LEXINGTON, Ky. – WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., and SF Racing’s Improbable has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 10 3-year-olds and up for Saturday’s $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, the climax of the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be run Friday and Saturday at Keeneland where sunny skies with temperatures nearing 70 are forecast.
The Classic is the richest of the 14 Championship races, which are combined worth more than $31 million in purses and awards and will be run over the two days at Keeneland and televised live by NBCSN and NBC.
Coverage begins on Nov. 6 on NBCSN from 2-6 p.m. ET. Live coverage continues Nov. 7 on NBCSN from 12-2:30 p.m. ET and on NBC from 2:30-6 p.m. ET. The Classic will be broadcast live at 5:18 p.m. ET on NBC.
Five Championship races will be run on Future Stars Friday with all Breeders’ Cup tests that day being for 2-year-olds. Highlighting the afternoon will be the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), races that will determine early favoritism for the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively.
The 184 horses entered include 13 also-eligibles. Included in the entries are Monomoy Girl, winner of the 2018 Distaff at Churchill Downs, who did not race in 2019 and Uni (GB), who is looking to post a repeat victory against males in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) presented by PDJF.
Fifth in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last fall at Santa Anita, Improbable has posted a 4-3-1-0 record in 2020 with the victories coming in his past three starts in Grade 1 tests. One of three Classic entrants trained by three-time Classic winner Bob Baffert, Improbable will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and break from post position eight.
Baffert’s other two entries are Gary and Mary West, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier’s Maximum Security, the champion 3-year-old of 2019, and Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse.com, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing Stable’s Authentic, winner of the 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Maximum Security, 7-2 on the morning line, also has a 4-3-1-0 record in 2020 with his lone loss coming to Improbable in the Awesome Again (G1) on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita. Luis Saez will have the mount and exit post position 10.
Authentic, 6-1 on the morning line, comes into the Classic off a narrow defeat in the Preakness (G1) to the filly Swiss Skydiver. John Velazquez, who was aboard for the Kentucky Derby victory, has the mount and will leave from post position nine.
Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law, 5-4-1-0 in 2020 with the lone loss coming to Authentic in the Kentucky Derby, is the second choice on the morning line at 3-1. Trained by Barclay Tagg, who is seeking his first Breeders’ Cup victory, Tiz the Law will break from post position two and be ridden by Manny Franco.
The $2 million Longines Distaff, run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, drew a field of 10 headlined by 2018 winner Monomoy Girl (favored at 8-5 on the morning line) and 2020 Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver (2-1).
Owned by Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables, Monomoy Girl is undefeated in three starts in 2020 after missing all of 2019 because of a pulled muscle and bout of colic. Trained by Brad Cox, Monomoy Girl will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position 10.
Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver has won five of nine starts this year in a campaign that has taken her coast to coast. Trained by Kenny McPeek, who is seeking his first Breeders’ Cup victory, Swiss Skydiver ran at Keeneland in July, finishing second against the boys in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2).
Robby Albarado, who was aboard for the Preakness victory, returns to the saddle Saturday and will break from post position five.
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor’s Magical (IRE) is the morning line favorite at 5-2 in a field of 10 for the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) to be contested over 1 ½ miles.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Magical was second in this race in 2018 at Churchill Downs to the champion Enable (GB). Owning a 5-3-1-1 record in 2020 with all starts in Group 1 company, Magical will be ridden by Ryan Moore and break from post position two.
For the same ownership, O’Brien also will send out Mogul (GB), winner of the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1) in his most recent start. Listed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line, Mogul will be ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot and exit post position 10.
Headlining the U.S. contingent are Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway’s Arklow, and Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Channel Maker, the 5-1 co-third choices.
Trained by Brad Cox, Arklow is making his third start in the Turf. Winner of the Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) in his most recent start, Arklow will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post one.
Channel Maker, winner of Grade 1 races in his past two starts, also will be making his third start in the Turf. Trained by Bill Mott, Channel Maker will break from post nine under Manny Franco.
In the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1), Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables’ Uni will take on the boys again as she bids for a repeat in the race. She is listed as the 5-1 second choice in the field of 14 with one also-eligible.
Trained by Chad Brown, Uni has won two of three starts over the Keeneland turf course with the victories coming in the past two runnings of the First Lady (G1). Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post position 12.
