Breakfast at Longchamp…Lunch at Keeneland
October 7th, 2007By Jude T. Feld
LONGCHAMP
5th Race) LIGHT SHIFT has been keeping top company and can handle soft ground. The daughter of Kingmambo from the Henry Cecil stable is already a Group 1 winner, having taken the English Oaks (G1) in June. MAHARA gets a huge rider switch to Frankie Dettori and should be used in the exotics with a 15-1 morning line. DOMINANTE is another longshot who is improving and could be dangerous in this wide-open Prix de l’Opera Casino Barriere d’Enghien (G1).
6th Race) AUTHORIZED rarely stubs his toe and looks very tough to beat at a short price with Dettori in the irons. SOLDIER OF FORTUNE and DYLAN THOMAS are both coming off major victories for trainer Aidan O’Brien and round out the top contenders in this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere (G1).
7th Race) At the risk of having French baked eggs on our face at the end of the morning, YEATS looks like he’s in a class by himself in the Prix du Cadran Casino-Theatre Barriere de Toulouse (G1). He opens at 3/5 but should get the chrome if he repeats either of his last two Group 1 efforts.
8th Race) AFZALPOUR is lightly raced but has shown the will to win. His 4-1 a.m. price is a tad light in a tough handicap but he is a must use on any Pick Three or Pick Four ticket. SAN LUIS ran a bang-up second over the Longchamp turf last time out and will have a say in the outcome. VERDADERO has had a productive summer and might be the value play at 15-1 in the Prix Hotel-Casino Barriere de Lille.
KEENELAND
3rd Race) SKIPPY O has the best figures and is by top Polytrack sire Skip Away. Trainer Bruce Dennis wins 25% of the time with horses shortening up and that is a tremendous move on the Poly as well.
4th Race) BURGENLAND KID was patiently ridden in his penultimate race and finished second, earning an excellent speed figure. Rushed last time, he faded to sixth. If apprentice Dylan Williams makes the late run with the son of Lemon Drop Kid they could be posing for pictures.
5th Race) PARADING didn’t get the best of trips in his last start at Belmont. His late running style is perfectly suited to Keeneland and he has a better turf figure than the morning line favorite EQUITABLE. The latter fires every time for trainer Mike Stidham, who always has Mrs. Josephine Abercrombie’s Pin Oak horses ready to roll at Keeneland. BIGGERBADDERBETTER rounds out the top contenders and draws jockey Robby Albarado, who knows how to negotiate Keeneland’s tricky turf course.
