2009 BREEDERS CUP PICKS AND SELECTIONS FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6TH

Today is the opening day of the 2009 Breeders Cup at Santa Anita's Oak Tree Meet. It's going to be an action-packed series and today is skewed a bit more towards the ladies, but we won't be sacrificing any excitement. There are multiple Grade 1 races on the card today with several races boasting $2,000,000 purses. The biggest lock of the day, according to most of the pundits, is Mastery in the $500,000 Breeders Cup Marathon- a 1 mile 6 furlong long-distance dash that more or less rules out a number of the American runners. Typically, American races don't get much longer than 1 mile 5 furlongs and even those are few and far between. You can read my full review of the Breeders Cup Marathon by CLICKING HERE, but if you're just looking to get some ideas together before you make your bet, I can assure you that I'm playing several doubles with Mastery at one end or another. I've got him paired up with Baila Me at Doncaster in an all-Godolphin double and I'm also playing him as the top end of my early pick 3 and also playing him on a double with my Breeders Cup Classic pick Summer Bird. In the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf race I'm bucking the trend of those getting on board with Lillie Langtry and House of Grace, and going outside to a delightful grey named Tapitsfly. She's in solid form and this looks a race she can win. An east-coast turf specialist, I consider the 16.0 odds on Betfair to be very generous on such a wide open race. CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL RUN-DOWNIn the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies race, I'm also steering clear of the favourites, but I wouldn't really go so far as to call them favourites. When the lowest odds in a field of 12 are at 5.0 you know this one is truly anybody's game. Blind Luck has done well and is attracting attention, as is the in-form Negligee. But I'm going to go outside an back She Be Wild at 10.5. She had one slip up in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes and that kept her from a lifetime 4 from 4. She slayed it at Arlington and I expect her to enjoy the distance here. CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL RUN-DOWNIn the Breeders Cup Fillies and Mares Turf, we have a pretty short field of just 8 runners and we see the market dominated by Midday at 3.4 and Forever Together at 4.4. I don't see a huge amount between these two, with Magical Fantasy (5.2) complicating things a bit. I'm actually stepping out and backing another long-shot here, I like 24.0 Maram to spring a real surprise from the 8 stall. CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL RUN-DOWNIn the Breeders Cup Fillies and Mares Sprint, we have a very tasty purse up for grabs in a field that is favouring Ventura (2.34) and Informed Decision (3.6). I like both of these runners, but I've also got my eye on Seventh Street (14.5)- who has run very well for Godolphin. I expect Saeed Bin Suroor to have an impressive two days and I think this could be one of the feathers in his cap. CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL RUN-DOWNThe final big race of the day is the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic where we've seen the punters retreat from Rainbow View (7.0) and they are now piling onto Music Note (4.4) and Careless Jewel (4.3). Careless Jewel is undefeated and is a multiple Grade 2 winner with one Grade 1 under her belt. My only issue with Careless Jewel is the surface we're on today as she has favoured the east coast. I will be jumping on the Godolphin ship again this time around and backing Music Note out of Gate #7.