Breeders Cup Rankings - Nov 6th Races Part I
With just over a week to go before the Breeders’ Cup, it’s time to come out with rankings for each race.
We’ll start with the races on Nov. 6th. There are 6 Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 6th. The featured race is the last, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. In the Ladies Classic, Zenyatta may or may not be running, but the word so far has been that her connections will keep her with her own kind.
Since it’s likely that Zenyatta’s connections will run her in the Ladies Classic, our s’ Cup Power Rankings will reflect that.
Let’s get to it!
Breeders’ Cup Power Rankings - - Nov. 6th Races
** Breeders’ Cup Marathon, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
** Based on Prospective Entrants
Breeders’ Cup Marathon
1. Nite Light - - Trained by Todd Pletcher and probably ridden by John Velasquez, Nite Light no doubt will be one of the favorites in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon should he enter the race. The 1 ¾ mile distance of this race shouldn’t scare anyone looking to bet him as Nite Light has done very well at the 1 ½ mile distance, is bred to go as far as he needs to, and most importantly loves the front end. Often times the Marathon races are won by horses that can either separate or maintain a high cruising speed. That’s Nite Light.
2. Cloudy’s Knight - - Trainer Jonathan Shephard is no stranger to marathon races and neither is his charge, Cloudy’s Knight. The son of Lord Avie is coming off of two straight Grade III victories at 1 ½ miles on the turf. He has never run over an all weather surface, but if his form translates than expect this guy to be one of the favorites in this race. He can stalk anywhere from 4 to 10 lengths behind the pace and always puts in a good run.
3. Mastercraftsman/Septimus - - It’s not a cop-out to put any one of the Aidan O’Brien horses on this list. We don’t know what Aidan’s thinking right now, and probably won’t until entries are drawn, so there’s no way to separate either one of his nominees for this race. Mastercraftsmen and Septimus are both Grade I winners and no doubt will be the favorite should either, or both, of them run in this. Out of the two, Septimus would draw more dollars as he has won 4 in a row and 8 out of 12.
4. Muhannak - - The 2008 Breeders’ Cup Marathon Champ didn’t have a great summer and early fall but that was in Grade III company over the turf. Muhannak returns the site of the greatest victory of his career and is 5 for 10 on all weather surfaces. This guy could be a seriously tough bet against should he go off close to the 12 to 1 odds he did last year in this race.
5. Kite Wood/Mastery - - Like Aidan O’Brien, trainer Saeed Bin Suroor has nominated two horses for this race. Both would be a good bet to win it. Mastery is a Grade I winner. Kite Wood is a Grade II winner. The class of either Kite Wood or Mastery no doubt would cause horseplayers to look their way should one of them be entered for this race.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
1. Jungle Tale - - Should Steve Asmussen saddle Jungle Tale in this race, then forget it. She will be the pick of the day. The daughter of Lion Heart can run close to the pace if need be or close from the clouds. Not only that, but she’s run faster than most of her competition, will be coming into this fresh, and has been working nicely for Asmussen.
2. Lillie Langtry - - She’s another Aidan O’Brien trainee that horseplayers would be wise to back should she make the race. Her ability to go long is unquestioned as she is out of Dane hill Dancer and she’s already won a Grade I. O’Brien will have her at the top of her game in this.
3. Smart Seattle - - I have a rule; don’t be against Smart Strike progeny as two year olds. Graham Motion happens to train this filly that broke her maiden going two turns on the turf in a $70,000 stakes race.
4. Hibaayeb - - This Singspiel filly has already won going two turns. She also won a Grade I at the Ascott Meet in Great Britain in late September. The stretch-out from 1 mile to 1 1/16th miles shouldn’t be tough.
5. House of Grace - - She doesn’t appear to have the speed that Jungle Tale, Hibayeeb and Smart Seattle possess, but she is undefeated and trainer Kenneth McPeek can really get these two year olds to fire when he needs them to. She has slower speed ratings then some of the others in here but that could be due to the fact that she fires at the exact right moment instead of taking over in the lane early.
Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
1. Ventura - - No doubt that if the 2008 winner of this race comes back in this, and not the Breeders’ Cup Mile, then she takes home the trophy again. Bobby Frankel’s superb 5 year old mare is 9-7-1 out of 19 lifetime races. She already beat the best at a mile on the turf in the Woodbine Mile and has nothing to prove. She would beat the rest of these easily.
2. Informed Decision - - She’s won 5 out of 6 at 7 furlongs and is 6 out of 6 on all weather surfaces. She’s never raced over the Pro-Rid, though, but that shouldn’t mean anything. Informed Decision could be Ventura’s only competition if Ventura would decide to run in this race. She had a string of five victories in a row from September ’08 to May ’09. All of the victories were at 7 furlongs.
3. Indian Blessing - - She proves that she was back in her last race, a Grade II victory over Sara Louise, at 6 ½ furlongs. The problem with this race is that it is at 7 furlongs and even though she has a decent record at 3-2 out of 5 races at the distance, she was absolutely pummeled in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, losing by 4 lengths, to Ventura last year.
4. Sara Louise - - Who knows, right? Maybe, she will like the Pro-Ride surface. If she does, then things could get very interesting as she barely lost to Indian Blessing at 6 ½ but was coming on and probably would have passed that rival if the race had been at 7 furlongs in her last, a Grade II at Belmont Park.
5. Music Note - - If Saeed Bin Suroor is afraid of Zenyatta, then expect Music Note to show up in this race instead of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. She would warrant favoritism over every single one of her rivals in this save for Ventura but she has never shown the affinity for the plastic and this field should be loaded with talented runners.
