Monomoy Girl | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bloodlines: Top Breeders’ Cup Distaff Contenders Have More In Common Than Meets The Eye

The Breeders' Cup Classic annually draws the most attention from various media and the most betting interest from fans. But the Breeders' Cup Distaff is a race of premium, if sometimes unrecognized, merit, and this year's event should be one of the great ones with 2018 champion 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl (by Tapizar) and 2020 pro-tem champion filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) as the headline racers against a fleet of Grade 1 performers.

Both these outstanding horses share common characteristics. On the most superficial level, they are both chestnuts; both have speed and can carry it at least nine furlongs.

More emphatically, they possess the character and assertive attitudes so common among dominant racers. We have only to watch how each of these elite performers asserts herself through the stretch drive of their races to see that attitude in action.

In terms of pedigree similarities, Swiss Skydiver and Monomoy Girl descend in the male line from Eclipse through Bend Or, thence through Phalaris and his grandson Nearco, and then each is linebred multiple times through the deeper generations of their pedigrees to Phalaris in his various branches.

A foal of 1913, Phalaris was bred and raced by Lord Derby, who then put the dark brown racer to stud and reaped rewards and glories that even the avid admirers of Phalaris could not have predicted.

As a racer, Phalaris was quite a good horse. Strong and athletic, he won 16 of 24 starts, with three more efforts in the money, and he showed both high speed and the brawny determination to carry high weights successfully.

The best-known victories of Phalaris came with a pair of successes in the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket. The horse raced during the great social and economic upheaval of the Great War, during which many of the race meetings around England were suspended, but the English managed to uphold some traditions in the wake of the devastation from across the channel.

In 1916, when Phalaris was three, Lord Derby won the 1,000 Guineas with Canyon, by the Stanley House stallion Chaucer (St. Simon), and Phalaris began his 3-year-old season with a third place in the Craven Stakes, then was unplaced in the 2,000 Guineas. The colt won three races later in the season, then progressed notably in his next two seasons.

When assessing Phalaris's performances at four, which included carrying heavy weights and giving away chunks to the competition, the Bloodstock Breeders' Review made the following statement: “Phalaris inspires one with the belief that he is destined to make a great name for himself when he goes to the stud….”

That season, Phalaris won seven races in a row, after finishing second in his seasonal debut, and then lost his final start when unplaced in the Cambridgeshire Handicap.

At five, Phalaris won four of his five starts, at five, six, seven, and eight furlongs, but racing fans wouldn't recognize the names of those races because of the restrictions on sport. Begun when Phalaris was a yearling, World War I bracketed the horse's racing career and ended in 1918 after the retirement of Phalaris. Despite the limitations of a racing career during wartime, Lord Derby sent the good-looking horse to his Stanley House stud, where Phalaris stood alongside classic winner and classic sire Swynford (John o' Gaunt) and his half-brother Chaucer (St. Simon).

Phalaris was an immediate success and led the English sire list in 1925 and 1928. He sired classic winners Manna (Derby and 2,000 Guineas), Colorado (2,000 Guineas), Fairway (St. Leger), and Fair Isle (1,000 Guineas). Lord Derby also bred the classic-placed Pharos, who became a leading sire, getting Nearco among many others. In addition, Lord Derby bred the high-class juvenile Sickle, whom he sold to Joseph Widener to stand at Elmendorf Stud in Kentucky, and his full brother Pharamond, whom Lord Derby sold to Hal Price Headley and who stood at Beaumont Stud.

Sickle is the branch of Phalaris that produced Native Dancer, Raise a Native, Mr. Prospector, and Alydar. Pharamond founded the branch of Phalaris known today mostly through Tom Fool and his great son Buckpasser.

Sickle is the only branch today that holds up as a serious competitor to the dominion of the Nearco branch, which comes to us through Hail to Reason, Halo, More Than Ready; through Nasrullah, Bold Ruler, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, A.P. Indy, and Pulpit; through Northern Dancer, Danzig, Galileo, and many others. Swiss Skydiver is the Hail to Reason branch through More Than Ready's son Daredevil; Monomoy Girl is Nasrullah's branch through Tapit's son Tapizar.

Each of these exceptional racers, like much of their competition, have multiple lines of Phalaris in their extended pedigrees, and like the great founder of this great Thoroughbred family, they have speed, strength, and the determination to win.

