BC – Dirt Mile
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
Distance: 1 mile
Purse: $1 million
Age: 3up
Date: Saturday, November 3
Time: 1:16 p.m. ET
The History
Run around two turns at 1 mile and 70 yards in 2007 then on synthetic surface at Santa Anita in 2008 and 2009. Finally run at intended distance on dirt for first time in 2010. Goldencents became the first back-to-back winner of the event with a pair of gate-to-wire scorchers in 2013 & 2014 while Liam’s Map powered away to win after a tough trip in 2015.
Favorites: 2 for 11 (18%)
Shortest: $3.00 (Liam’s Map, 2015)
Highest: $77.40 (Dakota Phone, 2010)
The champ is here? Battle of Midway is still in training but will not attempt to defend his crown.
The Best
Catalina Cruiser figures to be one of the shorter-priced horses on the tote board over the course of the 14-race, two-day event despite his trainer John Sadler’s abysmal 0 for 41 record in the Breeders’ Cup because none of his prior runners were this colt.
Undefeated in four career starts, Catalina Cruiser broke his maiden from off the pace in a Santa Anita sprint last October before cruising to an entry level allowance tally at the Great Race Place back in May.
Catalina Cruiser’s two turn/stakes debut came in the G2 San Diego, a race Sadler won in upset fashion last year when Accelerate led every step of the way, beating Arrogate in the process. This year, his charge was the 6-5 chalk and ran like it, crushing his rivals by almost seven lengths. He cut back to a sprint for the G2 Pat O’Brien and made quick work of three rivals, winning by over seven lengths.
City of Light won the G1 Malibu and G1 Triple Ben at Santa Anita to end last year and start this season going seven furlongs before stretching out to beat Accelerate in the G2 Oaklawn Park Handicap at nine furlongs in April.
Trained by Mike McCarthy, City of Light was well beaten when third in the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita going the classic distance of 10 furlongs before a three-month layoff and second place finish off of a wide trip in the G1 Forego at Saratoga some 10 weeks ago.
The Rest
Firenze Fire won the G1 Champagne, a one-turn mile like this, as a juvenile last year over eventual Two-Year-Old Eclipse champion Good Magic before spending the first half of this year on the Derby Trail. After an eleventh-place finish in the Derby, it was back to one-turn races and he promptly won the Dwyer at this trip before a third-place finish against the bias in the G1 H Allen Jerkens at the Spa. Last out he won the G3 Gallant Bob at Parx going six furlongs.
Seeking the Soul took the local prep for this, the G3 Ack Ack at this distance and won the G1 Clark at the end of last season over the course. Overall, he has two wins and two runner-up finishes from four starts at a mile. His connections are hoping he can still get into the Classic, where he has first preference but is currently the bubble horse.
Bravazo gave undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify all he could handle in the G1 Preakness where he came flying late to miss by just a half-length. Winner of the G2 Risen Star earlier this year, he finished second in the G1 Haskell and third in the G3 Travers. He broke his maiden going a mile at Churchill in his second start last season. This will be his first try against older horses.Seven Trumpets is winless in his eight starts outside of Churchill Downs but is undefeated in three starts beneath the twin spires. He’s still looking for his first stakes tally but he did give Firenze Fire all he could handle when second to him in the Jerome at Aqueduct to start the year at this distance and ran big races against the track when second in the Jerkens and third in the Gallant Bob.
Giant Expectations hung a bit after making a big move to the leaders in the Ack Ack where he settled for the show dough in his first start off of a six-month layoff most recently. Sixth in this last year, he won the G2 San Antonio to close out his 2017 season.
Lone Sailor won for the first time in nine tries this season and for just the second time in his career when he got his nose down on the line in the G3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington last time out. He finished second in the Street Sense going a mile at Churchill last season. Connections are still deciding between this and the Classic.
Trigger Warning captured the lone stakes win of his career over the Presque Isle synthetic surface in May before grabbing minor awards in the G3 Ohio Derby, G3 Indiana Derby where he was second by a head and last out when third in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby.
Isotherm is winless in all five of his starts on dirt but did finally hit the board in his last two tries, a minor stakes at Del Mar going a mile and the G1 Awesome Again where he was third behind Classic contenders Accelerate and West Coast most recently.
Dak Attack won his two juvenile starts, including the Ellis Park Juvenile before finishing third in a minor stakes at Gulfstream in his sophomore debut. Last out he missed by a nose in a second level allowance/optional claimer at Keeneland in his first start in over nine months.
Awesome Slew is winless in seven starts since taking the 2017 Ack Ack before a third-place finish in this event last year. He’s hit the board in three of four over the course and in half of his starts at a mile.
If I’m Right…
Catalina Cruiser is probably considered to be the strongest “single” on the Saturday card. I don’t know if you can topple him or not but the multi-race wagers go up considerably if Sadler’s Breeders’ Cup record stays true to form.
Live Longshot
Seven Trumpets is a horse-for-the-course over one of the most notorious racing strips in the land. Hope we can get 15-1 or so on him. He’s worth a long look at a big price.
Horse Racing News
-
HORSE-RACING APR 12, 20242024 Kentucky Derby Odds
- HORSE-RACING APR 18, 2024
The Kentucky Derby’s Morning Line Favorites and the Odds of Success
- HORSE-RACING NOV 5, 2023
2023 Breeders’ Cup Odds & Betting Results
- HORSE-RACING JUN 5, 2023
The best reviewed & most popular race tracks in the USA
- HORSE-RACING JUN 13, 2023
2023 Belmont Stakes Betting Odds & Betting Results
- HORSE-RACING MAY 20, 2023
2023 Preakness Stakes Odds & Betting Results
