Major Breeders’ Cup Preps This Weekend

• Who: Thoroughbreds – Blind Luck, Lookin At Lucky, Blame, Fly Down, Rail Trip, Paddy O’Prado, Zenyatta
• What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The Cotillion, The Indiana Derby, The Jockey Club Gold Cup, The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, The Lady’s Secret
• Where: Philadelphia Park, Hoosier Park, Belmont Park, Hollywood Park
• When: Saturday, October 2nd

Horse racing’s heavy hitters are in action this weekend, gearing up for The Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on the first weekend in November. Before we get to this weekend’s races, let’s take a quick look at the Breeders’ Cup schedule:

Friday, November 5th

Post (ET) Race

4:10 PM Breeders’ Cup Marathon

4:50 PM Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

5:30 PM Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

6:10 PM Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

6:50 PM Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

7:30 PM Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic

Saturday, November 6th

Post (ET) Race

1:50 PM Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

2:30 PM Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

3:15 PM Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

3:55 PM Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

4:40 PM Breeders’ Cup Mile

5:20 PM Breeders’ Cup Sprint

6:00 PM Breeders’ Cup Turf

6:45 PM Breeders’ Cup Classic

With five Grade 1 races at Belmont Park on Saturday and six Grade 1’s at Hollywood Park on Saturday and Sunday combined, it might be easy to overlook a pair of Grade 2’s – The Cotillion at Philadelphia Park and The Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park, both on Saturday. That would be a huge oversight, because division leaders Blind Luck (3YO Fillies) and Lookin At Lucky (3YO Males) headline those events, respectively.

Havre de Grace will be back to challenge her nemesis, Blind Luck, in The Cotillion. Lookin At Lucky will be an overwhelming choice in The Indiana Derby. At Belmont Park, Blame will be the favorite in The Jockey Club Gold Cup, but he could receive a stout challenge from either Rail Trip, who is making his first start on dirt, or Fly Down, the talented Nick Zito-trained three-year-old. Three-year-old turf sensation Paddy O’Prado will tackle the hard-hitting Winchester in The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Undefeated Zenyatta (18-for-18) will make her final pre-Breeders’ Cup start in The Lady’s Secret at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

French sensation Goldikova goes Sunday at Longchamp in The Prix de la Foret. If that goes well, she’ll attempt to become the only horse to win three consecutive Breeders’ Cup Miles.

Quality Road, who runs well fresh, will train up The Breeders’ Cup Classic. Unfortunately for race fans, reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra has been retired, and will be bred to champion Curlin. We’ll be left to wonder what would have happened if she had met up with the mighty Zenyatta. Enjoy this weekend’s smorgasbord of top-class horse racing! To quote the always-entertaining Harvey Pack: “May the horse be with you!”