Breeders Cup
 

Looks to be shaping up a little light this year. The turf should be good (when isnt it) and the sprint will be a bettors dream but the rest have three contenders at most. Thoughts?

Too early to tell. The Distaff looks wide open as of now as does the Sprint. Turf could be a hell of a race depending on which Euros come over and the Mile should be good if some of the Euros show up and depending on what Frankel does with Cacique, and Biancone with Gorella. F&M Turf should belong to Ouija Board and the Classic is going to prove Bernardini's greatness!!!!

What---I think the Breeders Cup is going to be loaded this year. The sprint is going to be awesome. The 2 year old races are going to be full of talent. The Mile is going to be the best race of the day. The distaff is going to be awesome. The only race in question is the Classic. Is Bernardini that good or can someone else step up to the plate.

I think its going to be great this year. I always look most forward to the sprint, the 2 turf races next and then the Classic. You can have the 2 year old races, I dont care for them. War Front will win the Sprint. Mark it down now.

Even if it came down to a matchrace between Bernardini and Lava Man I'd have butterflies in my stomach!

Since Belmont or Churchill are the two best tracks to have it at, it can only be great. The best day of wagering of the year.

The Classic will be great with Bernardini, Invasor, Lava Man, and David Junior. You know you'll get a big field to take some money so you'll get decent odds on those four.

The Distaff Division is really deep but all the top horses are frontrunners or stalkers. It should setup for a closer like last year. Wild Fit had been my pick all year but she doesn't appear to be the same horse she was before she got sick. Pine Island might be the one to take advantage of the speed duel but I'm hoping it will be someone with longer odds.

The Mile should be good if Aragorn and Gorella tie up with some Euros and maybe even Showing Up.

The Turf is always going to be good with the top Euros shipping in to take on Cacique, English Channel, and The Tin Man.

The FM Turf should be great with Ouijia Board, Alexandrova, Wait a While, Film Maker, Honey Ryder, and possibly Gorella.

The Sprint division is very deep and should make for an interesting race. I predict Henny Hughes will throw up the most impressive performance of the day in this race.

I guess the two juvenile races are the only two that I am not especially excited about but there is still time for more 2yos to spark my interest.

A few of the races will have fairly short-priced favorites that figure to win:

BC Classic: Bernardini
BC Sprint: Henny Hughes
BC Mile: Aragorn

I am gettin a woody just thinkin about the BC:D

I agree with Rupert. I think Aragorn will be the fav. Not sure if he will win, but he prob will be the fav. Plus it depends on who comes over from Europe.

I would think he would be the favorite. Who else is there? He's the best miler in the states by far. Are there any European superstar milers who are coming over?

With regard to his next start, I would imagine it would be the Oak Tree Mile.

Librettist and Iffraaj... the Godolphin boys.

I've posted this elsewhere but Shirocco possible for the Classic.

If Lava Man goes I don't think the price will be that short-priced...not to mention the battle of Invasor and 'Dini has not been decided yet so you never know who could actually come out of the race favored.

Lava Man will get a ham sandwich in the classic.

Henny Hughes will romp

The rest is TBD

I'm looking forward to taking a shot against Henny Hughes against older horses in the sprint. While enormously talented, I think he is one of the best favorites to take a stand against.

Lava Man will get a ham sandwich in the classic.

Whats that mean? Somebody literally walks out and feeds Lava Man a ham sandwich? Sounds good to me.

Its going to be a much harder race than the Kings Bishop. I guess we'll get a preview of how he'll fare in next month's Vosburgh, which promises to be every bit as good as the BC Sprint. Silver Train will be in there but not the BC Sprint.

Woody Stevens ?

A ham sandwich means he will get nothing at all, an off the board finish. Henny Hughes is the real deal.

Now I'm hungry! LOL

I'm staying away from LM, but I think he will take a fair enough amount of $$.

It is a little tough to figure odds before everyone has had their final prep. If Lava Man goes in the Goodwood and throws up a 120 Beyer then he will take plenty of money.

I don't know about a 120, but I honestly don't see him getting beat in CA, unless he does enter that turf race against The Tin Man and even then he has a very good shot to win. (and this is coming from the LM anti-goo-goo :D )

He hasn't been winning his races in especially impressive times or by impressive margins so his figures are down this year. His four dirt starts this year have gone 99-113-109-110. Last year he had a three race stretch where he went 116-120-112.

Gander, people just dont understand how hard it is for a 3 year old to beat older horses no matter how talented the 3 year old is. There are some good older spinters out there. Going to be tough for Henny to beat this group.

I agree Euro, tough to beat older horses, especially in the Sprint Division. We saw what happened to Lost in the Fog in last year's BC. Pretty hard to think that Lost in the Fog wasnt every bit as talented (I happen to think more) than Henny Hughes is.

Whats more is Henny will have to face a tougher group in this year's Sprint. War Front looms large and Pomeroy is back in shape.

Extremly talented group of 3yr olds but with short prices they are a bet against in all BC races. Even the freek Bernadeni. With success this will be proof of the quality of this years 3yr olds. Having said all this with the propper set up I will probably play them. I guess the bottom line is 3yr olds stepping up to older horses is a complete new league. While we are on the subject why are So. Hem 4yr olds alowwed to compete against 3yr olds up north?

I know how hard it is for a 3yo to beat older horses which is why I find it so funny that everyone is already anointing Bernardini as the BC Classic winner off wins over Bluegrass Cat, Minister's Bid, and Sweetnorthernsaint. Could Bernardini win the Classic? Absolutely but it is a much tougher task than others are making it out to be. Let's see him get by Invasor first.

In the case of Henny he has dealt with a pace in the King's Bishop that should have absolutely cooked him and he was able to prevail. LITF did not have that going into the BC last year. I can fully understand why others would pick against him but I think he'll surprise a lot of people come BC day.

They aren't allowed in 3 year old races. Obviously they are allowed in 3 year old and up races.

I think that as usual there will be many good prices on winners. The exception will be the Classic where Bernardini wins once again. :cool:

Reraise and Cajun Beat didn't have a problem with it and these 3yo's are probably better than those two...

Also, I believe these two had their last prep in the Kentucky Cup Sprint, they won without ever facing elders before the BC...

I didnt say it couldnt be done and certainly in the case of Bernardini, he should be the favorite going into the Classic. I seriously doubt Invasor or Sun King will give him much of a battle in the Jockey Club.

Henny Hughes is a real nice horse but I think hes very beatable using War Front. That field in the Kings Bishop wasnt much. Although on that day he probably would have beaten almost any sprinter alive.

What about Discreet Cat? If he shows up in any race on B/C day, he'll win for fun... I really like Happy Ticket in the Distaff.

Henny Hughes is very talented, but I won't formulate an opinion about him until the I see him in the Vosburgh. I have a question...Could Discreet Cat be pointed to this race? I too know that the three year olds have a harder time in the BC races, but they have fared well in them if put in correct spots. If Discreet Cat goes in this race, I don't think that there is a horse in the country that can beat him. He beat older in Dubai. His running style sets him up perfectly for a race like this, and he may turn out to be one of the fastest horses that we have ever seen. He is so unbelievably fast... His last race was unreal off of a layoff like that....

Discreet Cat is going to the Jerome. I think he will be best around a mile so don't think it would make sense to take on elders at six furlongs. Discreet Cat had a nicer final time in his allowance race than Henny had in the King's Bishop but Henny was actually half a second faster through six furlongs.