The post positions and morning line were announced for Saturday’s nine races on day two of the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. (Photo credit: Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup Ltd.)
The 2019 Breeders’ Cup post positions have been drawn and morning line odds announced for the two-day championship event coming up on Friday Nov. 1 and Saturday Nov. 2.
There are 14 championship races, five juvenile races on Friday and nine more championship on Saturday including the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) which drew a field of 11.
The Bob Baffert trained McKinzie was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite for the Classic. The colt will break from post eight with his new rider Joel Rosario. Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith was aboard McKinzie for his first 13 career starts.
Smith picked up the ride on the Bill Mott trained Yoshida, who was fourth in last year’s Classic. The five-year-old is 8-1 on the morning line and will break from post five.
The mare Elate drew post six with Jose Ortiz aboard for Mott. She is 6-1 on the morning line.
Vino Rosso and Code of Honor are the co-second choices on the morning line at 4-1 and will break next to each other in posts 10 and 11.
The pair were separated by a nose in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park. Vino Rosso had his nose in front at the wire but was disqualified for interference in the stretch.
Five Juvenile Races on Friday
The Breeders’ Cup starts on Friday with five races for juveniles. The feature is the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) which drew a field of nine featuring a showdown of top prospects Dennis’ Moment and Eight Rings.
The Breeders’ Cup races start on Saturday with the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Covfefe drew the rail for trainer Brad Cox and was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite. She has won five of her seven starts earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure last out winning the Dogwood at Churchill Downs by eight lengths.
A field of 12 will go in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). Stormy Liberal drew the six post with John Velazquez aboard as he goes for his third straight win in the race. He won in 2017 at Del Mar at 30-1 and last year repeated at Churchill Downs at 7-1.
The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) drew a field of 10 led by 8-5 morning line favorite Omaha Beach. Scratched as the morning line favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), the colt came back off nearly a six-month layoff to win the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) in his last outing.
Magical Out of Filly & Mare Turf
The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) lost a major player in Magical but still drew a solid field of 12 led by defending champion Sistercharlie, who was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) might be one of the toughest races of the championships. Mitole is the 9-5 morning line favorite and faces a solid group that included the speedy Shancealot, Imperial Hint and Catalina Cruiser.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) drew 13 with the Aiden O’Brien trained Circus Maximus the 3-1 morning line favorite. The three-year-old won the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) in his last outing. While O’Brien has won the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) six times his record in the Mile stands at 0 for 23. That’s not a typo, he really has started 23 runners in the Mile without a win.
Midnight Bisou is the 6-5 morning line favorite in a field of 11 in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). She is perfect in seven starts this year and a win in the Distaff would give her fourth Grade 1 win. Her job got a bit easier with Elate headed toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) is missing defending champ Enable but we have several strong Euro invaders including the Aiden O’Brien trained Antony Van Dyck (3-1) and the Charles Appleby trainee Old Persian (4-1).
The one to beat is Bricks and Mortar, who is perfect in five starts this year but is unproven at 1 ½ miles. He is the 9-5 morning line favorite and breaks from the nine post.
