Midnight Bisou, Sistercharlie loom as heavy favorites on Breeders' Cup Saturday

ARCADIA, Calif. – Strong, deep fields in the Classic and Mile, Horse of the Year candidates who loom as strong favorites in the Distaff, Turf, and Filly and Mare Turf, and another top-rated horse in the Dirt Mile highlight the second of two Breeders’ Cup days this weekend at Santa Anita, the nine-race card to be run Saturday.

Eleven runners are in the $6 million Classic, the last and richest of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races that will be run Friday and Saturday, with the 14 races having purses totaling $28 million. Grade 1 winners McKinzie, Code of Honor, Vino Rosso, Higher Power, and the mare Elate are part of the Classic field.

A full field of 14, plus two also-eligibles, were entered in the Mile, with a terrific mix of European runners, headed by Circus Maximus, and North American representation, topped by the females Got Stormy and Uni.

Midnight Bisou is the shortest price of the weekend on the track morning line – 6-5 according to Santa Anita’s Jon White in the Distaff – as she goes for her eighth straight win. Bricks and Mortar is 9-5 in the Turf, and Sistercharlie is 8-5 in the Filly and Mare Turf, as trainer Chad Brown tries to win both those races.

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The popular Omaha Beach is 8-5 in the Dirt Mile.

Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free rates Sistercharlie as the day’s shortest price. He has her at even-money.

First post Saturday is 10:07 a.m. Pacific. The first Breeders’ Cup race, the Filly and Mare Sprint, is at 11:55 a.m. The last race, the Classic, is at 5:44 p.m.

Here’s a snapshot of all nine races, in the order in which they will be run:

Filly and Mare Sprint – Covfefe, 2-1 on the lines of both White and Free, is favored, but she must overcome the rail draw in the seven-furlong race against eight opponents, including Come Dancing, Spiced Perfection, and Bellafina.

Turf Sprint – Likely the most open of the day’s races, it drew a field of 12, plus a pair of also-eligibles. Course specialist Eddie Haskell is the favorite, 9-2 on White’s line, 4-1 with Free. Stormy Liberal goes for his third straight win in the race. Such stalwarts as Pure Sensation and Totally Boss also are in the five-furlong race, but cases can be made for many more.

Dirt Mile – Omaha Beach heads a field of 10 in the two-turn race, and he drew well, in post 5. Free has him favored at 6-5. Improbable, Coal Front, Mr. Money, and Spun to Run are among his challengers.

Filly and Mare Turf – Sistercharlie tries to win the race for the second straight year against 11 rivals, including Europeans Fleeting and Iridessa, and the local stalwart Vasilika. The race is at 1 1/4 miles and starts on the hill.

Sprint – Mitole is 9-5 on White’s line, 5-2 with Free, in what is shaping up as the race of the weekend, what with the likes of Shancelot, Imperial Hint, Catalina Cruiser, Whitmore, and Firenze Fire signed up in the field of 10 going six furlongs. Get tied on.

Mile – European invader Circus Maximus is 3-1 on the lines of both White and Free in a grass race that drew 14 runners, plus two also-eligibles. The females Got Stormy and Uni rate strong chances.

Distaff – Free has Midnight Bisou at 7-5 to close out a perfect season. Last year’s race runner-up, Wow Cat, Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, and Grade 1 winners Blue Prize, Dunbar Road, and Paradise Woods also are in the field of 11 going 1 1/8 miles.

Turf – Free has Bricks and Mortar at 6-5 to successfully stretch out to 1 1/2 miles in a field of 12 that did not come up as strong for this race as in past years. European invaders Anthony Van Dyck and Old Persian are among the challengers.

Classic – McKinzie is the lukewarm favorite, 3-1 with White, 7-2 with Free, in the 1 1/4-mile race. Vino Rosso owns a win at this distance and at this track earlier in the year in the Gold Cup, Code of Honor has won two straight at 10 furlongs, Higher Power won the Pacific Classic, and Elate is unbeaten in three starts at the distance. The race is so strong that War of Will, the Preakness winner, will be a longshot.