Looking for Sleeper Picks in 2021 Breeders’ Cup

The thirty eighth Breeders’ Cup is upon us, with 5 World Championships races for 2-year-olds Nov. 5 adopted by 9 extra Nov. 6 the place the turf meets the surf at ol’ Del Mar. With out additional ado, listed here are our contenders ranked in A-B-C style for all 14 races so as, with emphasis on doubtlessly weak favorites and/or sleeper contenders the place deemed relevant. All instances Jap.

FRIDAY

Juvenile Turf Dash (race 6, 5:50): Not seeking to bang my head towards the wall making an attempt to beat Wesley Ward’s three-filly staff of Averly Jane  (8), Twilight Gleaming  (6), and Kaufymaker  (2), who are preferred in that order. The backups are a pair of late-running threats, Armor  (7), a European invader who benefits from a switch back to Ryan Moore; and Derrynane  (11), who took a big leap forward first time on firm turf.

NetJets Juvenile Fillies (race 7, 6:30): Tough to see past Echo Zulu  (6) if she handles two turns, so it’s worth noting half brother J Boys Echo  won the 2017 Gotham Stakes (G3). Hidden Connection  (2) and Juju’s Map  (5) already answered that question in Kentucky and have the speed to stay close early. Sequist  (3) is a deep closer who would love the top three to knock heads early. Her sire, Nyquist  , gave us last year’s upset winner Vequist .

Juvenile Fillies Turf (race 8, 7:10): U.S.-based runners have gained 11 of 13 runnings and coach Chad Brown is chargeable for 5 of them, so we’re taking the place that Consumer Spending  (7) and Haughty  (11) have ample upside despite, as yet, unremarkable figures. Pizza Bianca  (1) had some stretch traffic in the Natalma Stakes (G1) behind favored Wild Beauty . Bubble Rock  (5) stretches out off a Matron Stakes (G3) win and has since posted strong workouts for Brad Cox, who boasts fantastic sprint-to-route stats. Koala Princess  (9), like Bubble Rock , is a More Than Ready   stretching out.

TVG Juvenile Presented By Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (race 9, 7:50): After some timing questions regarding the Champagne Stakes (G1), it eventually was determined Brown-trained Jack Christopher  (1) earned the fastest Beyer Speed Figure by a juvenile in four years. Chasing him home well clear of the rest was Commandperformance  (10), whose effort would’ve won most runnings. Note that Good Magic   was a maiden coming off a second in the Champagne for Brown when he won the 2017 Juvenile at Del Mar. Corniche  (12) has never been behind another horse, but must be used early from outside.

Juvenile Turf (race 10, 8:30): Charles Appleby-trained Goldolphin runners have run amok in North America all season. We’re looking for a continuation of the trend with the dynamic duo of Modern Games  (1) and Albahr  (2), who drew favorably with a short run to the first turn. Dakota Gold  (3) is highly versatile and remains unclassified after winning both starts in good time. Dubawi Legend  (14) ran second in a highly rated Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1), but is marooned on the far outside. Portfolio Company  (10) could try to steal this up front.

SATURDAY

Filly & Mare Sprint (race 4, 3:05): Gamine  (5) will be miserly odds against four opponents, but objectively she hasn’t been as brilliant without Lasix as she was in 2020 with Lasix. Last four races 2020: Average Beyer Speed Figure=106. Four races 2021: Average BSF under 100. She’ll get immediate pace pressure from Bella Sofia  (6), and while she might turn back that younger adversary it leaves her open to attack from Edgeway  (3) and Ce Ce  (4) late.

Turf Sprint (race 5, 3:40): Looking to light up the board with Fast Boat  (11), who was wedged between rivals late and kept on bravely behind Gear Jockey  (10) in the FanDuel Turf Sprint (G3T); may rebound to big-figure win in the Troy (G3) two back with Tyler Gaffalione, who is back aboard. Lieutenant Dan  (4) is 2 for 2 on the course and supplemented for $100,000. Golden Pal  (3), Arrest Me Red  (5) and Kimari  (9) are Ward’s threesome. Glass Slippers  (1) won this race last year (with Lasix), but her form overseas this year isn’t as compelling. Emaraaty Ana  (2) is a classy Godolphin runner with tactical speed who’s been freshened since winning the Betfair Sprint Cup (G1) on short rest.

Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (race 6, 4:19): Life Is Good  (5) is one overconfident ride away from being unbeaten, and will be among the shorter-priced favorites of the two-day event. He’ll have to go one-on-one early with Ginobli (3), who turned a corner at Del Mar over the summer and won his way here taking the Pat O’Brien (G2). The stretch threat is Silver State   (1), who’s never been out of the money at distances up to nine furlongs.

Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf (race 7, 4:59): Love  (6) missed the 2020 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) because of soft ground and was withdrawn from the same race this year after spiking a fever. The 2020 champion 3-year-old filly in Europe is the class of the field and well suited to firm turf. War Like Goddess  (7) has won four straight graded stakes mostly against suspect opposition, and looms the main American threat. Defending titlist Audarya  (12) follows the same schedule as last year when she prevailed in a shorter version, and is unknown past 10 furlongs. Rougir  fired hard in four straight starts to get here, but the French 3-year-old probably prefers more give in the ground. Loves Only You  (8) ran Mishriff  to a close third in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) in late March, but has raced just twice since then.

Qatar Racing Sprint (race 8, 5:38): Jackie’s Warrior  (2) has been effortlessly fast, but dug in when he needed to in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). His main concern may be another 3-year-old, Dr. Schivel  (9), whose five-race win streak includes three over the track. Aloha West  (5) and Special Reserve  (8) figure close after finishing a neck apart in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2). Last year’s Sprint runnerup C Z Rocket (3) has been falling farther and father behind early at age 7.

FanDuel Mile Presented By PDJF (race 9, 6:20): Master of The Seas  (1) ran Europe’s top-rated 3-year-old miler Poetic Flare  to a photo in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1), then got some time off and returned with a close third to $7.8 million earner Benbatl , before steadying at the start of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) on good-to-soft ground he may have disliked. He’s a live longshot for Godolphin and Appleby, who’ll also try to stretch out Space Blues  (3) from a win in the Qatar Prix de la Foret (G1) at seven furlongs.

Mother Earth  (9) was a respectable fifth in the QE II for Aidan O’Brien, who brought us Order of Australia  at 73-1 a year ago. Pearls Galore  (12) held well for second behind Space Blues last out and will be a generous price. Smooth Like Strait  (2), Raging Bull   (4) and Mo Forza  (6) are US-based backups. 

Longines Distaff (race 10, 7:00): Letruska  (6) has danced every dance in 2021 and merits a  divisional title no matter the outcome here. That said, she’s going to face real pressure from Private Mission  (1) and Horologist  (7) that leaves her exposed to a stalk-and-pounce bid from Shedaresthedevil  (8), the only rival to beat her this year. Shedaresthedevil is perfect from four starts around two turns at age 4 including a win on the track in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1). Alabama (G1) winner Malathaat  (3) tries to become the first Distaff winner coming off an 11-week layoff.

Longines Turf (race 11, 7:40): Defending champ Tarnawa (IRE) (13) reunites with Colin Keane after getting edged by 80-1 shot Torquator Tasso  in a boggy edition of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1). Her problems are three-fold: 1) No Lasix this time (compared with last year’s Turf); 2) An outside post with a short run to the first of three turns; and 3) Dermot Weld is concerned about the much firmer turf she’ll encounter at Del Mar. Her post did improve a bit following the scratches of Domestic Spending  and United .

Teona  (12) shocked the mighty Epsom Oaks (G1) winner Snowfall  in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (G1) for her second straight win, and the up-and-coming filly likes to hear her feet rattle. Broome  (8) failed to fire on demanding going in the Arc, but picks up Frankie Dettori and can rebound at boxcar odds for six-time Turf winner Aidan O’Brien.

Longines Classic (race 12, 8:40): The crux of the matter revolves around the pace since Knicks Go   (5) is 7 for 7 in two-turn races for Brad Cox and wants to roll along up front. However, Art Collector  (6) will not be far away, and neither will Medina Spirit  (8), who tries to join Bayern , American Pharoah  , Arrogate , and Authentic   as 3-year-old Classic winners from Bob Baffert. And what of Max Player  (9), who has found his niche since put into the game early? Wouldn’t it be something, then, if Essential Quality   (4) and Hot Rod Charlie  (3), the first two finishers in the 2020 Juvenile, and one-two again in the Belmont Stakes Presented By NYRA Bets (G1), arrive on the scene and lock horns again.

I’m envisioning horses spread across the track in midstretch. A a big price I don’t want to leave out is Tripoli  (1), whose connections won the 2018 Classic with Accelerate  . Tripoli has come of age since switched to dirt, and is not outgunned based on his win in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) over this track and trip. He picks up Irad Ortiz Jr. after running against a rail bias behind Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again (G1), and gets a favorable pace setup for a bounce-back effort.