Horse Racing Betting - An early look at Breeders’ Cup contenders (Part 2)

• Who: Thoroughbreds – Ventura, Magical Fantasy, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Zensational, Conduit, etc.

• What: Bet Horses – 2009 Breeders’ Cup preview

• Where: Santa Anita

• When: Friday and Saturday, November 6th and 7th

With a little more than three weeks to go before the 2009 Breeders’ Cup kicks off at Santa Anita (on Friday, November 6th), it’s time to look at some of the contenders and do some preliminary horse racing betting handicapping (check the Betting Edge for Part 1 of this article):

Saturday, November 7th

2nd Race – BC Juvenile Turf: Interactif (final odds 1-1) was very impressive winning The Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland last weekend, but his Beyer (88) won’t scare anyone away. Trainer Todd Pletcher has another nice one in Eskendereya, so it appears he’s holding the strongest hand.

3rd Race – BC Turf Sprint: It will be interesting to see if the 5YO mare Diamondrella goes in here or winds up in The Mile. She’s on quite a roll, and stacks up well on class as well as the Beyer scale. California Flag appears to be the best of the California-based horses.

4th Race – BC Dirt Mile: Godolphin 3YO’s Regal Ransom and Midshipman will be tough off recent winning efforts. Midshipman won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on this track last year.

5th Race – BC Juvenile: Trainer Rick Dutrow is extremely high on Homeboykris, winner of The Champagne last out. However, it remains to be seen if that runner’s excellent form will transfer to the Pro-Ride surface. Noble’s Promise and Aikenite, the 1-2 finishers in last weekend’s Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, have at least demonstrated an affinity for poly-track.

6th Race – BC Mile: If last year’s dominant winner Goldikova shows up again, the rest will likely be running for second money. The U.S.-based milers are a rather undistinguished bunch, although Court Vision impressed in winning the Shadwell Turf Mile last weekend at Keeneland.

7th Race – BC Sprint: Zensational has lived up to his name, dominating West-Coast sprinters all year. Gayego has won four of his last five starts, including The Grade 1 Ancient Title most recently, and must be given an upset chance.

8th Race – BC Turf: Presious Passion has vaulted to the head of the class among U.S.-based turf marathon runners. Provided the turf is firm, he’ll be tough to catch at his favorite distance of 1 ½ miles. Conduit is expected back to defend his title, and will be a force from off the pace.

9th Race – BC Classic: European sensation Sea The Stars was retired this week, so the race has lost its main attraction. However, with top talent like Summer Bird, Mine That Bird, Quality Road, Rail Trip, Einstein, Richard’s Kid, and possibly the unbeaten mare Zenyatta in the mix, the field won’t be lacking for star power.

That’s the early Breeders’ Cup preview. As the event draws near, I’ll be able to present more detailed information, and take a closer look at the European invaders. Also, be sure to look for Breeders’ Cup head-to-head matchups at our racebook.

Once again, best of luck and happy gambling!

Pete Mitchell is BetOnline.com's horse racing expert.