The post Bloodlines: Top Breeders’ Cup Distaff Contenders Have More In Common Than Meets The Eye appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Distaff: Monomoy Girl ‘As Good As She’s Ever Been,’ Albarado ‘Very Confident’ In Swiss Skydiver

Ce Ce – Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce galloped on the main track at Keeneland under Osman Cedeno just after it opened for training at 6 o'clock Wednesday morning as she continued her preparation for a start in Saturday's $2 million Longines Distaff.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Ce Ce started 2020 with three consecutive victories including Grade 1 scores in the Beholder Mile at Santa Anita and the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Since then, she has two thirds followed by a fourth sprinting in the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs in her most recent start.

“It is not her fault,” McCarthy said. “She has had some excuses and there were some errors in judgment on my part. She is doing as well as she ever has.”

John Velazquez, who has won the Distaff twice, has the mount Saturday.

Dunbar Road – Grade 1 winner Dunbar Road galloped 1m of the Keeneland main track on Wednesday morning, per trainer Chad Brown. The earner of $1,016,040 goes after win number seven in her 11th start Saturday in the Longines Distaff. Fifth of 11 last year in the $2 million fixture, the Peter Brant-owned daughter of Quality Road will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who has been aboard for five of her six wins.

“She didn't break that well last time (when third in the Beldame),” Ortiz said. “I think the last race looks kind of bad, but it was also a really heavy track. She worked really good the other day (Nov. 1, 5f in 1:00 3/5 at Belmont Park).

“I know it's a tough race with these two fillies (Swiss Skydiver and Monomoy Girl), but she's a very honest filly,” Ortiz concluded.

“Hopefully she he can get a good position and make her run.”

Harvest Moon – Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon galloped on the main track shortly after 6 o'clock as she prepared to continue her march from a debuting runner in June to a Breeders' Cup starter in November.

Bred by Bamford, Harvest Moon did not start until June 12 at Santa Anita in a 1m grass race in which she finished third. Four subsequent starts on dirt have produced all victories.

“She is a late maturing filly and she had little niggling issues as a 2-year-old,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “The whole family is like that. I raced her dam (Qaraaba-GB) and she was a grass filly who won a stake for me at age 5 after racing in Europe. She only ran for me twice before she got hurt, but she is by Shamardal and (his offspring) could go on dirt.”

Flavien Prat, who has been aboard for all four of her victories, has the mount Saturday.

Horologist – There's a Chance Stable et al.'s Horologist, who exits a 3-length victory in Belmont's Beldame, will make her fourth start for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in the Longines Distaff on Saturday at Keeneland. Previously in the care of Richard Baltas for five races and John Mazza 11 races before then, the daughter of Gemologist appears in career form with her latest conditioner, while heading into her stiffest test.

In her first run for Mott, she won the Molly Pitcher by 2 lengths at Monmouth Park on July 18, seven weeks after failing to finish the Santa Maria at Santa Anita for Baltas. She returned Sept. 4, Kentucky Oaks Day, and was third to Distaff favorite Monomoy Girl, an effort that was bettered 30 days later when defying the toll of being close to a hot pace and finishing strongly to win the Beldame.

“If she can repeat the last race, we'll be in the game,” Mott said. “It's a very tough race with a couple tough fillies in there. I will wait until I have a chance to look at the Form in post position order. That always factors into it a little bit, but she looks like a stalker-type to me and her natural running style is being a stalker.

“Even though we have been training her and run her a few times, it looks like she's become a little stouter and a little stronger,” he continued. “She was coming off an effort in California where she was eased the time before, so anything would have been an improvement, but each race, from running big at Monmouth and not as well in the La Troienne to a really big race last time, she's become stronger.”

On Wednesday morning, Horologist left Keeneland's Barn 60 galloped an easy circuit of the main track.

Lady Kate – Lady Kate, who is seeking her first graded stakes victory, arrived at Keeneland around 8:30 a.m. after galloping 1m at Churchill Downs for trainer Eddie Kenneally. She is scheduled to visit the saddling paddock Thursday morning as part of her morning exercise.