Favoritism in the Mile goes to Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I’s Ivar (BRZ) at 4-1. Trained by Paulo Lobo, Ivar won the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland in his most recent start and will break from post 11 under Joe Talamo.
Qatar Racing’s Kameko, winner of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas (G1) in June and most recently the Shadwell Joel Stakes (G2) at Newmarket for trainer Andrew Balding, is the third choice at 6-1. He will be ridden by Oisin Murphy and break from post position two.
Five other Championship races are on the Saturday program topped by the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at 1 3/16 miles and the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at 6 furlongs.
Peter Brant’s Sistercharlie (IRE) and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Rushing Fall will represent trainer Chad Brown in the Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf, a race Brown has won four times.
One of those victories came from Sistercharlie in 2018 at Churchill Downs. Winless in two starts in 2020 following a third-place finish in her bid to repeat last year, Sistercharlie will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post position two. She is the 6-1 third choice on the morning line in the field of 14.
Favored at 5-2 is Rushing Fall, a winner of five stakes in six starts at Keeneland and a Grade 1 winner at age 2, 3, 4 and 5. A winner of 11 of career starts that includes a score in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, Rushing Fall will break from post position six under regular rider Javier Castellano.
Also in the field for Brown is the Brant-owned My Sister Nat (FR), a half-sister to Sistercharlie, who is listed at 12-1 on the morning line. Jose Ortiz has the mount from post position five. Brown also will send out First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm’s Nay Lady Nay (IRE) (20-1) who will exit post 13 under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Second choice on the line at 7-2 is Alex Campbell Jr.’s homebred Mean Mary. Trained by Graham Motion, Mean Mary has won three of four starts in 2020 with her lone loss coming by a neck to Rushing Fall in the Diana at Saratoga. Luis Saez has the mount and will break from post four.
R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables’ Vekoma, winner of the 2019 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) in his lone Keeneland start, is the 3-1 morning line favorite for the Sprint that drew a field of 14 plus one also-eligible.
Trained by George Weaver, Vekoma is undefeated in three starts this year including Grade 1 victories in the Carter Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap. Javier Castellano will ride and exit post position 14.
Co-second choice at 7-2 on the morning line is C Z Rocket, who brings a five-race win streak into the race for trainer Peter Miller. Owned by Madaket Stables, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele, C Z Rocket will leave post two under Luis Saez.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the Sprint last year with Mitole, will send out two runners: Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s undefeated Yaupon, the other second choice at 7-2, and L and N Racing’s Grade 1 winner Echo Town (20-1). Joel Rosario rides Yaupon from post 10 while Echo Town breaks from the rail under Ricardo Santana Jr.
Adding an element of intrigue into the Sprint is the 3-year-old Frank’s Rockette for trainer Bill Mott.
Listed at 10-1 on the morning line, Frank Fletcher’s homebred filly has compiled a 10-6-4-0 career mark and brings a four-race win streak into the Sprint. Junior Alvarado has the mount and will break from post six.
Michael Lund Petersen’s 3-year-old Gamine is the 7-5 morning line favorite for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) that drew a field of nine.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Gamine was an overpowering presence in one-turn romps in the Test (G1) by 7 lengths and the Acorn (G1) by 18 ¾ lengths. Third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles in her most recent start, Gamine will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post position two.
Second choice at 3-1 is Joel Politi’s Serengeti Empress, winner of the 2019 Kentucky Oaks and third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Trained by Tom Amoss, Serengeti Empress returned to sprinting this summer and posted a victory going 7 furlongs in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga and then finished second, beaten a nose going the same distance in the Derby City Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs Sept. 5. Luis Saez has the mount and will break from post position seven.
Klaravich Stables’ Complexity, winner of the Kelso (G2) in his most recent start, is the 2-1 morning line favorite for the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) that drew a field of 12 plus one also-eligible. Trained by Chad Brown, Complexity will break from post 10 under Jose Ortiz.
Second choice at 7-2 is the Korea Racing Authority’s Knicks Go who established a Keeneland track record going 1 1/16 miles at the recently completed Fall Meet. Two-for-two this year, Knicks Go is trained by Brad Cox and will break from post five under Joel Rosario.
Gary Barber’s Got Stormy, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) last year at Santa Anita, is the 7-2 morning line favorite for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) over 5 ½ furlongs that drew a field of 14 plus four also-eligibles.
