: Lady Eli
The Juvenile Fillies Turf includes four Irish entries; an Irish-bred filly won in 2013 (Chriselliam)

Longines Distaff

5:35 PM on Friday, October 30
1 1/8 miles over dirt for three-year-old fillies/mares and older
$2,000,000 purse
15 entries on the card with one scratch (Untapable)
Favorite: Wedding Toast at 4-1
2014 champion: Untapable
While Wedding Toast is a narrow favorite, other strong contenders include Stopchargingmaria at 5-1 and Sheer Drama at 9-2. Would-be returning champion Untapable was scratched earlier this week after running a low-grade fever with mucus in her lungs.

14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies

12:05 PM on Saturday, October 31
1 1/16 miles over dirt for two-year-old fillies
$2,000,000 purse
10 entries
Favorite: Songbird at 7-5
2014 champion: Take Charge Brandi
Songbird may be the slight favorite, but most handicappers are referring to this race as a showdown between Songbird and the long-awaited Rachel’s Valentina (out of champion mare Rachel Alexandra.) Rachel’s Valentina is currently at 7-2. As a Game of Thrones fan I feel obligated to point out that one of the entries is named Dothraki Queen.

Twinspires Turf Sprint

12:45 PM on Saturday, October 31
5 1/2 furlongs over turf for three-year-old and older
$1,000,000 purse
14 entries plus two alternates
Favorite: Lady Shipman at 5-2
2014 champion: Bobby’s Kitten
This race was won in 2012 and 2013 back-to-back by a filly, Mizdirection.

Twinspires Filly & Mare Sprint

1:25 PM on Saturday, October 31
7 furlongs over dirt for three-year-old fillies/mares and older
$1,000,000 purse
14 entries
Favorite: Cavorting at 3-1
2014 champion: Judy the Beauty
If Judy the Beauty hopes to capture back-to-back triumphs in the Filly & Mare Sprint (as Groupie Doll did in 2012 and 2013,) she’ll have to best Cavorting, who has won five of her seven starts.

Filly & Mare Turf

2:10 PM on Saturday, October 31
1 3/16 miles over turf for three-year-old fillies/mares and older
$2,000,000 purse
12 entries with two alternates, one of which has been scratched
Favorite: Legatissimo (IRE) at 8-5
2014 champion: Dayatthespa
Less than half of the field are American-based horses: four fillies hail from Ireland including the favorite, two from Great Britain and one from Chile.

Twinspires Sprint

2:50 PM on Saturday, October 31
6 furlongs over dirt for three-year-olds and older
$1,500,000 purse
14 entries with one alternate which has been scratched
Favorite: Private Zone at 5-2
2014 champion: Work All Week
Runhappy is another horse marked as one to watch at 3-1, and is a fan favorite (and with a name like Runhappy, we can understand why.)

Mile

3:30 PM on Saturday, October 31
1 mile over turf for three-year-olds and older
$2,000,000 purse
12 entries
Favorite: Make Believe (GB) at 3-1
2014 champion: Karakontie (JPN)
Like most of the other turf races of the Breeders’ Cup, the Mile attracted a large international pool of entries, with two horses from Great Britain including the favorite, four from Ireland, and the defending champion from Japan.

Sentient Jet Juvenile

4:10 PM on Saturday, October 31
1 1/16 miles over dirt for two-year-old males
$2,000,000 purse
15 entries on the card with one scratch (Tale of S’avall) and one alternate
Favorite: Brody’s Cause at 7-2
2014 champion: Texas Red
Greenpointcrusader at 4-1 should not be ruled out. Of note is an Irish entry, Waterloo Bridge, who has never run on dirt.

Longines Turf

4:50 PM on Saturday, October 31
1 1/2 miles over turf for three-year-olds and older
$3,000,000 purse
12 entries
Favorite: Golden Horn (GB) at 4-5
2014 champion: Main Sequence
As winner of the 2014 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the richest horse race in the world, it’s hard not to pick Golden Horn.

Classic

5:35 PM on Saturday, October 31
1 1/4 miles over dirt for three-year-olds and older
$5,000,000 purse
10 entries on the card with one scratch (Beholder)
Favorite: American Pharoah at 4-5
2014 champion: Bayern
Race fans were gutted to learn that Beholder had been scratched on Thursday after a scope found irritated tissue in her lung. It sounds like the mare will return to the track for the 2016 season, but the much anticipated Beholder-American Pharoah showdown is not to be as the Triple Crown winner is retiring after the Classic. While Pharoah remains a strong favorite, other horses to watch include Tonalist (famous for upsetting California Chrome in the 2014 Belmont), Keen Ice (who upset Pharoah in the Travers), Frosted and Honor Code.

Can’t watch the races yourself this weekend? Keep it locked on Horse Nation for recaps and results from the Breeders Cup!