Keeneland Breeders' Cup Challenge Races: Part 2

Photo:
Day two of the Keeneland meet and three more Breeders’ Cup Challenge races are on the card. Winners of the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S., the GI Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity, and the GI Shadwell Turf Mile S. will be awarded automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Juvenile, and Mile divisions (respectively) in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Championships at Churchill Downs, just a few weeks from now. Not a handicapper, but rather a reviewer, my picks for yesterday’s BC Challenge races managed to finish third and second so I’m happy. Here’s some preview of what to watch in today’s Win-and-You’re-In stakes.
 
The first BC Challenge race is race 6, the GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes for fillies and mares, 3 yo and up, 6 furlongs to be run on the Polytrak. The morning line favorites in this race include Switch, at 9/5 and Musical Romance at 4/1.  While I really like Switch and she has won at 7f, 1m, and 1 1/16 m, she hasn’t raced at this distance, so I’m skeptical, but hopeful.  Musical Romance, on the other hand seems more in touch with her inner sprinter, having won at 5 ½ f, 6 f, and 6 ½ f, coming into this race right of a 6 ½ f win. Between the two, I’d have to go with Musical Romance. However, Rapport has proven herself at the distance as well, more than once, and I really like the longshot, I Knot who has won her last three starts at 6 f, though I don’t know how she’ll fare over the Polytrak and with a new jockey.
Thoroughbred Club of America S.
October 08, $200,000, 3yo and up, f & m, 6F, Keeneland Race Course, 4:01 PM ET
ML
Post
Horse
Weight
Jockey
Trainer
4/1
1
122
J. C. Leyva
W. A. Kaplan
5/1
2
124
G. K. Gomez
C. R. Trout
5/1
3
Rapport, 4, f.
118
B. J. Hernandez, Jr.
R. W. Werner
50/1
4
118
J. Theriot
D. Stewart
15/1
5
116
J. A. Garcia
W. A. Ward
15/1
6
118
R. A. Dominguez
M. J. Maker
20/1
7
118
A. A. Marin
M. Criollo
6/1
8
Indulgence, 4, f.
118
J. R. Leparoux
M. D. Wolfson
12/1
9
12o
R. Albarado
J. Fernandez
9/5
10
Switch, 4, f.
124
J. Rosario
J. W. Sadler
50/1
11
I Knot, 4, f.
118
J. K. Court
R. B. Kohnhorst
 
The morning line on race 8,  the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity, shows Shared Property at 4/1 and Take Charge Indy at 5/1 as the favorites for this 1 1/16m race.  In their last start they finished first and second, respectively, in Arlington Park’s GIII Arlington-Washington Futurity (1 1/16m) in a very exciting battle in the final 1/16th mile. They each only have two starts by which to judge, so it’s a tough call for me. I’d be happy with either of these favorites, but I’d also like to see Gung Ho (15/1) make it to the wire first in this one, I certainly would like to see what he can do on Keeneland’s Polytrak after his last win on the turf at 1 m 30 yds.
 
Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity
October 08, $400,000, 2yo, 1 1/16M, Keeneland Race Course, 5:13 PM ET

ML
Post
Horse
Weight
Jockey
Trainer
15/1
1
121
J. M. Rios
S. Santoro
10/1
2
Space Race, 2, c.
121
E. Castro
M. R. Matz
15/1
3
Dullahan, 2, c.
121
K. J. Desormeaux
D. L. Romans
15/1
4
Motor City, 2, g.
121
C. H. Borel
I. R. Wilkes
7/2
5
121
G. K. Gomez
P. Miller
50/1
6
121
B. Creed
H. R. Reed
4/1
7
121
L. R. Goncalves
T. M Amoss
8/1
8
Lucky Chappy (IRE), 2, c.
121
R. A. Dominguez
H. G. Motion
8/1
9
121
J. Rosario
T. A. Pletcher
30/1
10
Ancil, 2, c.
121
M. R. Cruz
J. Scott
5/1
11
121
J. Graham
P. B. Byrne
8/1
12
Optimizer, 2, c.
121
R. Albarado
D. W. Lukas
50/1
13
121
S. J. Sellers
E. Gary
15/1
14
Gung Ho, 2, c.
121
J. R. Leparoux
M. J. Maker
20/1
15-AE
Fire Alarm, 2, c.
121
J. Theriot
W. B. Calhoun
20/1
16-AE
121
D. Centeno
J. D. Arias
 
Some heavy hitters here in race 9, his year’s GI Shadwell Turf Mile, including superstar Gio Ponti, the favorite at 5/2 and Sidney’s Candy, 3/1. I love races for 3 yo and up—I love the competition! I’ll admit that Gio Ponti is one of my favorite race horses so I’ll be rooting for him for certain. There are serious challengers here, including Wise Dan (12/1), who won his last two starts, which were at 1 m, and Irish-bred Zoffany (3/1), if he can stretch out to the mile.
 

Shadwell Turf Mile S.
October 08, $600,000, 3yo and up, 1 1/16M, Keeneland Race Course, 5:45 PM ET
ML
Post
Horse
Weight
Jockey
Trainer
15/1
1
Tajaaweed, 6, h.
126
J. Graham
D. C. Peitz
3/1
2
126
J. Rosario
T. A. Pletcher
8/1
3
126
J. P. Spencer
E. Vaughan
3/1
4
Zoffany (IRE), 3, c.
126
C. O’Donoghue
A. P. O’Brien
5/2
5
Gio Ponti, 6, h.
126
R. A. Dominguez
C. Clement
8/1
6
126
J. R. Leparoux
R. L. Attfield
12/1
7
Wise Dan, 4, g.
126
J. K. Court
C. Lopresti
5/1
8
Get Stormy, 5, h.
126
G. K. Gomez
T. M. Bush
 
 
My picks for these stakes:
Have fun and good luck!    

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