Let’s have a look at the best Breeders’ Cup picks for the 2019 edition.
Now that we have the 2019 Breeders Cup entries, let's have a look at the best Breeders Cup odds and picks.
A pair of Florida bred geldings are aiming for victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Imprimis will enter the gate for trainer Joseph Orseno, while conditioner Christophe Clement is sending Pure Sensation to Santa Anita Park.
For the first time, the southern California track will not run this race over its unique downhill turf course; instead, it will be a 5 furlong event over the main turf oval.
Imprimis began 2019 with a pair of victories in the Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park and in the Shakertown Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. He then shipped to the prestigious Royal Ascot meet and finished a respectable sixth in the King’s Stand Stakes (G1).
He returned to the states for two additional starts, and while he did run well each time, traffic troubles kept him from doing better than fourth (in the Turf Sprint Stakes [G3] at Kentucky Downs) and third (in the Woodford Stakes [G2] at Keeneland).
With a field best 14 wins under his belt, Pure Sensation has visited the winner’s circle more often than many of his competitors have entered the starting gate.
The 8 year old gelded son of Zensational has hit the board (finished in the top three) 26 times and is nearing $2 million in earnings. He has four wins in five appearances this year, including his fourth time taking the Turf Monster Stakes (G3) at Parx most recently.
Standing in the way of the two Florida breds is the two time defending champion Stormy Liberal, who with 36 starts is the only entry to make more appearances than Pure Sensation.
The 7 year old gelded son of Stormy Atlantic won four straight turf sprints last year, culminating in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs. Though he’s finished second or third in four of his five subsequent starts, Stormy Liberal has yet to return to the winner’s circle or eclipse a triple digit Beyer speed figure.
Joining Stormy Liberal from the local ranks is trainer Mark Glatt’s California bred Eddie Haskell. The 6 year old gelded son of Square Eddie has been the model of consistency since Glatt claimed him for $50,000 on April 26, 2018.
In 13 starts since changing barns (including eight against stakes foes), Eddie Haskell has seven wins to go with three seconds and three thirds.
Only two horses ever managed to defeat the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and one of them is still racing at an elite level in 2019.
That horse is Om, who broke his maiden on August 9, 2014, a Del Mar; American Pharoah finished fifth while making his debut. Though he has only seven wins in 30 career starts, Om’s most recent start was a victory at Churchill Downs while going 5 1/2 furlongs on the lawn against allowance competition.
Perhaps the hottest horse coming into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is Totally Boss. Trained by Rusty Arnold, he has won four of five starts this year, including his first appearance against graded foes in the Turf Sprint over the likes of Imprimis.
In fact, only a nose defeat to Om in that Churchill Downs allowance event is keeping his 2019 season from being spotless.
After changing to the barn of Jason Servis this past summer, Shekky Shebaz has looked like a completely different horse. The son of Cape Blanco, whose last start for his former connections was against $25,000 claiming competition, took the field gate to wire in the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga in his first appearance for Servis.
He then tried to use the same tactics in the Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes, but he was unable to hold off Final Frontier in the late stages. Those starts were over 5 1/2 and 6 furlongs, respectively, so perhaps the slightly shorter distance in the Breeders’ Cup will help him get the job done.
After two wins in six starts last year, Final Frontier has won as many races in four starts this season. After finishing second behind Shekky Shebaz in the Lucky Coin, he turned the tables on that foe in the Belmont Turf Sprint for his first stakes success.
Final Frontier will be attempting to get revenge for his full older sister Better Lucky, who was second by just a head in the 2014 DraftKings Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
In the race’s 11 year history, the winners have been exclusively based in America. Trainer Aidan O’Brien will attempt to change that when he sends over a pair of 3 year old fillies named Fairyland and So Perfect.
Fairyland has made eight starts in 2019, all against Group 1 competition. Her best effort came in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes (G1) at Curragh on September 15 while going 5 furlongs over a turf course rated good. That was her first win at the distance.
So Perfect was just a nose behind Fairyland at Curragh, and while she has hit the board in five of six starts at the 5 furlong distance, her lone win going this short came in her debut at Navan on April 22, 2018.
The current Bovada betting favorites are Eddie Haskell (+450), Totally Boss (+500), and Stubbins (+700), who won the Woodford last out. While many pundits consider this to be the most wide-open event of the entire Breeders’ Cup, it is worth noting that the favorite has won this race at a clip just south of 40%.
Recommended Bets: Win on Eddie Haskell; Exacta Box using Eddie Haskell, Final Frontier (+1000), Imprimis (+900), and Totally Boss.
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