2009 BREEDERS CUP TURF PICKS AND TIPS

This race has seemingly been locked up for weeks with the impressive Conduit set to take on all comers to secure the $3,000,000 2009 Breeders Cup Turf. Conduit is another one of those European runners whose seasons were more or less turned upside down by the very exciting Sea The Stars. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained 4 year-old colt only has one victory on the year, but has run against the world's best and performed admirably each time. You'll find him at an extremely slim 7/5 ML (I expect odds-on at post-time) and an equally short 2.1 on Betfair. Spanish Moon looks set to provide a challenge and he's a 5 year-old Sir Michael Stoute-trained horse that has had a pretty light season, but has gotten it done when he needed to. What gives me the most confidence in him is his victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix De Saint Cloud where he topped a field of 10. He also took the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foye at Longchamp. You'll find him at around 5.0 on Betfair and 5/2 in the morning line. With Allegre being scratched, we're only going to see a field of seven contest this tough 1.5 mile race. If the US is going to ruin Europe's Party in this prestigious race, it could very well be because of the six year-old Presious Passion with superstar New Jersey-based jockey Elvis Trujillo. This cat has put a lot of cash in my pocket over the past few years thanks to his runs at Monmouth Park and Meadowlands. Presious Passion took the difficult Clement Hirsch after a very disappointing run in the Arlington Million when he was beaten well by Gio Ponti. He also took the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes. He's well-raced and solid at the distance. If he gets a trip that Trujillo can expedite he could be a terror coming down the stretch. You'll find Presious Passion at 4/1 in the morning line and a whopping 12.0 on Betfair. This race should be an excellent example of the contrasting styles between British and American racing. Bragging rights are up for grabs here and if the US pulls off a result here it will be one of the shocks of the two-day tournament.