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Horse Racing

BC – Turf

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
Welcome to Stabile’s Breeders’ Cup Preview, an in depth look into each and every Breeders’ Cup race to be held Friday, November 1 and Saturday November 2 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, California. VegasInsider.com handicapper Anthony “the Big A” Stabile will take a look at the contenders in each event, talk about how the race should set-up and provide some strategies on how to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to betting on the race. If you want to know what Anthony will be betting on both Breeders’ Cup days, make sure to check back on Friday and Saturday to purchase Stabile’s Breeders’ Cup Picks and Plays of the Day, a look at how he’ll wager on each and every race, available EXCLUSIVELY at VegasInsider.com. To purchase Anthony Stabile Pick Packs, Click to win!

Distance: 1 ½ miles on turf
Purse: $4 million
Age: 3up
Date: Saturday, November 1
Time: 7:40 pm EDT

The History

Pebbles in 1985 and Miss Alleged in 1991 are the only two fillies to have beaten the boys in this. Theatrical finally got the job done in 1987 and more importantly helped forge the Bill Mott/Allen Paulson partnership that would rule the sport for a decade. Kotashaan capped an amazing Horse of the Year season with a win in 1993. High Chaparral won it in 2002, then dead-heated with Johar in 2003, the only dead heat for win in Breeders’ Cup history. Better Talk Now won it in 2004 before failing to do so the next four years. Conduit won consecutive runnings in 2008 and 2009. In 2011, trainer Aidan O’Brien trained St. Nicholas Abbey to win with his son Joe in the saddle. Main Sequence won his fourth G1 in as many tries with his patented late run to take it down in 2014. Two-time Arc winner Enable came over to dominate her American rivals in 2018.

Favorites: 10 for 35 (29%)
Shortest: $3.60 (Enable, 2018)
Highest: $108.80 (Lashkari, 1984)
U.S based: 13/Foreign based: 23
The champ is here? No. Enable will remain in training next year but will not be coming over from Europe for this.

Best

The amazing Bricks and Mortar will look to cap off a remarkable comeback and spectacular career with a win in the Turf, his first start at this trip for Chad Brown who has done a tremendous training job getting him back to the races after a 15-month break.

He’s won all six starts dating back to a money allowance score at Gulfstream back in December. He followed that with a win in the inaugural G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf over yielding ground then gutted it out while chasing the pace in the G2 Muniz at Fair Grounds.

Bricks and Mortar followed with a powerful late rally to win the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill on Derby Day, beat fellow Brown runners Robert Bruce and Raging Bull in the G1 Manhattan on Belmont Day then rallied to win the G1 Arlington Million when he finally found daylight in the stretch.

Since his return, Bricks and Mortar has wix wins at five different tracks going four different distances over ground labeled firm, good and yielding.

G1 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck will fly the Aidan O’Brien/Coolmore banner as Magical, runner-up in this event behind Enable last year, will try Sistercharlie in the F&M Turf earlier on the card.

Since his Epsom score, Anthony Van Dyck is winless in three starts, having finished second in the G1 Irish Derby than far behind Enable in the G1 King George and Queen Elizabeth and third to Magical in the G1 Irish Champions, bot against older rivals. He was off the board in his lone U.S. start, last year’s Juvenile Turf.

Rest

Former claimer Acclimate won the G3 San Juan Capistrano at 14 furlongs back in June over the course and the G2 Del Mar Handicap going 11 panels two back, both in gate-to-wire fashion before getting caught in the final stages of the G2 John Henry Turf Classic most recently.

Alounak finished second in the G1 Canadian International at Woodbine in his North American debut last out at this trip. A G3 winner two back going 10 furlongs in Germany two starts back, he’s winless in four starts at this distance in his career.

Arklow switched tactics and laid up closer to the pace to nail down his first G1 in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, his first win in six starts this year. Fourth in this event last year, he just missed in both the G1 Man O’War, G2 Belmont Gold Cup and G3 Bowling Green earlier this year.

Bandua stretches out off of a series of turf tries at shorter trips. Winner of the G3 Arlington Handicap before a solid third-place finish after setting the pace in the Million, he comes into this off of an eight-place finish in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile where he was beaten just two lengths.

Channel Cat upset the Bowling Green at over 13-1 when he was left alone on the front end before being taken off the pace when third in the G1 Sword Dancer and fourth in the Joe Hirsch.

Channel Maker fought every step of the way when trying to defend his Joe Hirsch title from a year ago before settling for second. He won the Man O’War, his only tally in seven tries this year and has some experience in the local course, with a third-place finish in the G1 Kilroe Mile in 2018 his best effort.

Mount Everest will try top company for the first time in his U.S. debut. The sophomore got his first win against older in his third try in a minor stakes in his native Ireland just two weeks prior to this.

Old Persian took advantage of a quick pace to win the G1 Northern Dancer in his first start on this side of the Atlantic Ocean as the 3-5 chalk. Earlier this year he won the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on the World Cup undercard and is a five-time winner overall at this distance.

United closed from well back to grab the show dough in the John Henry and will be making his first start at the trip and against this level of competition.

Zulu Alpha has won three G3 events at this distance – the Sycamore at Keeneland, McKnight at Gulfstream and Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs – in his career, the last coming two back before he beat just one home in the Joe Hirsch.

If I’m Right…

Bricks and Mortar can take home Horse of the Year honors with a victory in his first start beyond 10 furlongs. The added distance could be his only rival in the Turf.

Live Longshot

Channel Maker always seems to show up and should appreciate the firm ground at Santa Anita. He figures to get lost in the shuffle in the wagering.


Anthony “the Big A” Stabile can be heard regularly on the Horse Racing Radio Network from 3-6:00 p.m. ETon Wednesday and 3-7:00 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday. Tune in on Sirius 219, XM 201 or streaming live at horseracingradio.net. He also is a contributor on NYRA-TV as the co-host of Talking Horses and a backup racetrack announcer. Follow him on Twitter @TheBigAStabile

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