Trained by Mark Casse, Got Stormy finished second against males going a mile in two Grade 1 races this year before cutting back to sprints. She responded with a victory going 6 ½ furlongs at Kentucky Downs and then a victory at Keeneland in the Franklin County (G3) at 5 ½ furlongs. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount and will break from post 12.
Top challengers include Breeze Easy’s Imprimis and Leinster, owned by Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables and Jean Wilkinson, both listed as 4-1 co-second choices.
Sixth in the Turf Sprint last year at Santa Anita, Imprimis enters the Turf Sprint off a victory in the Runhappy Turf Sprint (G3) at Kentucky Downs. Trained by Joe Orseno, Imprimis won the Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland in 2019 and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and break from post three.
Trained by Rusty Arnold, Leinster has won three of four starts over the Keeneland turf course that includes two Grade 2 victories in the Shakertown and Woodford. Luis Saez has the mount and will break from post seven.
Kirk and Judy Robison’s undefeated Jackie’s Warrior is the 7-5 morning line favorite for the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) that drew a field of 14.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Jackie’s Warrior emerged as the top 2-year-old in New York by posting daylight victories in the Champagne (G1), Hopeful (G1) and Saratoga Special (G2). Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post seven.
Second choice at 4-1 is Godolphin’s homebred Essential Quality trained by Brad Cox.
Essential Quality debuted on the Kentucky Derby card Sept. 5 winning at 6 furlongs by 4 lengths and following that up with a 3 ¼-length victory in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland at the Juvenile distance of 1 1/16 miles. Luis Saez has the mount Friday and will break from post five.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies drew a field of seven for the 1 1/16-mile test that includes the top runners from California, New York and Kentucky, all of whom are unbeaten.
Zedan Racing Stable’s Princess Noor is the 9-5 morning line favorite off victories in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and the Chandelier (G2). Trained by Bob Baffert, Princess Noor will be ridden by Victor Espinoza and exit post seven.
Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables’ Simply Ravishing (5-2) began her career on grass but won the off-the-turf P.G. Johnson at Saratoga by 6 ½ lengths before a 6 ¼-length blowout win the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland going 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Simply Ravishing will be ridden by Luis Saez out of post one.
Siena Farm and trainer Tim Hamm’s Dayoutoftheoffice (5-2) comes into Friday’s race off a 2-length victory in the Frizette (G1). Prior to that, she had won the Schuylerville (G3) at Saratoga by 6 lengths under Junior Alvarado who has the mount Friday from post three.
Completing Friday’s lineup is:
$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf presented by Coolmore America (G1) – Shadwell Stable’s Mutasaabeq, who blew past 10 rivals in the stretch to win the Bourbon (G2) on Oct. 4 at Keeneland, is the 5-1 morning line favorite for the 1-mile test that drew a field of 14 plus two also-eligibles.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Mutasaabeq will break from post six and be ridden by Luis Saez.
$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) – The 1-mile test drew a field of 14 plus two also-eligibles headlined by a trio of undefeated runners: Stonestreet Stable’s Campanelle (IRE), Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables’ Plum Ali and Dubb, Madaket, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group’s Aunt Pearl (IRE).
Aunt Pearl cruised to a 2 1/2-length front-running victory in the Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland Oct. 7, five weeks after her debut win at Churchill Downs and is listed as the 3-1 morning line favorite. Aunt Pearl is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post five.
Trained by Wesley Ward, Campanelle, co-second choice at 4-1, won the Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville and the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot as part of her 3-for-3 campaign. Frankie Dettori has the mount and will break from post 10.
Plum Ali (4-1 on the morning line) comes into Friday’s race off a victory in the Miss Grillo (G2). Trained by Christophe Clement, Plum Ali will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post four.
$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) – Ranlo Investment’s Golden Pal is the 8-5 morning line favorite for the 5 ½-furlong race that drew a field of 14 plus three also-eligibles.
Trained by Wesley Ward, who won this race last year with Four Wheel Drive, Golden Pal broke his maiden by 3 ½ lengths in the Skidmore at Saratoga after returning from Royal Ascot where he finished second in the Norfolk (G2). Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post 14.
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Photo: Improbable winning the Whitney. (NYRA/Coglianese)
