BC - Mile
Distance: 1 mile (T)
Purse: $2 million
Age: 3up
Time: 6:19 p.m. ET
The History
Where should I start?!?! Four horses have won multiple runnings, starting with Miesque beating the boys in 1987 and 1988. The speedy Lure won back to back runnings in 1992 and 1993 before failing to accomplish the three-peat in 1994. Da Hoss, amazingly, won it in 1996, ran once in between then re-rallied in the final strides to win it two years later in 1998. And, of course, Goldikova won three in a row from 2008 through 2010 before finishing third in 2011. In 2012, Wise Dan capped off his Horse of the Year campaign with a popular Mile score over 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and came back to defend his Mile title in 2013. It’s worth noting that Goldikova’s trainer Freddie Head has won three and is a five-time Mile winner and the only person to win a Breeders’ Cup race as a trainer and a jockey, as he was the regular rider of Miesque.
Favorites: 11 for 33 (33%)
Shortest: $3.60 (Wise Dan, 2012)
Highest: $131.60 (Court Vision, 1986)
U.S based: 20
Foreign based: 13
The champ is here? No. Tourist has been retired
The Best
Ribchester ships over for Godolphin and trainer Richard Fahey with three G1 wins at a mile this year and four at the distance overall.
Third in the G1 Dubai Turf on the Dubai World Cup undercard going nine furlongs to start the season, Ribchester won two in a row before missing by just a neck. He came back to score for his third time in six starts this season.
Last out, just two weeks prior to the Mile, he made the lead with a little over a quarter mile to go before getting run down late as the 2-1 favorite. If you’re worried about the quick turnaround, it’s worth noting he won a G1 last year off just a 17 day break but didn’t have to deal with a trans-Atlantic flight in between.
Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien, the connections of the talented three-year-old filly Roly Poly opted to forego a run against the ladies in the nine furlong F&M Turf to try the boys at her favorite distance. It’s a bit of a curious move since she’s made all but one of her 16 starts against fillies prior to this.
After closing out her juvenile season with a failed run at odds of 9-2 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Roly Poly started the year with four consecutive defeats before breaking through with back-to-back G1 victories when she stepped up against older rivals.
Her win streak was snapped over yielding ground two back before Roly Poly returned to the winners’ circle in the G1 Sun Chariot in her latest.
Despite wins in some middle distance races throughout his career, World Approval made a name for himself going a bit longer, with a tally in the 2016 G1 United Nations at 11 furlongs the biggest feather in his cap, coming into this season
This year, after wins in a Florida-bred stakes and G2 Dixie on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico, World Approval failed to fire off of a perfect trip in the G1 Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard. It gave trainer Mark Casse an idea.
After a two month break, World Approval made the first turf start of his career at a mile in the G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga. After buckets of rain poured down on the Spa in the hours prior to the race, leaving the course a yielding bog, he sat just off the early pace and relished the going through the lane to win by over two lengths before taking a weak renewal of the G1 Woodbine Mile virtually gate-to-wire from his rail draw most recently.
The Rest
It took his connections 31 prior starts over four seasons to get him here but Suedois managed to award them with a sensational score in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile last out at Keeneland when racing on Lasix for the first time. He should love all of the pace signed on in here but must avoid the dreaded Euro-bounce.
Heart to Heart has failed in all six of his tried to win a G1, with near misses when finishing a neck behind the winner in the Makers 46 Mile and half-length behind Suedois in the Shadwell. He figures to be part of a crowded front end.
Midnight Storm is a G1 winner on the lawn by way of his gate-to-wire tally in the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita last year. A solid third in this last season, he’s run almost exclusively on dirt this year, with just one win from six starts on New Year’s Day in the G2 San Pasqual when Arrogate scratched. His lone turf start came two back when he was fourth as the 2-1 chalk in the G2 Del Mar Mile over a course he’s won five of seven starts over in his career.
Blackjackcat comes in on a four race win streak, all at this distance, including the Wickerr and G2 Del Mar Mile, over the course before taking a minor stakes at Santa Anita. Overall, he’s four for five at the distance and three for five over the strip.
