Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entries - Few Surprises but Some Interesting Notes

The Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships is seven days away. This past Thursday was the pre-entry draw for every single race on the Breeders’ Cup card.

It’s never too early for online racebook fans to take a look at some of the races on the Breeders’ Cup card to start planning for October 24th and October 25th.

First, let’s take a look at a few of the races being run on October 24th:

October 24th - - Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entries Analysis

The first thing that sticks out from Thursday’s pre-entry draw is that only seven fillies will tackle the brilliant Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. The race has a purse of 3 million dollars and only seven fillies have enough guts to take on Zenyatta. But, check it out. Look at the seven fillies! One, Ginger Punch, won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (that’s what it was called last year) in 2007. Like Zenyatta, she has also won 3 Grade I races this year. But, she’s not the entrant that online racebook fans need to look towards. That would be Carriage Trail who runs for Shug McGhaughey.

In the Filly and Mare Sprint both Indyanne and Indian Blessing were pre-entered. Dearest Tricksi will definitely run in this race. That means the pace is going to be ultra-fast. With so many speed horses, we can’t forget about Tiz Elemental should she run in this, there’s no doubt that the Pro-Ride surface will set up for a closer. Intangaroo should bolt to the top of every BetUS online sportsbook betting fans race chart. She can close on this surface.

Wait A While, unless she gets hurt in the next few days, should go into the starting gate for the Filly and Mare Turf as a nice underlaid chalk bet. But there is other speed in here. The gal that has caught my eye seven days out is Mauralakana who, due to blowing it in her last race, should go off at decent online wagering odds. Aidan O’Brien’s Halfway to Heaven no doubt will command a lot of online betting dollars.

October 25th - - Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entries Analysis

Curlin scared away absolutely nobody when pre-entries were drawn for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. A full field of fourteen will go to the gate in the biggest American horse race of the year. The key will be how Henrythenavigator and Duke of Marmalade, both invading from Europe for Aidan O’Brien, take to the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. Then, of course, there’s Raven’s Pass who actually beat Henrythenavigator the last time the two met. Of course, there’s Pyro, Go Between, Tiago, Student Council, etc. The two horses that online betting fans have to pay attention to, besides Curlin and the Europeans of course, is Casino Drive, who looked awesome this past Sunday when winning an allowance race, and the probable pace-setter, and loose on the lead horse, Well Armed. Well Armed should be in the Classic. If his connections decide not to go for part of that 5 million win purse, then they will be very disappointed.

In the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Grand Couturier is supposedly training like a freight train. He was entered along with two from O’Brien’s barn, Soldier of Fortune, who will vie for favoritism, and Red Rock Canyon. Eagle Mountain, coming into the race for trainer Michael de Kock, and Conduit, coming into this for trainer Michael Stoute, cannot be ignored, but the horse I’m paying attention to is three year old Winchester for Dermot Weld. He freaked in the Secretariat in August and could be getting better and better.