A handful of Canadian-bred or based horses made an appearance at the Breeders’ Cup this past weekend at Santa Anita and managed to come away with a couple of place […]
A handful of Canadian-bred or based horses made an appearance at the Breeders’ Cup this past weekend at Santa Anita and managed to come away with a couple of place finishes and one near-miss. Woodbine-based trainer Mark Casse saddled four runners, with My Conquestadory going off as the 5-1 second choice in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Having to break from the outside #14 post, jockey Eurico Da Silva hustled her from the gate and raced in contention just off the lead throughout. She managed to poke her nose in front at the head of the stretch, but faded in the last sixteenth to finish a very close fourth.
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Casse had a better result and almost pulled off a shocker when 16-1 Laugh Track closed fast late and came within a few strides of catching favorite Secret Circle in the Sprint. Taken back early by jockey Mike Smith, Laugh Track angled out three wide coming off the turn, moved to five wide just behind the winner and then followed that one through to lose by only a diminishing neck. Of the other Casse runners, Pool Play – also an Ontario-bred - was seventh in the Marathon, while Conquest Titan finished in the number 13 spot in the Juvenile.
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Of the Ontario-breds, Judy The Beauty came up against her old rival, the defending Filly and Mare Sprint champion Groupie Doll, the third time the two had met this year. Although Judy The Beauty had won in their last meeting a month before, on Saturday Groupie Doll was at the top of her game and defended her title, with Judy The Beauty coming back in the stretch to finish a determined second. The final Ontario-bred runner was Marketing Mix, who couldn’t match her second-place performance in the 2012 Filly and Mare Turf, this year coming in fifth.
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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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