Breeders' Cup: Saturday's nine BC races drawn; Flightline to start from post 4 in Classic
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Flightline drew post 4 and was installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight entered Monday for Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.
Flightline, to be ridden by Flavien Prat, drew outside of Life Is Good, who drew post 2 and was made the 6-1 third choice on the line of Nick Tammaro, who makes the morning line for Keeneland. Tammaro made Epicenter, the Travers winner, the 5-1 second choice. Epicenter drew post 6.
Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free, who also made Flightline 3-5, made Life Is Good the second choice at 5-1 and Epicenter the third choice at 6-1.
“Yeah, I was a little surprised,” Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Life Is Good, said about being the third choice.
Flightline, a son of Tapit, has gone 5 for 5 in his career, winning all his starts by a combined 62 3/4 lengths. He figures to be stalking Life Is Good and being drawn outside should only help him do that easier.
“Good draw,” trainer John Sadler said. “We think at a mile and a quarter we have a good run to the turn and get your position for him. It’s just fine.”
Last year, Life Is Good won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. This year, he is 4 for 5 with Grade 1 victories in the Pegasus, Whitney, and Woodward at 1 1/8 miles and the Grade 2 John Nerud at seven furlongs. His lone loss came in the Dubai World Cup at 1 1/4 miles.
Taiba, the Pennsylvania Derby winner seeking to give Bob Baffert a fifth Classic victory, drew the rail. Outside of him and Life Is Good, in post order, are Happy Saver, Flightline, Hot Rod Charlie, Epicenter, Olympiad, and Rich Strike, the 80-1 Kentucky Derby winner who was made 20-1 on Tammaro’s Classic morning line.
The Breeders’ Cup will be the last of nine Breeders’ Cup races to be run on Saturday, which follows five races - all for 2-year-olds to be run Friday.
$6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, 1 1/4 miles
1. Taiba, M. Smith, 8-1
2. Life Is Good, I. Ortiz Jr., 6-1
3. Happy Saver, J. Velazquez, 30-1
4. Flightline, F. Prat, 3-5
5. Hot Rod Charlie, T. Gaffalione, 15-1
6. Epicenter, J. Rosario, 5-1
7. Olympiad, J. Alvarado, 10-1
8. Rich Strike, S. Leon, 20-1
In the other Saturday races:
* In the $4 million Turf, Rebel’s Romance drew post 5 and was made the 3-1 morning line favorite on Tammaro’s line to give trainer Charlie Appleby a second straight victory in this race. He won it last year with Yibir.
Appleby also has the second choice on the line Nations Pride, a 3-year-old who has won twice in the U.S. already this year. Mishriff, a four-time Group 1 winner and earner of more than $15 million for John and Thady Gosden, will make the final start of his career in this race.
War Like Goddess, arguably the top North America-based runner, drew post 2.
* In the $2 million Distaff, stablemates Nest (post 6, 9/5) and Malathaat (rail, 3-1), give trainer Todd Pletcher a strong hand in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race for fillies and mares that drew a field of eight.
“It’s a contentious field, certainly not a match race between stablemates,” Pletcher said. “Really pleased to have both of them in the barn. They’re both coming up to the race great.”
Trainer Steve Asmussen has the duo of Clairiere (post 4, 4-1) and Society (post 8, 6-1) in the Distaff.
* Modern Games, who won last year’s BC Juvenile Turf, drew post 4 and was made the 7-2 morning line favorite in the $2 million Mile, which drew a field of 14 and two also-eligibles.
Domestic Spending, making his first start in 15 months for trainer Chad Brown, was saddled with the outside post in the 14-horse field.
* In the $2 million Sprint, Jackie’s Warrior, beaten favorite in last year’s Sprint, drew post 9 and was made the 4-5 morning-line favorite. This race lost a major player earlier in the day when trainer Chad Brown elected not to enter Jack Christopher, another speed horse, due to concerns the horse might be scratched later in the week by track veterinarians.
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The filly Kimari drew post 2 and was the made the 4-1 second choice in the field of 11 that includes last year’s Sprint winner Aloha West, who drew post 5 and was made a 12-1 choice.
* In the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf, Nashwa, a two-time Group 1 winner for John and Thady Gosden, drew post 3 in a 12-horse field and was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Chad Brown’s trio of Rougir, Virginia Joy, and In Italian drew posts 9, 10, and 11, respectively.
* In the $1 million Dirt Mile, Cody’s Wish, a winner of six of his last seven starts, drew post 7 and was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Cyberknife, who had been pre-entered in the Classic, opted for this race, as expected. He is the 9-2 co-third choice along with Laurel River. Gunite, a winner of four of his last five starts, is the 7-2 third choice from post 5.
* In the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint, at seven furlongs, defending race winner Ce Ce drew post 4 and was installed as the 4-1 second choice in a field of 13. Goodnight Olive, the Grade 1 Ballerina winner, was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite and will break from post 8.
* In the $1 million Turf Sprint, at 5 1/2 furlongs, Golden Pal drew post 8 in a field of 14, plus two also-eligibles, and was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite as he seeks his second straight win in this race and third straight victory at the Breeders’ Cup. He won the 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint.
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