Since finishing fourth in Keeneland's Spinster on Oct. 4, Lady Kate has breezed three times at Churchill Downs. Her most recent workout was a 4f drill in 48 1/5 on Oct. 31. The 4yo Bernardini filly campaigns for Anderson Stables, which purchased her for $485,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Monomoy Girl – The 2018 Longines Distaff winner Monomoy Girl continues to impress her trainer Brad Cox as she prepares for his second start in the race. The Tapizar mare won the 2018 Ashland at Keeneland to give Cox his first career Grade 1 before capturing the Kentucky Oaks and eventually ending that year with her Breeders' Cup score. This year's Distaff will be only her second start at the famed Lexington track, but she is very familiar with her surroundings here.

“She's good, really good,” Cox said. “She's as good as she's ever been honestly. It's scary to see how well she's moving, how happy she is and how fresh she is. She really likes Keeneland. She spent a lot of time here as a 2-year-old and obviously won the Ashland here and prepared for the Ashland here. She was here for a few weeks before the race then. And, she spent a good time here this spring. Most of her works before getting back to races were here at Keeneland. She does love it here, there's no doubt about it.”

Monomoy Girl had a routine gallop Wednesday with regular rider Fernando Espinoza on board.

Ollie's Candy – Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy galloped 1 1/2m shortly after the main track opened at 6 o'clock with Juan Leyva in the saddle for trainer John Sadler.

Sadler took over the training of Ollie's Candy in 2019 and has started her 10 times with the first two being on turf.

“She had been running on turf when we got her but she had won on the all-weather (at Golden Gate) and the Summertime Oaks on dirt at Santa Anita,” Sadler said. “I have trained many Candy Rides and I know they are good on a variety of surfaces.

“We took her down to Del Mar (after her two grass starts) and she trained so well on the dirt we made the decision to run her on it.”

Joel Rosario, who has ridden her in five of her 15 starts and most recently to a runner-up finish in the Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland, has the mount Saturday.

Point of Honor – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing LLC's Point of Honor galloped 1 3/8m at Keeneland Wednesday morning in her quest to earn her first Grade I victory in Saturday's Distaff.

The 4yo daughter of Curlin, who is rated at 30-1 in the morning line, has been second or third in six top-grade stakes, including the Coaching Club of America Oaks, Alabama, Apple Blossom, Ogden Phipps, Personal Ensign and Beldame.

“We need a good trip. We need things to happen, but I don't think it's that far-fetched. She was in a big field in the Apple Blossom. There were some very good mares in there, several Grade 1 winners. With a little more luck, she could have won that,” trainer George Weaver said. “She needs a little luck. She needs the right trip.”

Point of Honor, who will face the likes of 2018 Distaff winner Monomoy Girl and Preakness heroine Swiss Skydiver Saturday, has employed an off-the-place style while finishing in the money in all but one of her 11 career starts.

“Obviously, I'm a big fan of Swiss Skydiver. She ran huge in the Preakness. She's very talented. I saw her win the Alabama [at Saratoga],” Weaver said. “There are a few horses to beat in there. Maybe (Swiss Skydiver) will apply some pressure when it's needed there during the race and set up a pace a little bit.”

Swiss Skydiver – It's unusual for a trainer to have a hard time finding a jockey for a multiple graded stakes winner, but that was the position trainer Kenny McPeek found himself in several times this year with Swiss Skydiver. When he needed a jockey to ride the Grade 1 winner, who had already proven herself successful against the boys when second in the Blue Grass, in the Preakness, he turned to his old friend Robby Albarado. The subsequent victory was redemption for both the trainer and rider. Swiss Skydiver's win over Kentucky Derby winner Authentic validated McPeek's decision to go in the race and brought Albarado back to the national spotlight.

Albarado doesn't plan on letting Swiss Skydiver get away and has been her regular exercise rider all week, coming out in the first set for what McPeek calls an “uncomplicated” gallop.

“She's doing extremely well,” Albarado said. “I want to say she's doing as good if not better than she was at Pimlico (Preakness week). She's moving really well. She's very confident. She's so smart about everything. She knows where she's at and what she has to do.”

Reflecting on the Preakness, Albarado said it couldn't have been a better week.

“It was a fun week,” he said. “To be around a filly like her is a real treat. She's rare. She doesn't care about gender. She's very confident in everything she did all week. That instilled a lot of confidence in me to make all the decisions I needed to in the race. I know it was a bold move to make on the backside, but she was willing to do it herself. She's such a champion. There was no way Authentic was going by her. Even past the wire, he wasn't getting by her. That shows her guts.”

