On Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the stakes action will kick off with the $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes. A Grade 3 event for three-year-olds, the six-furlong contest has drawn a field of seven colts and geldings.
Wesley Ward will send out Sheikh of Sheikhs who has been installed as the heavy favorite at odds of 9-5 on the morning line. A bay son of Discreetly Mine, he was purchased for $330,000 as a juvenile and has two wins from three starts, including a stakes win. After winning his debut, he was sixth in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) but rebounded to win the Juvenile Dirt Sprint Stakes at Keeneland with a cut back in distance. Joel Rosario will be in the irons from the outside post.
Second choice at morning line odds of 3-1 is Noholdingback Bear for trainer Michael DePaulo. A bay son of Put it Back, he will be trying to earn the second victory of his career as well as his first black type win. He broke his maiden at first asking at Woodbine and followed that up with a runner-up effort behind Sheikh of Sheikhs in the Juvenile Dirt Sprint Stakes. Luis Saez will be aboard from post positon four.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 7-2 is Awesome Banner for trainer Stanley Gold. A homebred son of Awesome of Course for Jacks or Better Farm, the Florida-bred will be making his stakes debut after breaking his maiden in his first start. He defeated seven rivals as the favorite and set a new track record for four and a half furlongs in the process. Jose Caraballo will be aboard from post position two.
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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