Last year’s Breeders’ Cup runner up Abel Tasman is looking to improve off that effort and is second choice in the early betting. (Photo credit: Breeders’ Cup Ltd.).
Monomoy Girl is the betting favorite in Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) wagering odds in a division that has been somewhat depleted with Unique Bella retired and Elate on the bench.
The Distaff has been moved to Saturday, a long time coming as the race has had some high profile winners over the last decade including stars like Zenyatta, Royal Delta and Beholder.
Monomoy Girl is the favorite in early Breeders’ Cup Distaff betting at USRacing at 27-10. The Brad Cox trainee has crossed the wire in front in all six of her starts this year but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and placed second last out in the Cotillion (G1) at Parx Racing.
Midnight Bisou was the beneficiary of the DQ and placed first. The two were separated by a neck at the wire. The Steve Asmussen trainee is the third choice in Distaff wagering at USRacing at 8-1.
She has finished behind the favorite twice this year, running third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and was second in the Coaching of American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga in July.
Last Year’s Runner Up Second Choice
Abel Tasman is the current second choice in early Distaff betting at USRacing at 5-1 but is coming off a real clunker in the Zenyatta (G1) at Santa Anita where she was fifth beaten 10 lengths as the chalk.
She will be bucking a strong trend where all the Distaff winners in history are coming in off a sharp race (at least a fourth-place finish) except for Escena in 1998, who was sixth in the Personal Ensign (G1).
She does have a pair of Grade 1 victories this year, winning the Ogden Phipps in June and the Personal Ensign in August, and it does not hurt to have hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert calling the shots. Baffert has won 14 Breeders’ Cup races but has not won a Distaff. He is 0 for 5 with the best finish coming with this filly last year where she ran second.
Best of the Rest
Outside of the top three it is tough to separate the rest of the field. Blue Prize is getting some late action down to 10-1 after winning the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 7.
Val Dori won the “Win and You’re In” Zenyatta at 11-1 and is currently at 25-1 in early Distaff wagering at USRacing while Zenyatta runner up La Force is sitting at 15-1.
Chad Brown will be looking to saddle his first Distaff winner with Wow Cat, who won the Beldame invitational (G1) at Belmont Park on Oct. 6in her third start since arriving in the U.S. The filly is currently at 18-1.
Latest Betting Odds for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff via USRacing:
Monomoy Girl 27/10
Abel Tasman 5/1
Midnight Bisou 8/1
Blue Prize 10/1
La Force 15/1
Wow Cat 15/1
Wonder Gadot 18/1
Champagne Problems 18/1
Vale Dori 25/1
Eskimo Kisses 30/1
Farrell 50/1
Mopotism 40/1
Pacific Wind 50/1
