Breeders’ Cup Selections for Friday & Saturday
November 4th, 2009By Jude T. Feld
FRIDAY’S SELECTIONS
3rd Race) MASTERY is in sharp form and ran well in his only synthetic try. He rates a slight edge in a wide-open race. NIGHT LITE has good tactical speed and should get a great trip. FATHER TIME likes the all-weather surface and boasts top connections. CLOUDY’S KNIGHT is on a roll for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard and if his tremendous grass form transfers to the Pro-Ride, watch out!
4th Race) TAPITSFLY had a sensational workout over the course. It looks like Southern California agrees with her and her 12-1 morning line agrees with me. SMART SEATTLE owns the best form and is a very formidable foe. HATHEER hated the wet Polytrack in her last start and is better than that race indicates. LILLIE LANGTRY is a quality filly from across the pond. She should have a say in the outcome. IN THE SLIPS must draw in, but her last race at Pontefract was visually impressive and gives her shot versus these fillies.
5th Race) NEGLIGEE won the Alcibiades (G1) which has turned into a key race. She will make this field work hard to beat her. ALWAYS A PRINCESS needed her two-turn debut and will be set for her best effort this afternoon. The Bob Baffert trainee is the filly to beat. SHE BE WILD disappointed as the favorite in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland and could easily rebound here. BLIND LUCK looked good winning the Oak Leaf (G1) over the track and cannot be ignored.
6th Race) RUTHERIENNE is in the best form of her life. It would be great to send her to the breeding shed with a big Grade 1 win on her resume. Euro invader MIDDAY is a top-class filly and wouldn’t be a surprise victress. PURE CLAN always gives her best and is super sharp right now. Defending champion FOREVER TOGETHER seems to have lost a step but maybe Santa Anita will rekindle her winning desire.
7th Race) INFORMED DECISION has never lost a race on a synthetic racetrack and there is no reason to believe that trend will stop here. VENTURA won this race last year and could take it again if a pace duel develops. GAME FACE should get first run on the top two. Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado enhances her chances. SEVENTH STREET will be out wining and could go wire-to-wire if left alone on the lead.
8th Race) MUSHKA might have won the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) if not impeded by PROVISO. She has an excellent chance at a big price. MUSIC NOTE has run two excellent races in-a-row and will take a lot of betting action. Trainer John H.M. Gosden didn’t bring RAINBOW VIEW here for the sunshine. Expect a top try. PROVISO has a chance at the winners’ circle if she doesn’t do the “Eurobounce.†CARELESS JEWEL has diminishing speed figures in her last three starts and might be overbet.
SATURDAY’S SELECTIONS
2nd Race) INTERACTIF is the best American two-year-old in training. Other than a horrible post position draw, there is no reason to think he won’t win this race and go on to be a top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender. CODOY just finished second behind the top choice and owns a much better post for this event. He should be a square price too. Trainer John H.M. Gosden saw fit to ship POUNCED here for this race and that is good enough to make the Rahy colt a top contender. BUZZWORD will sport the Godolphin blue. He has been facing top company in Europe and must be respected.
3rd Race) DIAMONDRELLA should relish the hill course. She is in very sharp form and will be very tough in this spot. DELTA STORM has the versatile style so effective down the hill. He is a major player with Garrett Gomez in the saddle. CANNONBALL had an interesting Ascot meeting and returned from England with a Saratoga stakes win. You can’t leave him out of any vertical bets. STRIKE THE DEAL is an in-and-outer but his best race is a major threat against this field.
4th Race) GAYEGO might have been the top pick anyway but when ZENSATIONAL drew the rail, the Godolphin runner’s stock improved dramatically. His excellent turn of foot should get him home on top. ZENSATIONAL needs to break good and then outrun the very fast FATAL BULLET in order to win. He is a top sprinter and no doubtedly up to the task, but every thing needs to go perfectly for him. CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN never runs a bad one. He is a must-use in all tris and supers. JOIN IN THE DANCE will be a big price. He is best around one turn and posted a sharp workout here last weekend.
5th Race) Regally-bred ESKENDEREYA has run two excellent races in his short career. Any tiny improvement can put him in the winners’ circle at a very good price. LOOKIN AT LUCKY has never tasted defeat in four starts. He drew a hideous post, so Garrett Gomez will need to use all of his skill to get a decent trip for the Bob Baffert trainee. VALE OF YORK has had a productive summer. If he takes to the Pro-Ride surface he could be very tough to down. ASPIRE has made an impact in all three of his starts – two of them Grade 1 races. He deserves careful consideration.
6th Race) GOLDIKOVA has been hyped all week long and deservedly so. The defending BC Mile (G1) champion has been dubbed “better than last year,†by trainer Freddie Head. Her bullet work here on October 24 indicates he’s not blowin’ smoke. GLADIATORUS exits a big win. He has talent but doesn’t always fire. WHATSTHESCRIPT was hampered by a very slow pace in his last start and should get a better scenario here. Leave him out at your own peril. ZACINTO is a Juddmonte homebred who has never finished worse than second. It is hard to toss him out.
7th Race) MASTERCRAFTSMEN had a big win on the synthetic in his last start and will be difficult to beat if he repeats that effort. READY’S ECHO has solid numbers but has been flying under the radar. His best race gives him a major chance. PYRO looked sensational winning the Forego (G1) at Saratoga. He will be flying late. MIDSHIPMAN showed his affinity for the Pro-Ride by winning the BC Juvenile (G1) last tear. His comebacker was solid enough to give him a major chance.
8th Race) All reports say CONDUIT is at the top of his game. He no doubt needed his last race at Longchamp and should come out firing in this spot. SPANISH MOON has been running well all summer along and will give the top pick a tussle. Barbados-born trainer Michael Stoute has a powerful one-two punch. PRESIOUS PASSION will try to take these wire-to-wire just like he did in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1). You can never ignore a lone front runner. DAR RE MI is a filly who loves to run marathon distances. It would not be shocking to see her in the winners’ circle.
9th Race) SUMMER BIRD has been good to me all year long and I am not about to jump ship now. QUALITY ROAD has run well despite a puzzling schedule, indicating he is a quality horse. He will be very tough to beat. REGAL RANSOM has good speed but will need to be left alone early to be in front at the end. ZENYATTA has never been beaten but she has never run against such tough foes.