Ballagh Rocks finished third in both the Fourstardave and Shadwell last out after a win in the G3 Poker at this trip. He should get a favorable pace set-up for his late rally here. His trainer Bill Mott won this last year with Tourist.
Lancaster Bomber was a bang-up second last year after a brutal trip in his two-year-old finale behind Oscar Performance in the Juvenile Turf. This year, he finished behind his Classic-bound stablemate Churchill and some other top sophomores before getting the place money in the Woodbine Mile. Two weeks ago, he beat just one home over soft ground at Ascot.
Om hasn’t won in nine tries over the last two calendar years but has come very close, missing in the Turf Sprint by a nose after a rough trip last season and last out when the blinkers went back on for the first time in over two years in the Eddie D where he finished third.
Karar has won just one of his five starts this season, a G3 going seven furlongs two starts back, since a disastrous last place finish in the Turf Sprint last year. Third as the 6-5 favorite in a G1 last out, he’s won just one of his seven starts at this trip and four of 18 starts overall.
Mr. Roary won his first graded stakes, the G3 Eddie D, down the hill at Santa Anita sprinting last out and will be making his G1 debut. He’s winless in five starts at Del Mar and just one for five at a mile.
Godolphin also has Home of the Brave, a graded stakes winner in sprints who has plenty of speed for trainer Hugo Palmer, presumably to make sure the pace is contested.
Zelzal hasn’t won any of his four starts since taking the lone G1 to his credit in July 2016 at Chantilly. Last out he disappointed as the 6-5 favorite in a G1 going seven panels.
If I’m Right…
There is a chance for some chaos in here. There appears to be A LOT of speed signed on, this is not the strongest U.S. contingent we’ve seen in this event and I’m not sold on the Euros. That’s a possible recipe for a big price. Now we gotta find it!!!
Live Longshot
Blackjackcat loves the course, the distance and should be within striking distance when that pace starts to collapse. He should be 15-1 or so too.
Distance: 1 mile (T)
Purse: $2 million
Age: 3up
Time: 6:19 p.m. ET
The History
Where should I start?!?! Four horses have won multiple runnings, starting with Miesque beating the boys in 1987 and 1988. The speedy Lure won back to back runnings in 1992 and 1993 before failing to accomplish the three-peat in 1994. Da Hoss, amazingly, won it in 1996, ran once in between then re-rallied in the final strides to win it two years later in 1998. And, of course, Goldikova won three in a row from 2008 through 2010 before finishing third in 2011. In 2012, Wise Dan capped off his Horse of the Year campaign with a popular Mile score over 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and came back to defend his Mile title in 2013. It’s worth noting that Goldikova’s trainer Freddie Head has won three and is a five-time Mile winner and the only person to win a Breeders’ Cup race as a trainer and a jockey, as he was the regular rider of Miesque.
Favorites: 11 for 33 (33%)
Shortest: $3.60 (Wise Dan, 2012)
Highest: $131.60 (Court Vision, 1986)
U.S based: 20
Foreign based: 13
The champ is here? No. Tourist has been retired
The Best
Ribchester ships over for Godolphin and trainer Richard Fahey with three G1 wins at a mile this year and four at the distance overall.
Third in the G1 Dubai Turf on the Dubai World Cup undercard going nine furlongs to start the season, Ribchester won two in a row before missing by just a neck. He came back to score for his third time in six starts this season.
Last out, just two weeks prior to the Mile, he made the lead with a little over a quarter mile to go before getting run down late as the 2-1 favorite. If you’re worried about the quick turnaround, it’s worth noting he won a G1 last year off just a 17 day break but didn’t have to deal with a trans-Atlantic flight in between.
Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien, the connections of the talented three-year-old filly Roly Poly opted to forego a run against the ladies in the nine furlong F&M Turf to try the boys at her favorite distance. It’s a bit of a curious move since she’s made all but one of her 16 starts against fillies prior to this.
