2013 Breeders’ Cup Friday Betting Preview Part 4

Santa Anita’s turf has been favouring front running trips at this distance and Bobby’s Kitten could be very tough to catch if he gets loose on the lead - particularly if it’s warmer than usual outside that day.

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Shamshon lines up for Sheikh Jooan Bi Al Thani, whose filly Treve won the Arc de Triomphe a few weeks back. Shamshon finished a disappointing fifth in the Mill Reef Stakes (a Group 2 event at Newbury) but won a nice listed stake in France in the race prior to that. The main issue here is that he has only ever won at 5.5f and will be saddled with another 2.5 panels to tackle here against horses proven at a mile or more. Look for Shamshon at an 11/1 price.  

The other to watch out for is Poker Player, who romped home to a dramatic late victory at Keeneland with up-and-coming jockey Channing Hill in the irons. Prior to that, the pair had won a mile turf contest at Kentucky Downs before switching to the Keeneland polytrack. The manner of victory was impressive and will translate well to a late-running turf effort.

If the early fractions are too quick and Bobby’s Kitten takes a lot of pressure on the lead it could be setting up nicely for Hill - though he does not boast a tremendous amount of experience riding at Santa Anita. 

The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is the next contest on Friday’s card and there is a lot to look forward to here for the American-based punters as it pits several of the best 3yo colts this year against some top older runners who will be shipping in to take a shot at this one. The marquee match-up is between Verrazano and Goldencents who both top the market now that Graydar has withdrawn from the race. 

Verrazano seems to either win the race or finish way out of it - which is exactly what happened in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga - seventh place after vying for the lead early on. He was also sent off as the slim favourite to the disappointment of many. Prior to that he put in a world-beating performance - capturing the Haskell Invitational by nearly 10 lengths over one of the best fields you’ll find in American 3yo racing.