2009 Breeders's Cup: Bettors' Update

by Patricia Woo | Aug 24 2009

Summer may be ending, but the most exciting part of the horse racing season is just beginning - the buildup to the 2009 Breeders' Cup! The two-day event will take place in November, but the best time to start making your picks is right now. Read on as Bodog Racebook gets you up to speed on the latest happenings in the Sprint, Turf, Mile and Classic divisions in preparation for the 2009 Breeders' Cup.

Speed reigns supreme in the Sprint division, and Fabulous Strike and Zensational top the list. The Todd Beattie-trained Fabulous Strike has a pair of Grade 2 wins under his belt, the most recent at Saratoga in the $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on Aug. 9; Zensational, trained by Bob Baffert, has a pair of Grade 1 wins this year, including the $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap. This week, keep an eye on the King's Bishop Stakes, a Gr. 1 race at Saratoga on Saturday, Aug. 29, where Godolphin's Vineyard Haven may make his return to racing after a months-long absence.

Gio Ponti is clearly atop the Turf division with a 5-4-0-0 record and $1,313,000 in earnings. But Rahy's Attorney, scheduled to take on another turf specialist Champs Elysees in the $250,000 Gr. 2 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine, is another horse that bettors should familiarize themselves with. Trained by Ian Black, Rahy's Attorney has flourished as a 5-year-old, and has claimed victory in two Gr. 2 races this year - most recently, the $300,000 Gr. 2 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine on July 26. With a 3-2-1-0 record and $371,472 in earnings this year, this Crown Attorney gelding is definitely one to watch.

In the Mile division, Goldikova gets top billing. The 2008 Breeders' Cup Mile champion is once again taking Europe by storm, with a long-term goal of returning to Santa Anita in November to defend her title. The Mile division will get more interesting with the running of the $300,000 Gr. 2 Del Mar Mile on Saturday, Aug. 29 - among the nominees are Daytona, One Union and Whatsthescript. The Del Mar Mile is a "Win and You're In" event, meaning that the winner will get an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Mile.

In the prestigious Classic division, 4-year-old gelding Rail Trip has been causing quite a stir. Dominant at Santa Anita Park earlier this year with wins in multiple allowance races, he scored his first Gr. 1 win in the Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park on July 11. Also expected to make a splash in the Breeders' Cup Classic in November is Quality Road, an Elusive Quality colt who is back in championship form after a brief layoff due to injury. He is scheduled to run in the $1M Gr. 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 29 alongside 2009 Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird, a race that horse bettors should not miss.

The Breeders' Cup is a two-day, multimillion-dollar event that pits the best Thoroughbreds against each other in thrilling international competition. This year's Breeder's Cup takes place at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 6 and 7. Don't miss out on this incredible horse racing showcase.

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