After closing out her juvenile season with a failed run at odds of 9-2 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Roly Poly started the year with four consecutive defeats before breaking through with back-to-back G1 victories when she stepped up against older rivals.
Her win streak was snapped over yielding ground two back before Roly Poly returned to the winners’ circle in the G1 Sun Chariot in her latest.
Despite wins in some middle distance races throughout his career, World Approval made a name for himself going a bit longer, with a tally in the 2016 G1 United Nations at 11 furlongs the biggest feather in his cap, coming into this season
This year, after wins in a Florida-bred stakes and G2 Dixie on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico, World Approval failed to fire off of a perfect trip in the G1 Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard. It gave trainer Mark Casse an idea.
After a two month break, World Approval made the first turf start of his career at a mile in the G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga. After buckets of rain poured down on the Spa in the hours prior to the race, leaving the course a yielding bog, he sat just off the early pace and relished the going through the lane to win by over two lengths before taking a weak renewal of the G1 Woodbine Mile virtually gate-to-wire from his rail draw most recently.
The Rest
It took his connections 31 prior starts over four seasons to get him here but Suedois managed to award them with a sensational score in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile last out at Keeneland when racing on Lasix for the first time. He should love all of the pace signed on in here but must avoid the dreaded Euro-bounce.
Heart to Heart has failed in all six of his tried to win a G1, with near misses when finishing a neck behind the winner in the Makers 46 Mile and half-length behind Suedois in the Shadwell. He figures to be part of a crowded front end.
Midnight Storm is a G1 winner on the lawn by way of his gate-to-wire tally in the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita last year. A solid third in this last season, he’s run almost exclusively on dirt this year, with just one win from six starts on New Year’s Day in the G2 San Pasqual when Arrogate scratched. His lone turf start came two back when he was fourth as the 2-1 chalk in the G2 Del Mar Mile over a course he’s won five of seven starts over in his career.
Blackjackcat comes in on a four race win streak, all at this distance, including the Wickerr and G2 Del Mar Mile, over the course before taking a minor stakes at Santa Anita. Overall, he’s four for five at the distance and three for five over the strip.
Ballagh Rocks finished third in both the Fourstardave and Shadwell last out after a win in the G3 Poker at this trip. He should get a favorable pace set-up for his late rally here. His trainer Bill Mott won this last year with Tourist.
Lancaster Bomber was a bang-up second last year after a brutal trip in his two-year-old finale behind Oscar Performance in the Juvenile Turf. This year, he finished behind his Classic-bound stablemate Churchill and some other top sophomores before getting the place money in the Woodbine Mile. Two weeks ago, he beat just one home over soft ground at Ascot.
Om hasn’t won in nine tries over the last two calendar years but has come very close, missing in the Turf Sprint by a nose after a rough trip last season and last out when the blinkers went back on for the first time in over two years in the Eddie D where he finished third.
Karar has won just one of his five starts this season, a G3 going seven furlongs two starts back, since a disastrous last place finish in the Turf Sprint last year. Third as the 6-5 favorite in a G1 last out, he’s won just one of his seven starts at this trip and four of 18 starts overall.
Mr. Roary won his first graded stakes, the G3 Eddie D, down the hill at Santa Anita sprinting last out and will be making his G1 debut. He’s winless in five starts at Del Mar and just one for five at a mile.
Godolphin also has Home of the Brave, a graded stakes winner in sprints who has plenty of speed for trainer Hugo Palmer, presumably to make sure the pace is contested.
Zelzal hasn’t won any of his four starts since taking the lone G1 to his credit in July 2016 at Chantilly. Last out he disappointed as the 6-5 favorite in a G1 going seven panels.
If I’m Right…
There is a chance for some chaos in here. There appears to be A LOT of speed signed on, this is not the strongest U.S. contingent we’ve seen in this event and I’m not sold on the Euros. That’s a possible recipe for a big price. Now we gotta find it!!!
Live Longshot
Blackjackcat loves the course, the distance and should be within striking distance when that pace starts to collapse. He should be 15-1 or so too.
