Home » Sports » Horse Racing » 19th Breeders’ Cup Races

19th Breeders’ Cup Races

© Greg Melikov

This year's Breeders' Cup races should be exciting, maybe even more than the previous Grade 1 stakes. The eight, worth $13 million, will be staged Saturday at Arlington Park.

Here's how they shape up:

$2 Million Distaff, 1 1/8 miles, 3-year-olds and up: It appears a three-horse race between the likely favorite Azeri, Imperial Gesture and Take Charge Lady in one of the two smallest fields (eight) of the afternoon. Favorites at less than 3-1 have won 15 times. Azeri, the elder stakes champion at 4, goes for seven in a row while the other 3-year-olds have whipped older rivals. Watch the tote board.

$1 Million Juvenile Fillies, 1 1/8 miles: Unbeaten Storm Flying Lady will be the heavy favorite like the eight who have captured this race. Look for a 2-year-old from this country with stamina coming off the pace. Other contenders: Santa Catarina and Composure, trained by Bob Baffert, and longshot Ivanavinalot, who averaged more than 9 ½ lengths taking her last three stakes at Calder Race Course.

$1 Million Mile, on the turf, 3-year-olds and up: Twenty-four are nominated, but only 14 will enter the starting gate. Chalk wins 33 percent. Look for European horses, who have won this race seven times. Top contenders include Good Journey, seeking his fifth consecutive triumph; Rock of Gibraltar, winner of seven straight; and Beat Hollow, who captured the Arlington Million on Aug. 17.

$1 Million Sprint, six furlongs, 3-year-olds and up: All 18 winners have scored at the distance earlier in the year, but 11 didn't triumph in their final prep. It is the most wide-open race. Last year's runner-up Xtra Heat whipped males in her final prep while Orientate dominated sprint stakes during the summer. Other contenders: Bonapaw, who won a pair of stakes at Arlington's meeting, and 2000 Sprint winner Kona Gold, who posted recent sharp workouts.

$1 Million Filly & Mare Turf, 1¼ miles, 3-year-olds and up: Golden Apples posted a victory after a slow beginning two stakes back at Arlington. The 4-year-old also neat a pair of top contenders last time out: Voodoo Dancer and Banks Hill, who aims for two in a row after a convincing 5 ½-length triumph in last year's BC race.

$1 Million Juvenile, 1 1/8 miles: Endurance, like in the Juvenile Fillies, will play a major factor. Fifteen winners were among the top three favorites. Sky Mesa appears the colt to beat. Top challengers are Whywhywhy, Toccet and Vindication. All four have stakes victories like the 13 who won this race.

The copyright of the article 19th Breeders’ Cup Races in Horse Racing is owned by . Permission to republish 19th Breeders’ Cup Races in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.