Zenyatta is the Queen but Ginger Punch Could Surprise
by BetUS Staff
The Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic, to be run on Oct. 24th, will pit some of the best fillies and mares in the nation against each other.
As with every other single “dirt” Breeders’ Cup race this year, online racebook fans will need to assess the chances of each filly or mare based on whether or not racebook fans believe they can win on the Santa Anita cushion track.
What is going to be even more difficult about this is the fact that Santa Anita will be installing a new cushion track surface this summer/fall. There’s no telling which horses will run well over the new surface until they actually do.
The top-rated filly in the Big Brown or any other male horse in this country and the purse for the Breeders’ Cup Classic is decidedly higher than it is for the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic.
I hope her connections think about running her against the males. She’s that good and would provide a nice overlay horse bet option for BetUS online racebook betting fans.
Let’s get to the rankings!
Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic Power Rankings
1. Zenyatta online odds + 140 - - Here’s the deal, any time you are getting above even money on Zenyatta in a race against anybody, then you make the online wager. I wouldn’t have written that before her last race, but, man, this is the best horse, not just filly, but horse I have seen in a long time. She can turn it on at any moment in a race, is as big as any male colt, and has no fear. She’s amazing.
2. Ginger Punch online odds + 300 - - The defending champ might not show up since Bobby Frankel is leery about running his horses on artificial surfaces. Still, this gal is the real deal. The speed rating in her last was terrible but that’s because she had to wait for room on the inside before making a run. Once she got away from the rail, the race was over. She’s good enough to beat Zenyatta if Zenyatta were to have a bad race.
3. Proud Spell online odds + 800 - - Her trainer, Larry Jones, just needs to let her develop in the next 70 days. If he does, she could get big and fast enough to take on Zenyatta. Proud Spell was terrific winning the Kentucky Oaks. She had issues in her last race, but should bounce back good enough to put in a great run on the cushion track. Her style suits the race.
4. Storm Mesa online odds + 1500 - - She’s undefeated in her last four and just wired a terrific field on the grass in her last. She might be a monster at this point. She’s running this weekend at Del Mar. That should give online racebook fans a few more clues.
5. Country Star online odds + 1600 - - She hasn’t run in a while, which is a bad thing, but her trainer, Bobby Frankel, knows what he’s doing. Also, this is the one horse in his barn that actually likes artificial surfaces. I wouldn’t put it past Bobby to get her into the race late and have her run great.
6. Ariega online odds + 2500 - - Terrific turf horse won her last with ease. If she can transfer her turf form to the cushion track, then she has a huge shot in this race. She’s the sort of horse that long shot horse race betting fans need to take a look at to upset Zenyatta. She’s relatively unknown, trying something new and out of a great barn.
