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2018 Breeders' Cup - Saturday recap

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2205: Many thanks for joining us over the past couple of nights - it's been a Breeders' Cup blast and hopefully you've found a few winners en route.

Enable the obvious highlight from this evening's action and here's hoping we get to see more of her back in Britain through 2019.

Final word, though, from John Gosden for Roaring Lion, the star three-year-old colt of 2018 in Britain:

"He was smashed up leaving the gate, which put him in the wrong position as he got the worst of it (kickback). And after that we were on the back foot completely.

"He's finished now, he's been a fabulous horse, with a great attitude to life."

2155: Experience comes to the fore as five-year-old Accelerate toughs it out under Joel Rosario - and it's a first every Breeders' Cup winner for trainer John Sadler, who was 0-41 coming into the week. He's finally put the record straight and sound pretty happy about the whole experience.

Mendelssohn led and went too quick while Thunder Snow was never far off the pace and came to lay down a challenge at the top of the straight.

Ultimately it was the fast-finishing and never-nearer Gunnevera who flew home for second at 28/1 with Thunder Snow third under a 'strong' Christophe Soumillon drive.

Roaring Lion ate the kick-back and was under a drive soon after halfway, while the Baffert pair of West Coast and McKinzie both flattened out after looking live contenders turning into the final bend.

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

1st ACCELERATE (9/2)

2nd Gunnevera

3rd Thunder Snow

4th Yoshida

2138: Thunder Snow completes the European challenge in the Classic and the Dubai World Cup winner has also been working back from this race for a long time.

He finished ahead of Mendelssohn last time in their prep but it doesn't tell the whole story as he was picking up the scraps after Mendelssohn had helped set a fierce pace up front.

Mendelssohn looks the pick of the Euros then but the money is down for McKinzie, Bob Baffert's big three-year-old hope.

I'm a fan of his stablemate West Coast, third last year to Gun Runner and a fair second on his comeback behind Accelerate. He was odds-on when second to Thunder Snow in the Dubai World Cup and feel there's more to come from him as a four-year-old after a relatively quiet year.

2128: The build-up to the Classic is in full flow and the first thing to report from the betting market is that Roaring Lion is positive... everything in my bones is telling me this fantastic grey has everything against him. He's a huge talent and still improving according to connections but I'd liken this to switching from fell-running to cross-country skiing.

The dirt surface is such a different challenge for Roaring Lion and it's not easy - just ask Mendelssohn. He's been over in the States plenty already and learnt a swift lesson in the Kentucky Derby here earlier in the year.

He's looked happier since then but has something to find with Catholic Boy on their Travers form.

2120: Still no decision over whether Enable stays in training at five, but John Gosden has joked in the winner's circle that she has to remain in training to help put Dettori's children through college...

2114: The tactics there were something to behold. Moore slipped up the inside of Enable after Dettori angled out of the poached ground. Magical came between horses to take it up entering the straight and, both angling further and further wide, they fought out a stretch run for the ages.

"She's a magnificent filly with great mental strength," said John Gosden. "She showed great courage and it's very much down to the filly and the man that bred her in Prince Khalid. Magical is a very special filly as well, she ran a great race."

2108: A brilliant horse race. Simply brilliant.

Enable breaks the hoodoo of Arc winners coming to the Breeders' Cup Turf in the same season and she's done it the hard way, blocked a buffeted by Hunting Horn for much of the trip and then challenge wholeheartedly in the straight by Magical, who just couldn't shake off the wonder-filly Enable, who showed all her class.

"Her wheels were spinning on the soft ground," says a beaming Frankie Dettori.

"She conquered America! She's done it and she's very special."

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP TURF

1st ENABLE (8/13 favourite)

2nd Magical

3rd Sadler's Joy

4th Arklow

2048: The O'Brien team have barely had a kick yet, it has to be said, but Ryan Moore should get a good position on Magical from stall five. She's got to be thereabouts on ground she clearly loves.

2045: All eyes on Enable and she does look to have taken everything in her stride.

