Saturday tips for the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs
Saturday tips for the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs

Free racing tips: Man On The Spot previews every race from Churchill Downs


Check out our race-by-race verdicts and nap selection for Saturday's meeting at Churchill Downs.



18.00 (all times BST live on Sky Sports Racing): GOLDEN NOTION drops into claiming class for the first time and his best race to date came when third in a better contest over the track and trip last summer. His two recent runs will have put him straight and he looks the one to beat. Pow Wow Prince is another taking a drop in grade and though he's shown little is expected to do better. No Bad Days hasn't been getting home over a mile so the drop in trip should suit while Step Ten is a newcomer to note after impressing in trials here. Quarterback Dak looks best of the remainder.

18.30: Tez has won two of his last three as has Strut The Ring with the former's form looking the stronger. Charlie'sarchangel has also been going well at a lowly level and could snatch the rails but SLICK SILVER should get back to winning ways. He completed a five-timer at this sort of level before connections were tempted by a lucrative stakes race at Oaklawn Park where he was by no means disgraced in fifth. The veteran twelve-times winner Laddie Boy has finished runner-up in four of his last five starts.

19.00: Bubba Caballo was staying on over 6f at Oaklawn on his debut while Bill Mott's Peddlers Pride has shown potential in better company. The well-bred Fugitive has been a bit disappointing while Blame The Cake dropped into lowly grade when placed at Tampa. VERB has run six times and been placed in all but one including a Grade 3 here last summer. He's been going well at Fair Grounds and looks the one to be on.

19.32: Hamdan Al Maktoum's Altaf, by leading sire Medaglia D'Or, will have come on a bundle for his run at Gulfstream last month. Bobby's Goldengirl was always in the front rank when placed on her debut at Laurel Park in March but VALLETTA can make her inside berth count. Bill Mott's filly looked a likely future winner when placed at Gulfstream and was impeded when making her run back there last month. Take Charge Glenda, a daughter of leading sire Tapit, had no answer to the winner at Oaklawn but that should have brought her on enough to take a hand here.

20.04: Spooky Channel has won half of his 14 races, all on Turf, including a Grade 3 at Gulfstream in January. Caribou Club also won at that level at Laurel Park in September but was behind English Bee when Graham Motion's charge finished runner-up at Gulfstream in February. Mr Misunderstood has won a dozen races on Turf including a Grade 3 here in November though the vote in a tricky contest goes to A THREAD OF BLUE. Already the winner of $1m in prize money, his close second in a Belmont Grade 2 in October is just about the best form on view though Parlor enters the equation after his victory at fair Grounds in March. Fact Finding has an absence to overcome but looks best of the remainder.

20.36: High Crime was in good form throughout last summer and would have to be considered if ready after a break. PICASSO (NAP), who cost $725,000, only had two runs last year and reappeared after a long absence to gain an impressive victory at Fair Grounds and Steve Asmussen's Tapit colt can start making up for lost time. Get The Prize, another expensive purchase, was behind High Prize at Keeneland last April but improved later and Joel Rosario's presence for the first time suggests connections mean business. Hidden Ruler has been in good form but meets potentially better rivals here.

21.08: DUNBAR ROAD and She's A Julie are likely to dominate this. The latter completed a double when landing the Grade 1 La Troienne here a year ago and was placed at the highest level at Sataoga in August. However, she couldn't quite contain her rival when only fourth in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeeland in October and the former, who was in brilliant form in the summer, should just have the edge on that run. Vault completed a hat-trick last summer and will have needed last month's comeback at Oaklawn so could prove the pick of the remainder.

21.40: SHARING completed a hat-trick when comfortably landing the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Fillies' Turf at Santa Anita in November and makes her long-awaited comeback. She's up against some smart performers here including Aims, unbeaten in four starts, two at Grade 3 level, and Outburst, a winner in France in October before completing her hat-trick with two victories at Tampa, the latest in a Group 3 where she had Walk In Marakesh in second. Dominga has been in excellent form but takes a big step-up in class.

22.12: Plenty of these arrive in good form including Extrordinary Jerry, who completed a double in September in a strong stakes event at Gulfstream. GLOBAL CAMPAIGN had five starts last year and won four. The son of Curling made a successful reappearance at Gulfstream last month and can add to his already considerable reputation. Backyard Heaven won a Grade 3 here a year ago though finished behind Discreet Lover in the Group 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, when Thunder Snow and Mendelssohn were behind, though that was in 2018 and the winner has only had two subsequent starts. Diamond King is fit from a stakes victory at Aqueduct in March while Mr Money completed a hat-trick of Grade 3 victories last summer. Owendale, runner-up in a Grade 1 here in November, has an obvious chance on that form if ready after a break.

22.44: The Godolphin-owned MAXFIELD was very impressive when landing the Grade 1 Clairbourne Breeders' Futurity over this trip at Keeneland in October and though unraced subsequently will take the world of beating with normal progress. Attachment Rate has a fitness advantage having been in excellent form at Gulfstream and Aqueduct while Major Fed and Ny Traffic have been placed in Group company at Fair Grounds. Pneumatic enters the 'could be anything' category having impressed in two lesser-grade contests though this is a much stiffer test.

23.16: BILLY BATTS ran in the Saudi Derby on Dirt in February and wasn't disgraced. That was his first run on the surface having finished second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita in November and made a successful reappearance there earlier this year. Hieronymus is in brilliant form having completed a hat-trick at Fair Grounds with Pixelate and Bodecream occupying the places though there's little between the trio on earlier running. Field Pass completed a double in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Stakes at Tampa in March and isn't without a chance in a competitive finale in which the in-form Smooth Like Strait can also get involved.


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