The NBA tipped off their season this week, college basketball exhibitions are underway, but in the horse racing world all attention will be on Santa Anita over the next two days as the top thoroughbreds from around the world load the gates in the Breeders' Cup. With bragging rights, the end of the year eclipse awards and of course plenty of cash up for grabs in all 15 races, Friday and Saturday should provide the audience with some exciting racing.
This year's three-year-old class has been unfortunate to say the least. We are left with Alpha, Nonios and Handsome Mike as the only three-year-olds to represent this class in the Classic this year. Represent is probably all they will do as none of these three are expected to do much against the strong field. Dullahan, who we saw finish third in the Derby and upset the older horses in the Grade 1 Pacific has chosen to try his luck on the turf in the Turf instead of the Classic.
The two-year-olds have been running all summer and fall and now it's time to find out who will be named the early Derby favorite and possibly be crowned two-year-old champ in the Juvenile. Shanghai Bobby makes the trip over from the East Coast with his undefeated resume as he takes on local winner and top two-year-old on the West Coast, Power Broker.
BREEDERS' CUP PICKS
FRIDAY, NOV. 3rd
Sprint 6f 2yo
5 Super Ninety Nine 5-2
3 Merit Man 8-5
4 South Floyd 6-1
*The second running of the Sprint provides plenty of speed this year with the top three picks. Super Ninety Nine is exiting his maiden win over this track last out while Merit Man enters 2-for-2 including a stakes win here.
Juvenile Fillies 1 1/16m
8 Kauai Katie 3-1
2 Executive Privilege 2-1
1 Beholder 5-2
5 Dreaming of Julia 5-2
3 Spring in the Air 15-1
*The girls certainly have a more enticing race than the boys do this year in the two Juvenile races as three of the eight entrants in this one come in with an undefeated record. Kauai Katie is one of the three fillies coming into this race undefeated. If she can carry over her success from NY to CA, she will be the top two-year-old filly who emerges from this star-studded field. Executive Privilege is an amazing five-for-five in her young career. She is exiting a 6 1/4-length win in the Grade 1 Chandelier over this track at 1 1/16 miles and will be the one to beat. Beholder is interesting here after posting a 110 BRIS Speed rating over this track last time out in an 11-length romp at 6f. Dreaming of Julia the last of the undefeated fillies in here shouldn't be overlooked. Spring in the Air will be try to chase the field and could pull off the upset if she takes to the dirt in her first start off Poly and Turf.
SATURDAY, NOV. 4th
Juvenile 1 1/16
4 Shanghai Bobby 2-1
1 Title Contender 6-1
9 Power Broker 5-2
6 Dynamic Sky 12-1
*Winner of this one will all but crown the two-year-old champ. Look for undefeated Shanghai Bobby to claim top billing of this class. Has posted triple digit BRIS Speed figures in two of his four wins and should have no problem performing at Santa Anita either. Title Contender posted a 100 BRIS Speed rating in breaking his maiden at this track last out going 1 mile and is a serious contender. Power Broker 6 1/2-length winner of the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 FrontRunner at Santa Anita last out will likely be bet heavy by the local crowd, as he should be. Dynamic Sky is an interesting colt as he makes his first start off of the Polytrack. If he likes the dirt as much as he showed he likes the Poly, don't count out an upset in this one.
*Hit the trifecta in the G1 Champagn but didn't fair so well in G1 Breeders' Futurity as Joha pulled off the upset. Dynamic Sky came in second.
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