You can dress these things up as much as you want but from a punting perspective she's there to be opposed after scraping home at "85% fit" in the Arc. Should could obviously step up on that bare form but I wouldn't want to bank on that being the case at 8/13.

Waldgeist was a bit unlucky not to finish a bit closer to her at Longchamp but Magical was still working her way back to top form that day and never really got involved from a wide draw.

She got extremely involved in the Filly & Mares Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day subsequently and the back-end campaign she's had looks bang on for a big run here.

Eight Arc winners have come to the BC Turf in the same year and none have done the double.

2024: Step forward the new champion filly - Monomoy Girl. She's carried all before her in the three-year-old division this season and now she's crowned a Breeders' Cup winner.

It just wasn't to be for Abel Tasman, who didn't improve on her last effort and hasn't brought anything like her A-game.

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF

1st MONOMOY GIRL (9/4)

2nd Wow Cat

3rd TBC

4th TBC

2012: Fleshing out the Stoute quotes following Expert Eye's Mile success: "Frankie was great on him - he scared me a bit, but he was brilliant on him, he knew what was under him.

"He just got there in time, I thought he was a little too far back early on. I didn't make a plan, I thought he could do his own thing, he's been round here enough. He's just had some problems with the stalls that affected him mentally in the spring, but the team behind him have done a wonderful job."

2002: It's the Breeders' Cup Distaff up next and while it's probably one most Euro punters will look to sit out, I'd have nominated Abel Tasman as my Nap of the meeting a couple of weeks ago.

Granted, she was 4/1 then and she's now 2/1 favourite but the pick of her form is head and shoulders above these. She's a champion and she's trained by Bob Baffert. A terrible prep run can hopefully be ignored (said to have been unwell) and if she's back on song I've no doubt she's the one they have to beat.

Wow Cat is definitely the fly in the ointment. She's a multiple top-class winner in Chile and has gradually found her stride for Chad Brown. Her form isn't up to Abel Tasman, but there's still untapped potential and we now all know what Brown can do with improving fillies.

1952: "He behaved really well and he finished strongly. All the credit goes to Sir Michael really," Frankie Dettori could hardly sound more relaxed ahead of Enable's bid for glory in the Turf.

1945: Expert Eye is a miler after all! Sir Michael Stoute has a brilliant record when sending horses to the Breeders' Cup and this three-year-old has finally broken his duck over the one mile trip.

He's essentially the best seven furlong horse in Britain, winning the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the City Of York Stakes, while he was a big eye catcher when third in the Moulin at Longchamp last time.

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP MILE

1st EXPERT EYE (9/2 favourite)

2nd Catapult

3rd Analyze It

4th Divisidero

1930: We were lucky enough to be joined by DRF's Steve Andersen on the Racing Podcast earlier this week and his outsider in the Mile was Next Shares, who he said hadn't been showing much out on the west coast but had relished running on easier ground at Keeneland of late.

1924: Oscar Performance is the big home hope and he looks primed to go close. He beat Lancaster Bomber in the Juvenile Turf two years back and his efforts last year over the wrong distance can be excused.

He's understandably popular under Jose Ortiz, brother of Irad Ortiz who has been among the winners already this weekend.

1918: Gosden is on the prowl.

1915: The Breeders' Cup Mile is next up and numerically Europe is well represented with eight runners.

You do just feel that Aidan O'Brien is going to come to the party at some point. Obviously the soft ground hasn't been the plan for the horses he's aimed at the Breeders' Cup but he's got a few here who could be suited by conditions.

Gustav Klimt is my own idea of the winner but it's hard to be overly confident in such an open race and I Can Fly has got the support of Ben Linfoot in his Value Bet preview. Could this be a Jamie Spencer special?

Happily has some soft ground top-class form in the book and is strong in the market, while Clemmie is no back-number, certainly based on her two-year-old form. It's probably stretching it to suggest she can come back to her best here of all places, but she's not a bad fourth string.

1905: Roy H's trainer Peter Miller is some man. It's a fourth Breeders' Cup win for the trainer and his second on the night.

1900: Some reaction from the Filly & Mare Turf, with Charlie Appleby magnanimous in defeat.

