Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan will make his return to the races on Saturday at Saratoga in the 56th edition of $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap. The Grade 2 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth on the Mellon Turf Course.
Wise Dan, who underwent colic surgery thirteen days after winning the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1), is the morning line favorite at odds of 3-5. Trained by Charles Lopresti, the seven-year-old son of Wiseman’s Ferry is a homebred for owner Morton Fink and will break from post five under jockey John Velazquez. In addition to being the reigning Horse of the Year, he also took home the Eclipse Awards for champion older male and champion turf horse for the second consecutive year in 2013.
Of the eight rivals entered on the turf to take on Wise Dan, Bio Pro and Boisterous are second choice on the morning line as an entry at odds of 5-1. Gary Barber outright owns the Todd Pletcher-trained Boisterous and owns Bio Prio as part of a partnership trained by Bill Mott. Boisterous will have Javier Castellano aboard and try to improve off of a fourth-place finish in the Bowling Green (G2) in July and earn his second win of the year. Bio Pro will have Jose Lezcano aboard.
Also in the field at odd of 6-1 on the morning line is Sayaad, a four-year-old son of Street Sense. Purchased for $450,000 as a weanling, the bay colt will have Jose Ortiz aboard carrying the blue and white colors of Shadwell Stable. Trained by Kieran McLaughlin, Sayaad is attempting to earn his sixth career victory and first graded stakes win. He was last seen finishing fifth after a troubled trip in the Fourstardave Handicap (G2).
Saturday, January 29 at Gulfstream Park is one of the biggest races of the year: the Pegasus World Cup (G1)! This $3 million race, covering a mile and an eighth on the Gulfstream dirt track, drew a field of nine handicap horses. The eyes of the racing world will be on Gulfstream on Saturday, and you can bet it from the comfort of your own home here in Canada!
The Kentucky Derby trail makes its way to Oklahoma on Friday, December 17 for the Remington Springboard Mile! The race drew a field of nine up-and-coming two-year-olds to go a mile on the main track. The prizes are rich: a $400,000 purse, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) for the first four horses across the wire.
The Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), California’s most important Kentucky Derby Prep in December, is coming up on Saturday, December 11! The race features the most promising two-year-olds in California, set to go a mile and a sixteenth over the dirt at Los Alamitos Racecourse. The race offers a purse of $300,000, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points, apportioned 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.
Let's have a look at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf betting picks and predictions.
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