They set that up lovely for a closer and Hit It A Bomb stormed home to take the crown. Good ride, nice horse. A great effort by Airoforce too, handy all the way and kept going to the line with the winner.
The ground did not look too bad for Friday’s races, the top may be a bit loose on the Turf course but it did not look very soft and the Dirt course did not look sloppy. In the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, all eyes will probably be on Undrafted as Frankie Dettori gets the ride on Wesley Ward’s Royal Ascot winner, well drawn with last year’s winner Bobby’s Kitten on his inside. This does not look one to take a short price about with Ward having a couple of other chances plus Lady Shipman and No Silent having good draws and consistent (mostly winning) form. Could the Europeans be celebrating early on the Breeders’ Cup card after the Filly And Mare Sprint (Dirt)? Simon Callaghan – son of Neville – runs Taris for Coolmore, who comes here off just two races this term and won by a big margin in a race over course and distance last term. Drawn next to her is La Verdad, who has run up a sequence in lower grades. Cavorting has not raced since August when she won a Grade 1 but the draw has done her no favours in her quest for a four timer. A number of these appear to be well held on form lines (if they can be relied upon) including Frankie Dettori’s mount Judy The Beauty and Wesley Ward’s mare is wide in eleven. The Filly And Mare Turf could quite easily be narrowed down to Chad Brown’s entrants versus Europe. Secret Gesture beat two of Brown’s runners (Watsdachances and Stephanie’s Kitten) in the Beverley D (before being disqualified) and ought to give a good account. Andre Fabre’s runners cannot be easily discounted; however, Miss France has only run over this trip once, comes here on a five race losing streak and may need a cunning plan under Frankie. Talmada’s recent second at Woodbine looks good for Roger Varian’s filly but the outside draw does not. Legatissimo is clearly the best of the visitors and she should go close from her good draw if the race is run to suit her but at the odds Chad Brown’s Dacita looks worth a chance to give him a fourth win in five years. The betting suggests that the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Dirt) is between poorly drawn Private Zone and the three-year-old Runhappy, seeking a five timer and already having won over course and distance. The evening starts to get really interesting on this side of The Pond when the Breeders’ Cup Mile occurs, with last year’s winner Karakontie back to defend his crown but from a disadvantageous wide draw. Even wider is three-year-old Time Test, on whom Ryan Moore will presumably use some of his horse early in the knowledge that this is his minimum trip. Of the home team, course and distance winner Tepin looks the best prospect. David O’Meara’s Mondialiste would have to put in a career-best to win as he followed victory at York with a mile victory at Woodbine but neither of those were at this level. Andre Fabre’s two contenders dominate the betting. Esoterique has solid credentials and I cannot rule her out. Although I backed Poulains winner Make Believe when he won the Prix de la Forêt, I am not convinced that he is top class so I am going to side with the other French three-year-old, the filly IMPASSABLE (7/1) completing a four timer. Golden Horn has chased off almost all of the potential European challenge in the Breeders’ Cup Turf but at 4/7 he must be the worst bet on the card. No Arc winner has ever won a Breeders’ Cup race and European superstar Dancing Brave was beaten at similar odds. He has been on the go since April and the underfoot conditions mean that he really will have to be ten pounds plus better than his rivals. The obvious beneficiary from his misfortunes would be Ballydoyle’s Found, assuming that Ryan Moore can actually put her in the race before something else has already got to the winning post! The best of the home team appear to be The Pizza Man and Big Blue Kitten. When the Breeders’ Cup Classic is run, attention will obviously be on Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, turned over by Keen Ice at Saratoga in August. Drawn next to the favourite is Gleneagles, although as he is unproven over the distance, unproven on dirt and must have fast ground he is just making up the numbers. If Bob Baffert’s ace fails to fire, the most likely alternatives look to be Tonalist and Honor Code.
Not wishing to start any debate about draw bias at Keeneland, but Nemoralia did have an outside draw against her so it might not all be down to the jockey. The winner is clearly a progressive filly as she was stepping up from a Grade 2 race at Woodbine last time.
Suprised at the lack of interest for the World championships on the forum The Americans take it and run with it don't they?
Wild Dude @ 12/1 in the sprint up next for me, stuck to the task well at Santa Anita in a Grd 1 lto and at the price Is worth a shot.
I thought this year's three-year-old fillies were supposed to be brilliant. Obviously somebody did not tell the mare Stephanie's Kitten that Legatissimo was going to blow the start and still win...
Well done - someone picked the right one of Chad Brown's runners! He has won this four of the last five years.
Thanks folks; Stephanie's Kitten was second last year and had it's favoured 'soft' ground. Won the Flower Bowl at Belmont on previous outing; also soft! Now waiting for 'The Pizza Man'.
I've plumped for Make Believe here at 11/4, plenty short considering the opposition but I really like his latest win even though Limato would have won possibly with better luck.
Never involved. A lot of the races are falling apart there, definitely paying to be up on the pace bar the odd exception here and there. Ground has to be soft, Jason Weaver is trying to convince everyone it's good ground
Was thinking exactly that Oddy. It will be amazing if he wins tonight. I'm going to miss it as off out soon. Will watch recording, in hope, when I get in
