The 36th edition of the Breeders’ Cup will kick off two days of action on Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
A lot of eyes will be on the Breeders’ Cup Classic, will run under the lights on Saturday evening, but with so many high-profile races in the mix, there are numerous opportunities to wager on horses that offer significant value.
Here are my best picks for this weekend’s races.
Friday
Juvenile Turf Sprint
It’s disappointing the Turf Sprint races aren’t being held over the 6.5 furlongs down the hill at Santa Anita — the greatest condition/course in racing. I’ll take a chance with Band Practice (No. 2 pole position) here. After running second in her debut and then having the saddle slip in her second start, she has won all three of her starts — the last against males. She appears to be versatile and the price is right. Its anyone’s guess which of the three Wesley Ward runners will fire — probably the longest price of the three is usually the answer. I’d also be interested in using A’Ali (10) in the exacta.