Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile: Goldencents, Verrazano will have to use speed to overcome outside posts

ARCADIA, Calif. – Favorites are still winless in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile since the $1 million race became part of a new two-day program six years ago in a New Jersey downpour. The odds are good the streak will remain intact Friday at Santa Anita, because regardless of who is favored in a full field of 12, he will be lukewarm, with “the other 11” rating a far better mathematical chance.

That sure narrows it down, huh? BC fans might lean ever so slightly in making a favorite of Verrazano, the hit-or-miss Todd Pletcher colt, and if not, the role probably will go to a fellow 3-year-old, Goldencents, whose stretchout tactics make him a very intriguing possibility.

Whatever the case, it’s a handicapper’s delight.

Verrazano and Goldencents both drew toward the far outside in posts 10 and 12, respectively, with both having the early speed to largely negate that disadvantage, given a clean break. And from there, things should get even more interesting.[bc_video_id:308737:]

Verrazano will be ridden by John Velazquez, his jockey in all eight prior starts, too. The bay colt has been terrific in his six career wins, including the Wood Memorial and Haskell Invitational, but very disappointing in two resounding defeats in his biggest races, the Kentucky Derby and Travers Stakes. The Breeders’ Cup is another big stage, of course.

“We certainly hopes he runs one of his good ones,” said Pletcher. “He sure is acting like he will.”

Pletcher said he is optimistic Velazquez will be able to “work out a nice trip. The post isn’t ideal, but the colt has good tactical speed, and he’s a good gate horse, knock on wood.”

[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: Fields with DRF odds and comments]

Goldencents, with Rafael Bejarano riding for Doug O’Neill, won the Santa Anita Derby here in April, then ran poorly in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. After that, O’Neill gave him a short break, then shortened him up, as the colt finished second in three straight major West Coast sprints – the Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien, and Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

“I think it will work out,” said O’Neill. “He has enough speed out of the gate to clear a lot of the horses on the inside of him.”

Among the ownership partners in Goldencents is Rick Pitino, the Hall of Fame basketball coach whose University of Louisville squad won the NCAA championship last spring. Pitino lends sports-star power to this race, along with Marshall Faulk, the Hall of Fame football star who is in the Team Valor International partnership that owns Brujo de Olleros. One other football Hall of Famer, Terry Bradshaw, is a partner in Graydar, the speedy gray who on Monday was declared out of the Dirt Mile as the likely favorite because of a minor injury.

As for Brujo de Olleros (post 4, Alan Garcia), his runner-up finish at 11-1 behind Graydar in the Sept. 28 Kelso at Belmont Park is worthy of notice. Trained by Rick Mettee, the Brazilian-bred 5-year-old has come to hand in recent months and has the tactical speed to secure a decent position behind the front-runners.

Pants On Fire (post 11, Paco Lopez) is another in sharp form, having won the Grade 3 Ack Ack at Churchill Downs in his last start.

“Hopefully Paco can just follow the two favorites on around to the three-quarter pole and he’ll take it from there,” said Kelly Breen, a perennial top trainer on the New Jersey circuit. “This horse is doing extremely well.”

Among the fringe players are Golden Ticket (post 2, Joel Rosario) and Alpha (post 7, Joe Bravo), the dead-heat winners of the 2012 Travers Stakes; Hymn Book (post 3, Javier Castellano), a late-running 7-year-old gelding in his 26th and final career start; and Fed Biz (post 6, Martin Garcia), who defeated Goldencents in the Pat O’Brien.

Rounding out the cast are longshots Taptowne, Broadway Empire, Holy Lute, and Centralinteligence.

Thirteen were entered in the Dirt Mile, although only as many as 12 will start. Easter Gift, the only also-eligible in any of the Breeders’ Cup races this year, did not make the trip from New York and will not run even if another horse is scratched.

The Dirt Mile (post time 3:05 p.m. Pacific) is carded as the eighth of 11 Friday races and the third of the five straight Breeders’ Cup events.

Despite its name, the Dirt Mile has been run just once before as a two-turn mile on Dirt. That was here last year, when Tapizar won at 15-1.