Swiss Skydiver drew post position five and is the 2-1 second choice behind 2018 Longines Distaff winner Monomoy Girl.

“I love my draw. I love being where I'm at. We have to beat them all. If they weren't good, they wouldn't be in the race, but I guess the main threat is Monomoy Girl on the outside. I just want to get away clean and get through the first turn to see where we're at. Hopefully, I can get her tucked in the same as in the Preakness and tick off the 12s like she likes to do. Every eighth of mile, she'll go in 12 (seconds) and comes home as fast as you want her.”

Albarado has three Breeders' Cup victories, including the 2007 Classic on Curlin, but has not had a mount in the event since 2017 as he saw his business decline.

“She came along at the perfect time,” Albarado said. “I needed a filly like her to get back on the stage that I had gotten accustomed to. I haven't been on a filly as nice as her. It's worked out for everyone.”

Valiance – The remarkably consistent Valiance brings a record of six wins in eight starts to the Distaff. The winner of Keeneland's Juddmonte Spinster on Oct. 4 has won on fast and sloppy tracks and on turf at four tracks. The 4yo daughter of Tapit is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Martin Schwartz, who purchased her for $650,000 at Fasig-Tipton Co.'s Saratoga selected yearling sale.

“Before she raced, we had high hopes for her based on her pedigree,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Then she won her first start and won a stakes in her third start. You don't very often see a horse that can step up in class in their first three starts. We liked her a lot before that, but that really stamped her quality. She has filled out and gotten stronger and that has allowed her to get better on the dirt this year as opposed to being primarily a turf filly.”

Through Nov. 3, Pletcher is one victory away from becoming the eighth North American-based trainer to win 5,000 races.

“It would be great if it happened in a Breeders' Cup race, but we have a few runners before that and we hope to win any race we can,” he said. “It is a great milestone for the team. A lot of people put forth a great amount of effort to make it happen. Lots of good horses and good clients over the years – we have been fortunate and are excited that it will happen.”

The post Distaff: Monomoy Girl ‘As Good As She’s Ever Been,’ Albarado ‘Very Confident’ In Swiss Skydiver appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Distaff Notes: Ce Ce Should Be ‘Forwardly Placed,’ Alvarado Feeling ‘Really Good’ About Horologist

Ce Ce – Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce got her first sampling of the main track at Keeneland at 6 o'clock Tuesday morning galloping under exercise rider Osman Cedeno for trainer Michael McCarthy. Ce Ce had galloped on the all-weather training track Monday morning following her arrival from her Southern California base.

Ce Ce, who will be ridden by John Velazquez in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff drew post position one and is 12-1 on the morning line.

“I was hoping for somewhere between four and eight,” McCarthy said. “Coming out of a seven-eighths race (the Derby City Distaff in which she finished fourth), I expect her to be forwardly placed just in behind the first flight.”

Dunbar Road – Peter Brant's Dunbar Road, one day after arriving from New York, jogged a circuit of Keeneland's main track. The 2019 Alabama winner has pleased trainer Chad Brown with her preparation and will run in the Longines Distaff for the second consecutive year, having finished fifth of 11 in 2019 at Santa Anita. She enters off a lackluster performance in the Beldame at Belmont, finishing third by 5¼ lengths after going off as the even-money favorite.

“I don't know what happened in her last race,” Brown said. “The only thing I can say—I know it's an unpopular excuse—but maybe she didn't like the track. She trained really, really well, but then just never picked her feet up in the race. I was so shocked by it. She's come back and trained brilliantly.

“She has a run at Keeneland before, last year, and I thought she ran quite well,” Brown continued. “She had a tough, tight trip down inside and should have won the Spinster.”

This season, Dunbar Road has raced just three times, winning the Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs in May before landing July's Delaware Handicap by 3 lengths.

Harvest Moon – Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon was back on the main track at 6 o'clock to gallop a day after jogging on Keeneland's all-weather training track.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Harvest Moon drew post two for Saturday's Distaff and will be partnered as she has in her past four starts by Flavien Prat. Harvest Moon is 12-1 on the morning line.

“That should be OK,” Callaghan said. “All the speed is to her outside and she should be able to get a good position.”