He said: "She has lost nothing in defeat, and the winner is the filly who I thought was going to be our big danger. You could see she was making good inroads after following us through the race.

"Now we will try to reboot for next year and obviously she is a very nice horse to have around."

William Buick said: "I felt I was in a good spot and comfortable all the way through the race, and all in all I was delighted with her. We have been beaten by a good filly, who I knew was tracking me the whole way.

"I just hoped when I kicked, that we had enough of a lead, but it wasn't quite enough. She's had a great season, and has lost nothing in defeat here."

Brown, who had five in the race, said: "Thais was in there to ensure a good pace. She missed the break standing in there too long and couldn't get on the lead. Sistercharlie knows where the wire is. She has a lot of heart and lunged for the line. She's a winner."

1852: It's the double-double in the sprint races for Peter Miller - Stormy Liberal followed-up up his 2017 in the Turf Sprint earlier and stablemate Roy H has slammed his rivals for the second year running in the Sprint.

Stall nine was no issue at all and Paco Lopez wasn't required to get anything like serious on the sizeable winner.

Roy H and Paco a marriage made in heaven...

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT

1st ROY H (5/2)

2nd Whitmore

3rd Imperial Hint

4th Promises Fulfilled

1838: Joint-favourites for the Sprint now and it's clear that Roy H was the value around 7/2 just a couple of days ago.

He picked up old rival Imperial Hint quite easily in Del Mar last year and will look to come and grab the speedy pocket rocket late on once again.

He's apparently circling back to peak form and while Imperial Hint has been devastatingly impressive in his preps, this is the big one and I prefer Roy H of the pair.

1825: Perhaps the most galling thing for Wild Illusion backers is that in the past this race has been contested over 10 furlongs but the configuration of the Churchill track means this year's was an extra furlong. It's just ultimately caught Wild Illusion out but she's run huge given everything that happened at the start.

1822: It's a fourth victory in the Filly & Mare Turf for Brown, who last won it with champion Stephanie's Kitten in 2015. The win puts him clear on his own as the most successful trainer in the race, Sir Michael Stoute having won it thee times in the past.

1815: The home team strike again and it's that man Chad Brown with another classy filly.

Just about everything went against Wild Illusion, who was recalcitrant at the stalls, missed the break and had to be bumped along to get a position, but Sistercharlie produced a really quality burst down the straight to pick up the Godolphin horse.

William Buick effectively got to, and past, the horse he was aiming at - front-runner A Raving Beauty - but John Velazquez swooped to the front in the last 100 yards.

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY & MARE TURF

1st SISTERCHARLIE (3/1)

2nd Wild Illusion

3rd A Raving Beauty

4th Magic Wand

1809: She's in the stalls! And they're off.

1808: Wild Illusion is playing up seriously badly, just as she did before the Opera. It looks like they're going to struggle to get her in. This is not good news.

1754: In short, Wild Illusion is a strong fancy here (the first of which was City Of Light as detailed below).

She looks ready for action... Hopefully not too buzzed up.

1745: The other Irish challenger is Magic Wand and Aidan O'Brien could use a bit of luck this weekend. Stall 10 might not be a disaster and we know she's capable of beating Wild Illusion having beaten her into second in the Ribblesdale.

But that was quick ground in the heart of the summer and it was a mile and a half. Wild Illusion just looks a bigger, better filly now.

As for Brown's quintet, the money has come for Fourstar Crook, who is drawn one under Irad Ortiz. She was a wide-margin winner at Belmont in a Grade One last time.

1740: It's the Filly & Mare Turf up next and Wild Illusion tops the betting. There's plenty lining up to take her on and none more so than Chad Brown - the king of the fillies in the States saddling five runners.

Dermot Weld doesn't venture to these parts without a chance and Eziyra has been well found in the betting under Frankie Dettori. From what we've seen so far of the turf course, however, stall 14 of 14 for the big Irish hope is a shocker.

1730: That's a pretty impressive performance from City Of Light and you just sensed that turning in he was a strong stayer who was never going to be overhauled.

