Correll’s Corner: Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Selections

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview —-

The Breeders’ Cup Saturday (Nov. 2) kicks off with the Filly and Mare Sprint which is Race 4 on your program with a post time of 11:55 Pacific (2:55 Eastern and 1:55 Central time)

Filly and Mare Sprint Race 4 – Covfefe, post 1 (odds 2-1), is the cream rising to the top. She goes out of the gate because she likes the lead so the rail post won’t hurt her. Come Dancing, post 4 (5-2); Spiced Perfection, post 9 (4-1); and Bellafina, post 6 (6-1) are the other main contenders.
Picks: 1-4-9-6

Turf Sprint – Race 5 – post time 12:33 Pacific – This is a tossup race with the main players being Totally Boss, post 1 (5-1); Eddie Haskell post 10 (9-2); Pure Sensation, post 2 (5-1); and Final Frontier post 9 (6-1). You can tell by the morning line it’s a “you pick’ em.”
Picks: 1-10-2-9

Dirt Mile – Race 6 – post time 1:10 Pacific – The battle here is supposed to be between Omaha Beach, post 5 (8-5), and Improbable, post 2 (3-1). But I’m all in on Omaha Beach. His last race where he ran down one of the best sprinters (Shancelot) in the country said he’s ready and mile will be better for him. Coal Front, post 7 (6-1) and Mr. Money, post 4 (6-1) should go into a superfecta.
Picks: 5-2-7-4

Filly and Mare Turf – Race 7 – post time 1:54 Pacific – Sistercharlie, post 2 (8-5), is looking to repeat after winning the same race in 2018. Others looking to upset here are: Iridessa, post 1(8-1); Vasilika, post 7 (8-1); and Fanny Logan, post 12 (15-1). I think Sistercharlie towers over this field and you could put anybody underneath her.
Picks: 2-1-7-12

Sprint – Race 8 – post time 2:36 Pacific – A couple of heavyweights will be squaring off in this one. Imperial Hint, post 9 (4-1), (set a track record at Saratoga) and Mitole, post 4 (9-5) will be the top two. Catalina Cruiser, post 1 (4-1) has the home-field advantage, while the aforementioned Shancelot, post 6 (4-1) probably will be the fastest early. This could be one of the fastest Sprint races in Breeders Cup history.
Picks: 9-4-1-6

Mile – Race 9 – post time 3:20 Pacific – This will be a little bit tighter race with three horses having a chance. Circus Maximus, post 9 (3-1); Uni, post 11 (7-2); and Got Stormy, post 6 (7-2) look like clones in the form but I’m leaning toward Circus Maximus on top. A shot horse could be Bowies Hero, 14 (12-1).
Picks: 9-11-6-14

Distaff – Race 10 – post time 4:00 Pacific – This is Midnight Bisou’s, post 4 (6-5), race to lose and if she wins she will be in the mix for Horse of the Year honors. She is seven out of seven this year but some have complained that she hasn’t faced males. That doesn’t matter, she’s that good. Trying to pick up some pieces will be Dunbar Road, post 5 (6-1); Blue Prize, post 11 (6-1); and Street Band, post 3 (10-1).
Picks: 4-5-11-3

Turf – Race 11 – post time 4:40 Pacific – This race supposedly has another sure thing in Bricks and Mortar, post 9 (9-5), but I think there are a couple of strong Europeans ready to go. Anthony Van Dyke, post 5 (3-1), and Old Persian, post 10 (4-1) are shipping from across the pond and could be trouble. This will start on the downhill turf course, so we will have to see how that pair handles that plus crossing the dirt course before going flat. Bricks and Mortar hasn’t done that either, so for that reason I’m throwing in Acclimate, post 2 (20-1) whose has been on the downhill and has the home-field advantage.
Picks 9-5-10-2

Classic – Race 12 – post time 5:44 Pacific – There is not a real standout in the Classic. McKinzie, post 8 (3-1), will go off as the favorite because he is a local and trained by Bob Baffert. I have no problem with him winning and I will use him on top, but Mongolian Groom, post 9 (6-1) beat him in his last race and Higher Power, post 7 (6-1) also was in that race but stumbled at the start before finishing third. I’m not buying into Code of Honor, post 11 (4-1) or Vino Rosso, post 10 (4-1). I could be foolish but I don’t like either. My fourth horse will be Math Wizard, post 1 (30-1).
Picks: 8-7-9-1