Horologist – New Jersey-bred Horologist—owned by Medallion racing, Abbondanza racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, There's A Chance Stable, Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher—will attempt to give trainer Bill Mott a record-extending sixth win in the Longines Distaff on Saturday and drew post four of 10 in the race. Junior Alvarado will ride, seeking his first Breeders' Cup trophy.

“I feel really good about her,” Alvarado said. “She ran a big race at Belmont. They were going pretty quick and I was worried, but when I asked her, she really kicked for me and came home fast. I know it's a good race, but I have a lot of confidence in her and I think she could be one of my best chances on Saturday.”

Alvarado has five mounts in this weekend's Championship races.

Lady Kate – Lady Kate jogged and galloped at Churchill Downs and will train again there Wednesday prior to shipping to Keeneland. All Breeders' Cup entrants for Saturday's races must be at Keeneland by 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Lady Kate, fourth behind Distaff entrants Valiance and Ollie's Candy in Keeneland's Juddmonte Spinster Stakes Oct. 4, drew the No. 6 post position in the field of 10.

“We are happy with the post position,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “It is a strong, deep race with very good fillies and mares and we are not under estimating any of them. This is the biggest race of her career and she is coming into it phenomenal. She couldn't be doing any better and she couldn't look any better.”

Monomoy Girl – The 2018 Longines Distaff winner Monomoy Girl left the barn to gallop with regular exercise rider Fernando Espinoza at 7:50 a.m. and continues to impress as she attempts her second victory in the 1 1/8m race. She missed all of 2019 because of a series of minor setbacks, but has been perfect in three starts this year, including the La Troienne on the Kentucky Oaks undercard Sept. 4 in her most recent start.

“We considered the Spinster (Oct. 4) after the La Troienne, but we thought with the timing it worked out better to go straight into the Distaff given the fact that we have spaced her races out this year,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It seems to be working well. We wanted to stay on the same pattern. She couldn't be doing any better.”

Ollie's Candy – Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy galloped 1 1/2m on the main track under Juan Leyva for trainer John Sadler.
Rated as a 10-1 chance on the morning line for the Distaff, Ollie's Candy will break from post nine under Joel Rosario.

“The post is fine,” Sadler said. “It is a little bit outside but I prefer it to being inside.”

Fourth in the Distaff last year at Santa Anita, Ollie's Candy is winless in 2020 but has three runner-up finishes and two thirds from five starts that all came in Grade 1 races.

“It is tremendously frustrating being a head or neck from winning Grade 1s,” Sadler said. “Her owner (Paul Eggert) has a saying that maybe she is saving her luck for the big day.”

Ollie's Candy has raced at five tracks in 2020, most recently at Keeneland where she was second in the Juddmonte Spinster Oct. 4.

“I don't think she cares that much for the main track at Santa Anita,” Sadler said. “She has run all over … Oaklawn, Belmont, Keeneland … and even though she hasn't won, I think her form is better and her speed figures are better.”

Point of Honor – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing LLC's Point of Honor galloped 1 3/8m over Keeneland's main track Tuesday morning in preparation for a start in the Distaff.

Despite finishing 1-2-3 in 10 of 11 career starts, including five Grade 1 placings, Point of Honor was rated at 30-1 following Monday's post position draw for the particularly deep Distaff field.

“She's shown up every time. Even though she's not winning, she hits the board,” trainer George Weaver said. “You always see her face coming down the lane.”

Weaver understands the imposing challenge the 4yo daughter of Curlin will face while meeting the likes of Monomoy Girl, the 8-5 morning line favorite who won the 2018 Distaff and is undefeated this year, and Swiss Skydiver, the 2020 Preakness winner who is rated at 2-1.

“They don't give these races away. They're championship races. You don't find easy spots,” he said. “Throughout the year, you might find an easy one, but this is where everyone comes together, which makes it a special event.”

Swiss Skydiver – Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver made her usual early appearance Tuesday morning with regular rider Robby Albarado on board and jogged once around before an easy 1 1/2m gallop.

The Daredevil filly has only made one start at Keeneland in her career when second in the Blue Grass to Art Collector in July, but she does hold a bit of a home-court advantage in the Distaff.

“She's stabled here a lot in her career, that bottom barn has been our base for a long time,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “She knows the routine of walking up the hill. Robby's getting on her all week. He wanted to, which I like. She's just doing pretty basic stuff.”