Javier Castellano was able to have a little look behind a couple of furlongs out and City Of Light just extended away.

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE

1st CITY OF LIGHT (11/4)

2nd Seeking The Soul

3rd Bravazo

4th Firenze Fire

1705: I'm happy to be against Catalina Cruiser, personally. I have no doubt he's a quality operator but can he handle the step up in grade against some grizzled dirt performers? We just don't know and at such skinny prices I'm not willing to cough up to find out.

It's second favourite City Of Light for me. He's totally unexposed at the trip and it was a toss-up whether he'd come here or run in the Classic. He beat Classic fav Accelerate over 10 furlongs earlier in the season and he wouldn't have been out of place in the big one.

He prepped at 7f and ran a blinder in second after a wide trip - that can be marked up and there's surely a massive run in him here if he handles his first start at the track.

Javier Castellano, rider of Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Bulletin and among the best riders in the world, keeps the ride. The horse is 11/4 with Sky Bet.

1656: Ruby Notion ran on well to get a piece of the pie but the front two were well clear of the rest and the less said about Lost Treasure the better. He was all at sea from the off and Moore essentially dropped anchor before the home turn.

1655: Two in a row for Stormy Liberal, who follows up last year's victory at Del Mar with a hard-fought success over old foe World Of Trouble in very different conditions to 12 months ago.

It's a notable success for young rising star Drayden Van Dyke who was the leading rookie on the west coast last year and has been seriously impressive in those parts throughout 2018.

He's on unbeaten potential superstar Catalina Cruiser in the next race - the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Catalina Cruiser is a Sky Bet Price Boost - check out all the live Breeders' Cup odds and offers right here...

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP TURF SPRINT

1st STORMY LIBERAL (6/1)

2nd World Of Trouble

3rd Disco Partner

4th Ruby Notion

1630: The one I've noted at a much bigger price is Ruby Notion.

She's a five-year-old mare and she's drawn in one which might not be ideal but she's a horse who lost her way for previous connections and does look to have regained some of the old sparkle.

Crucially, she's also proven on ground with cut. She's be the second choice and I've thrown some shillings on the Lost Treasure/Ruby Notion forecast. It's not a strong view, to say the least.

1625: Next up under the Twin Spires is the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and Europe have a terrible record. So bad in fact that 'we' have never won it (we've only had 10 editions).

There's only Havana Grey and Lost Treasure (both first time Lasix) in the line-up this time and the home defence looks strong.

Lost Treasure is a funny old fish but he's got talent and I could certainly see Ryan Moore poking his mount's nose into the picture late on if it all pans out for him.

It's a small each-way play on the O'Brien runner here, but there's not much between the US trio at the top of the betting. World Of Trouble clearly the pick for punters now as Irad Ortiz looks to double up on the day.

1615: Bullet dodged in the first. I'm a sucker for a Baffert shortie but that looked a bit of a minefield before the off and Selcourt going sub-22 seconds for the opening quarter has really put the strain on a lot of these fillies.

It's a really tight call in the end, with outsider Shamrock Rose just edging ahead of Chalon who was over towards the rail.

It's a winner for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Irad Ortiz, who had a mixed night yesterday, riding Newspaperofrecord to victory and just missing out on not getting the stewards' call he was expecting on Uncle Benny in the Juvenile Turf.

Here's a weirdly good clip of the finish...

RESULT – BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY & MARE SPRINT

1st SHAMROCK ROSE (20/1)

2nd Chalon

3rd Anonymity

4th Marley's Freedom

1600: There's strictly got to be a little bit of value in the current 11/8 Marley's Freedom on these shores, with the Baffert filly 4/5 on the local boards. She'd be my pick if forced but I think we've firmly established we only need to pull the trigger tonight if we're absolutely sure.

1552: The trumpets are sounding and they're heading to post for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. If you don't fancy the favourite, you're getting a nice price about your alternative and our resident tipster Man On The Spot - who is an international fiend - reckons there's value elsewhere.

