Keeneland hosts the Breeders’ Cup for the second time on Nov.6-7. (Photo credit: Photo by © Breeders’ Cup/William Kolb).
Nine championship races and Horse of the Year honors will be decided at Keeneland on Saturday on the second day of the Breeders’ Cup.
The marquee event of the two days is the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) which drew a strong field of 10 including Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic (6-1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law (3-1).
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will seek his fourth Breeders’ Cup Classic victory when he sends out the 5-2 morning line favorite Improbable, winner of the Awesome Again (G1) in his next start.
Baffert has a couple of pretty good backups in Maximum Security (7-2), a winner of 10 of his 13 starts and Authentic.
The Al Stall trained Tom’s d’Etat (6-1) has earned triple digit Beyer Speed Figures in nine straight starts and looks to become the first seven-year-old to win the Classic.
Breeders’ Cup Classic
Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup card kicks off with the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Nine go to the post and it appears to be a showdown between Gamine and Serengeti Empress.
The Baffert trained Gamine is the 7-5 morning line favorite and is cutting back from nine furlongs where she was third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She is perfect in her three starts going one turn including a seven-length win in the Test (G1) at seven furlongs.
Serengeti Empress (3-1) will be right in the mix early and looking to rebound off a tough nose loss in the Derby City Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs. She won the Ballerina (G1) at seven furlongs in her previous start at Saratoga.
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Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) drew a full field with Got Stormy the 7-2 morning line favorite as she takes on the boys. She has fared well against males, winning the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) last year, then running second in the Woodbine Mile (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).
Leinstar (4-1) is coming off wins in the Shakertown (G2) and Woodford (G2), both over the Keeneland turf and Imprimis (4-1) has won 7 of 12 at the distance and won the Turf Sprint (G3) at Kentucky Downs in his last start.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) drew a dozen led by the Chad Brown trained Complexity (2-1). The colt won the Kelso Handicap (G2) in his last start, his fifth win in nine career outings.
Art Collector (6-1) takes on older for the first time after a disappointing fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) in his last start. Owendale (8-1) who was second in the Alysheba (G2) and Pimlico Special (G3) in his last two starts may take some action for the Brad Cox barn.
Trainer Chad Brown, who has won this race four times, is loaded for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), sending out four runners including Rushing Fall, the 5-2 morning line favorite.
The mare has won three in a row, winning the Diana (G1) at Saratoga in her last outing. She will be joined by 2018 winner Sistercharlie (6-1), My Sister Nat (12-1), who missed in the Flower Bowl (G1) by a head, and Nay Lady Nay, who was third in the Flower Bowl.
Mean Mary (7-2) had a four race winning streak snapped when she missed in the Diana by a neck and Euro invaders Peaceful (12-1) and Cayenne Pepper (8-1) are deserving of a look.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) drew a full field led by George Weaver trained Vekoma (3-1) who drew the 14 post. The colt won the Carter Handicap (G1) and Met Mile (G1) in his last two outings.
C Z Rocket and Yaupon are the co-second choices at 7-2. The six-year-old C Z Rocket won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) while Yaupon has just four starts under his belt and has won them all and gets a class test in his first Grade 1 start.
Frank’s Rockette (10-1) takes on the boys as her trained Bill Mott thinks this race at six furlongs is the better spot over the Filly & Mare Sprint which is contested at seven panels.
Uni looks to defend her title in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) as the ladies completed the exacta last year, Got Stormy running second. She drew the 12 post and is 5-1 on the morning line.
Ivar is the 4-1 morning line favorite. The Paulo Lobo trainee ran big winning the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) over the Keeneland turf in his last outing.
The Euro invaders include Kameko (6-1), winner of the Shadwell Joel Stakes (G2) in his last start and Circus Maximus (12-1) who is looking to improve off his fourth in this race last year.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) is highlighted by one of the most anticipated showdowns over the two days between Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver.
Monomoy Girl (8-5) won the Distaff in 2018 and was sidelined during 2019. She has won all three of her starts this year, taking the La Troine (G1) at Churchill Downs in her last start.
Swiss Skydiver (2-1) was being considered for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but her connections elected to land in the Distaff. She beat the boys in the Preakness Stakes (G1) in her last outing. She has won 5 of 9 starts this year including the Alabama (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G2).
Ten will go in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) where trainer Aiden O’Brien will seek a record seventh win. He sends out a powerful duo in Magical and Mogul.
Magical ran second to Enable in the 2018 Turf. She ran well in a third-place finish in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) over turf she did not care for last out at Ascot.
Mogul is a three-year-old that won the Juddmonte Grand de Prix (G1) in his last start, his fourth win in nine starts.
The Bill Mott trained Channel Maker comes into the race is sharp form. He won the Sword Dancer (G1) and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) in his last two outings.
Post time at Keeneland on Saturday is 10:15am ET. The first Breeders’ Cup race is at 12:02.
The NBC Sports Network covers the action from 12:00 to 2:30 ET and NBC picks up the coverage from 2:30 to 6:00 ET.