Swiss Skydiver, who was second in the Kentucky Oaks, enters the Distaff off her victory against males in the Preakness Stakes, which was a very satisfying victory for McPeek.

“It was pretty awesome,” McPeek said. “We stuck our necks out because we thought she deserved a chance. It was a tough call because we had to decide to go against straight 3-year-olds or go against older horses. We felt like the upside was there and she came through for us. It was very cool.”

Valiance – The winner of Keeneland's Spinster on Oct. 4 got reacquainted with the track Tuesday morning after arriving Monday from trainer Todd Pletcher's Belmont Park base.

“I love the way she has been training,” Pletcher said. “She was very enthusiastic this morning.”

Valiance has won six of eight career starts by racing just behind the leaders in the early parts of the race.

“I think (the eight of 10) post position in the Distaff is fine,” Pletcher said. “With a mile and an eighth race, you have time to get over and see how the race unfolds. What is important for her is to get in a good steady rhythm. There is enough pace in there, so I suspect she will be in the second tier.”

The post Distaff Notes: Ce Ce Should Be ‘Forwardly Placed,’ Alvarado Feeling ‘Really Good’ About Horologist appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Baffert Trio Draws Outside, Tiz the Law Two in Loaded Breeders’ Cup Classic

Continuing a trend of favorites and short prices drawing outside at Monday’s Rood & Riddle Breeders’ Cup Post Position Draw, the potent trio of Bob Baffert contenders in the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic drew next door to each other in the three widest posts in a loaded field for the 1 1/4-mile test.

Given a slight nod on the morning line at 5-2, Improbable (City Zip) was parked in the eight-hole when pills were pulled. The ‘TDN Rising Star’, who had an up-and-down 3-year-old season, has come into his own at four, scoring three straight Grade I tallies in the Gold Cup S., Whitney S. and Awesome Again S.

One slot to his outside is Baffert’s GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief). The last horse standing for his powerhouse barn in the Run for the Roses after several of Baffert’s top contenders dropped away through the season, Authentic went wire to wire and gamely repelled odds-on favorite Tiz the Law (Constitution) to score. He was then a narrow runner-up to the game Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GI Preakness S.

Widest out is Maximum Security (New Year’s Day). The biggest lightning rod of a horse in recent memory, the Gary and Mary West homebred was famously disqualified from a victory in last year’s GI Kentucky Derby for interference, won a champion 3-year-old statuette and this year’s $20-million Saudi Cup, then was mentioned by name in an indictment of his trainer Jason Servis earlier this year that alleged widespread doping of Servis’s horses. Transferred to Bob Baffert since, he scored in the GII San Diego H. and GI TVG Pacific Classic before finishing a well-beaten second to Improbable in the Awesome Again.

Tiz the Law, victor of the GI Curlin Florida Derby, GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S., seemed well on his way to a divisional title before coming up short in the Derby. Passing on the Preakness, he has trained up to the Classic for Barclay Tagg and drew post two. The only other horse in single digits on the morning-line is Tom’s d’Etat (Blame), who annexed the GII Stephen Foster S. earlier this year.

In the draw for the GI Longines Distaff, champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) took the worst of it, pulling the widest draw in a field of 10 as the 8-5 chalk. Victress of the 2018 Distaff at Churchill, she is set to clash with ascendant sophomore filly Swiss Skydiver (post five) as one of the most anticipated battles of the weekend.

Other notable horses who drew outside posts Monday include Complexity (Maclean’s Music). Made the 2-1 favorite for the GI Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, the GII Kelso S. winner is in post 10, a highly disadvantageous starting point for a race that will feature an extremely short run before horses bend into the first turn. Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), the 8-5 favorite for the GII Juvenile Turf Sprint, drew widest of all in post 14. Got Stormy (Get Stormy, post 12 in the GI Turf Sprint, 7-2), Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}, post 14 in the GI Sprint, 3-1), and Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}, post 11 in the GI Mile, 4-1) are also in double-digit posts as the morning-line favorites in their respective races.

The shortest-priced favorite of the two days on the morning line is 7-5 Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music), who dodged a bullet in the GI Juvenile draw when pulling post seven while 13 and 14 were still unfilled with just five pills to go.

Overall, 184 horses were entered in the 14 races, seven of which feature overflow fields. The action kicks off Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET with the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

The post Baffert Trio Draws Outside, Tiz the Law Two in Loaded Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post