4.00 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint preview

'Marley's Freedom has won all three starts since joining Bob Baffert in May, culminating in a Grade 1 success at Saratoga in August. She’s a deserving favourite on recent form but may be compromised by today’s high draw and is taken on with SELCOURT. The latter hasn’t raced since March when easily beating Marley's Freedom in a Grade 2 at Santa Anita but has gone well fresh before and John Sadler’s filly may well have improved in the interim. Golden Mischief steps up in trip having narrowly beaten the re-opposing Chalon over 6f at Keeneland and is a threat if lasting home while Skye Diamonds finished fourth in last year’s renewal ,ahead of Finley’sluckycharm, and arrives this year on the back of a Grade 3 success when beating Anonymity.'

1550: On the subject of the Mile, the Royal 'we' here at Sporting Life have I Can Fly in our corner too as Ben Linfoot included her among his Value Bet selections for the day.

You can get all of his views and reasoning by clicking on the image below...

1545: Yesterday, the meeting - and the European team in particular - was dealt a real blow when the local stewards shocked the world and trainer Freddy Head by declaring Polydream a non-runner on vets' advice. Head has let his star three-year-old filly have a gentle spin around the track this morning and she looked magnifique by all accounts.

What a shame (a sham?) and it leaves the Mile looking decidedly weak. I came into the week thinking Gustav Klimt was a sneaky outsider and it turns out he's going to start among the favourites.

He's a bit of a monkey, but he's just the type of monkey that Aidan O'Brien excels with at this meeting and the addition of Lasix could just spark something extra.

Expert Eye began the season as a 2000 Guineas hope and it hasn't quite worked out for him at a mile yet. His 7f form is really strong though and he could certainly outrun his current odds of 7/1.

1540: Yesterday was sensational and had just about everything. There's talk in the States of Juvenile Fillies' winner Jaywalk potentially being 2yo Champion for the year, but Newspaperofrecord will surely take that honour after her devastating performance in the Juvenile Fillies' Turf.

Here it is again, in case you missed it. And the even greater news from out perspective in the UK? Trainer Chad Brown suggested this filly could be bound for Royal Ascot next summer...

1530: So where are the best plays and what are my strongest opinions...

As things stand - and we're all entitled to alter our views as further evidence materialises - here are my fancies for the night, with the bold being the ones I'm keen to go heavier on the singles and link up in multiples.

16:00 - Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint - No bet, watch Marley's Freedom get Baffert rolling
16:38 - Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint - Lost Treasure EW
17:16 - Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile - City Of Light
18:04 - Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf - Wild Illusion
18:46 - Twinspires Breeders' Cup Sprint - Roy H
19:36 - Breeders' Cup Mile - Gustav Klimt
20:16 - Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff - Abel Tasman
20:56 - Longines Breeders' Cup Turf - Magical
21:44 - Breeders' Cup Classic - West Coast

The two fillies Wild Illusion are the ones getting me excited as I feel on their best form they are much the best in their division. Here's hoping Baffert has Abel Tasman back on point and yesterday's dramatic win on Line Of Duty gives William Buick the confidence to ride Wild Illusion with... well confidence. If she gets out and into a good position (seemingly essential here yesterday) then Wild Illusion will not be passed.

1520: The absolutely essential pieces of punting advice I'd like to kick off with are: this is a marathon, and not a sprint. Work smart, not hard. Pick your battles. Leverage your strongest opinions to maximise gains. Don't get drawn into battles you're not confident of winning.

We have NINE massive races to get through across the evening at Churchill Downs, where the main dirt track is officially Fast and the Turf course is Yielding.

There were one or two doubting the validity of the Good description after yesterday's action and while the drainage is pretty good, course officials have relented on that stance.

So buckle up, bet clever and enjoy the Breeders' Cup.

1515: Hurry, hurry, step right up. It's Breeders' Cup Saturday!

The four-runner Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby may have thrown up a surprising amount of drama, but the first Saturday in November means Breeders' Cup and after the inaugural Future Stars Friday delivered in spades yesterday, it's hard to argue we're not now looking at one of the greatest days of international Flat racing.

The greatest show? Well, that probably depends on exactly which way your bets go doesn't it.

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