“Delta” Looks Royal as Ladies Take Center Stage in Breeders’ Cup

The ladies will get the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships off to a rousing start, with the marquee event, the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) run under the lights at Churchill Downs.

A field of ten fillies and mares will line up in the Ladies’ Classic, led by a trio of three-year- old fillies in Royal Delta, Plum Pretty, and It’s Tricky.

The last three-year-old filly to win the Ladies’ Classic was Ashado in 2004, when the race was called the Distaff. Seven three-year-old fillies have beaten their elders in the race in the first 27 runnings.

With Havre de Grade taking on the boys in the Classic and Blind Luck sitting on the sidelines after a poor showing in the Lady’s Secret (G1) on Oct. 1, the race seems ripe for a three-year-old to take down top honors.

The ten race card at Churchill Downs gets underway at 2:00 ET, with the first Breeders’ Cup race going off as the fifth race at 4:10 ET.

The Juvenile Sprint is the newest addition to the Breeders’ Cup menu and is the only race for the boys on the Friday afternoon card.

When the Juvenile Sprint was added it seemed likely the race would be oversubscribed with precocious two-year-old sprinters, but just nine will compete in the six furlong event led by the very quick Bob Baffert trainee Secret Circle.

While Friday is known as Ladies Day, there will be plenty of ladies in action on Saturday.

The headliners will be Havre de Grace taking on the boys in the Classic (G1) with Horse of the Year honors hanging in the balance, and the brilliant mare Goldikova is seeking her fourth straight win over males in the Mile (G1).

The European invader Meeznah, a four-year-old filly trained by David Lanigan is taking on the boys in the Marathon (G2) and is 12/1 on the morning line.

Three females will take on the boys in the Turf Sprint (G2): The TCA (G2) winner Holliday Kitten, Maddy (G3) winner Broken Dreams, and longshot Rapport, who was fourth in the TCA.

The four-year-old filly Sarafina is likely to go off as the favorite in the Turf (G1) and 2009 Filly & Mare Turf (G1) winner and 2010 runner up Midday is also taking on the boys in the Turf.

It will be tough to live up to the last two Breeders’ Cups where Zenyatta was the headliner, but Goldikova’s unprecedented run at a fourth Mile and Havre de Grace’s attempt to join Zenyatta as the only other female Classic winner will make for can’t miss viewing and betting.

Breeders’ Cup Television Coverage

November 4
Breeders' Cup World Championships, Churchill Downs, 4:00PM-8:00PM, ESPN2

November 5
Breeders' Cup World Championships, Churchill Downs, 2:00-3:30PM, ABC
Breeders' Cup World Championships, Churchill Downs, 3:30-7:30PM, ESPN

Let’s head out to Churchill Downs for Friday’s featured race of the day:

Churchill Downs Race 10 BC Ladies' Classic G1 (7:30 ET)

• Royal Delta 5/2
• Miss Match 10/1
• It's Tricky 5/1
• Plum Pretty 2/1

Analysis: Royal Delta is coming off a runner up finish behind Havre de Grace in the Beldame (G1) in her first start against older last out over a muddy surface that was kind to speed that day. Two back she won the Alabama (G1) at 1 1/4 miles. In that outing she stalked the early pace and finished up gamely while lugging in a bit inside the final furlong to win by 5 1/2 lengths, also over a racing strip that was kind to inside speed that day. The Bill Mott trainee put in one of the more impressive final morning preps on Oct. 30 that should have her primed and ready for a top effort here. I like her pedigree, by A.P. Indy out of the multiple stakes winner Delta Princess ($741K) who was a terror on grass.

Miss Match ships in from the left coast and she may get overlooked on the tote here. Note she took on the boys in her last two starts, a seventh in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) two back and a decent fourth last out in the Goodwood (G1), beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Game On Dude, a contender for tomorrow's Classic. Three back in her last go against females she was a close up third behind Blind Luck in the Vanity (G1) and she beaten Switch five back winning the Santa Margarita (G1) at nine furlongs on the main track at Santa Anita. She should appreciate the return to face females and her main three rivals are three year olds.

It's Tricky tracked the early pace from the outside, bumped with a rival entering the stretch and was unable to catch #8 Plum Pretty, who got clear in the stretch at Philly and won the Cotillion (G2) by 7 1/2 lengths. The filly has only missed landing in the exacta once in her career, and was a decent second two back in the Alabama behind our top pick over that speed friendly racing strip at the Spa. She is capable with her best and the 5/1 ML looks fair enough to give her a look.

Wagering
WIN: Royal Delta to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,3,6,8
TRI: 1,6 / 1,3,6,8 / 1,2,3,5,6,8

Michael Dempsey Has the Breeders’ Cup Covered
If you are looking for an edge for this year’s Breeders’ Cup, look to Turf ‘n’ Sport’s Michael Dempsey, one of the most respected handicappers in the industry, who has been handicapping the Breeders’ Cup professionally since its inception in 1984.

Michael got his subscribers off to a quick start last year, nailing the $453.60 exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

Michael’s Breeders' Cup Package includes: Selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for all of Breeders' Cup races over the two day event at Churchill Downs Nov. 4-5!