2021 BC Distaff Predictions, Odds, Preview

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

2021 Breeders' Cup Betting Central

Welcome to Stabile’s 2021 Breeders’ Cup Preview, an in depth look into each and every Breeders’ Cup race to be held Friday, November 5 and Saturday November 5 at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, 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.

Breeders' Cup Distaff
Post Position & Morning Line Odds

1. Private Mission 8-1
2. Royal Flag 8-1
3. Malathaat 4-1
4. Blue Stripe (ARG) 30-1
5. Clairiere 12-1
6. Letruska 8-5
7. Horologist 30-1
8. Shedaresthedevil 4-1
9. As Time Goes By 15-1
10. Marche Lorraine (JPN) 30-1
11. Dunbar Road 15-1

Field Subject to Change

Breeders' Cup Distaff Betting Resources

• Race: 10
• Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Purse: $2 million
• Age: 3up(f&m)
• Date: Saturday
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

The History

In what could be considered the most memorable moment in the history of the Breeders’ Cup, Personal Ensign gunned down Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in THE final stride of the 1988 running at Churchill Downs. Bayakoa won back-to-back runnings the following two years. Inside Information won it in 1995 by 13 ½ lengths, the largest winning margin in Breeders’ Cup history. Before tackling the boys twice, Zenyatta graced this race with her presence when she won it in 2008. Royal Delta won her second consecutive running in 2012 before failing in her attempt to three-peat in 2013 when 2012 Juvenile Fillies champ Beholder became the first winner of a juvenile event to win another Breeders’ Cup race. Rosie Napravnik announced her retirement after guiding the three-year-old Untapable to a popular score in 2014. In 2016, Beholder beat the undefeated Songbird by a nostril in the “mother of all Distaffs,” joining Goldikova as the only other horse to win tree Breeders’ Cup races.

Fast Facts

• Favorites: 16 for 37 (43%)
• Shortest: $2.80 (Life’s Magic Entry, 1985)
• Highest: $113.80 (Spain, 2000)
• The champ is here? No. Monomoy Girl has been retired.

How to Handicap the Breeders' Cup Distaff

Best

6-Letruska has arguably been the most dominant leader in any division this year, with wins at six different racetracks from seven starts including four Win And You’re In Breeders’ Cup races for her trainer Fausto Gutierrez.

Letruska kicked off her season with a front running score in the G3 Houston Ladies’ Classic at Sam Houston before tasting defeat for the only time when taken off the pace and missing by a head in the G2 Azeri at Oaklawn.

Letruska’s five race win streak started in the G1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn after setting the pace then winning a stretch duel with two-time Distaff heroine Monomoy Girl in one of the more thrilling races of the year. Easier victories followed in the G1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont and G2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill.

Up in Saratoga, a firing line of fillies and mares took aim at Letruska but the likely older filly and mare champ held them all at bay to take down the G1 Personal Ensign. In her final prep she was able to steal an easy middle half mile in the G1 Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland to win by just under two lengths.

Rest

8-Shedaresthedevil handed Letruska her only loss of the year when she took the fight to her in the Azeri. Only defeat this year came around one turn in the Phipps and unlike all of her rivals, save Private Mission, she owns a win over the course by way of her tally in the G1 Clement Hirsch two starts back.

3-Malathaat is a head shy of being undefeated in seven tries while dominating the three-year-old filly division with victories in a trio of G1s - Kentucky Oaks, Alabama and Ashland. Lone blemish in G1 CCA Oaks at Saratoga was when she tried to go gate-to-wire.

11-Dunbar Road will look to improve on her third-place finish in this last year while seeking her first victory since taking the 2020 renewal of the G2 Delaware Handicap back in July of last year. She finished up strongly to get second in the Spinster last out.

2-Royal Flag has done some of her best work this season as a five-year-old, including a romp in the G2 Beldame last out. She’s won three of her five starts at this distance, easily her favorite and has been in the trifecta in all 12 career starts, a model of consistency.

G1 Cotillion winner 5-Clairiere tackles her elders for the first time after finally capturing the G1 that eluded her all year long. She has done her best work at slightly shorter distances.

1-Private Mission cruised home as the chalk in both the G3 Torrey Pine over this course and the G2 Zenyatta most recently at Santa Anita, her only two starts around two turns. She’s already beaten older fillies but is taking a big step up in class.

7-Horologist finished a distant second when she failed to defend her crown in Belmont’s Beldame last out in what has been a bit of a rollercoaster year for the five-year-old mare.

9-As Time Goes By won three of her first four starts this year, including a pair of Santa Anita G2 events, before tailing off in the second half. She most recently was second in the Zenyatta.

4-Blue Stripe ships in from Argentina on a three-race winning streak while making her first start since taking the WAYI G1 Criadores back on May 1. Her half-sister Blue Prize won this back in 2019.

10-Marche Lorraine ships in from Japan having won all three starts against fillies and mares this year. She’s won two of her three career starts at this trip.

Breeders' Cup Distaff Predictions

If I’m Right…

Shedaresthedevil will take the fight to Letruska. She’s done it successfully and someone has to over the favorite will roll. We’ll find out if it will be enough to topple the queen.

Live Longshot

Oh, Dunbar Road, how I love thee. One of these days you’re going to run as well as I think you will. Is this the race? Let’s find out at 8-1 or so.

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Anthony “the Big A” Stabile's expert horse racing content is featured in many different mediums nationally and you can check out all of his appearances by following him on Twitter @TheBigAStabile.

VegasInsider Staff

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