On Saturday, the stakes action at Santa Anita will continue with the inaugural running of the $100,000 Midnight Lute Stakes. The Grade 3 race will be contested at six and a half furlongs on the main track and has drawn a field of seven.
Topping the field at morning line odds of 4-5 is Secret Circle for trainer Bob Baffert. A five-year-old son of Eddington, he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in 2013 and finished a fast-closing second in the 2014 edition. He has been on the board in all thirteen of his career starts and while he has gone winless this year, he has seven lifetime victories. He was last seen finishing second in the Cigar Mile (G1) and will be reunited with Martin Garcia from post position six.
Ron Ellis will saddle the second choice, Seeking the Sherif, at morning line odds of 5-2. A five-year-old gelded son of Officer, he is trying to rebound after finishing eleventh in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). He has won seven of his twelve career starts with five of those victories coming this year. He has been training steadily since the Breeders’ Cup and has won six of his eight starts at Santa Anita. Edwin Maldonado will be aboard and they will break from post five.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 4-1 is Distinctiv Passion for trainer Jeff Bonde. A four-year-old son of With Distinction, he returned in September off of a nine-month layoff to run second in the Katella Stakes. He went gate to wire over a field of four rivals on the turf in an optional claiming race last time out to earn his fifth career victory. He has had a bullet workout since that race and will have Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith aboard from the outside post.
Saturday, January 29 at Gulfstream Park is one of the biggest races of the year: the Pegasus World Cup (G1)! This $3 million race, covering a mile and an eighth on the Gulfstream dirt track, drew a field of nine handicap horses. The eyes of the racing world will be on Gulfstream on Saturday, and you can bet it from the comfort of your own home here in Canada!
The Kentucky Derby trail makes its way to Oklahoma on Friday, December 17 for the Remington Springboard Mile! The race drew a field of nine up-and-coming two-year-olds to go a mile on the main track. The prizes are rich: a $400,000 purse, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) for the first four horses across the wire.
The Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), California’s most important Kentucky Derby Prep in December, is coming up on Saturday, December 11! The race features the most promising two-year-olds in California, set to go a mile and a sixteenth over the dirt at Los Alamitos Racecourse. The race offers a purse of $300,000, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points, apportioned 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.
Let's have a look at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf betting picks and predictions.
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