With the pre-entries known, the Breeders’ Cup fields are taking on their true appearance. Here we look at the main contenders for the 2022 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint and F&M Turf.
2022 Breeders Cup F&M Turf
Grade 1 – Purse $2,000,000 – 1 3/16 miles – Turf – 3-Year-Old and Upwards – Fillies & Mares
Without a doubt, we have one of the races of the whole meeting here with a great cast assembled of the very best from England and Ireland taking on the best of the American horses. The class of horses here cannot be understated with classic European winners and top-level graded stakes performers from the home team.
Lady Speightspeare 20/1 has been in tip-top form and has won three graded races in her last three outings. Now they have been at a slightly lower level winning the G3 Trillium Stakes and the G3 Seaway Stakes last time where she settled 4 wide and made her move to come into the stretch.
As they set down to the wire, Lady Speightspeare showed all her battling qualities to win by a little over a length. Whether she would be good enough for this tougher grade is the question. But she is one filly who travels very well in her races and does have a change of pace.
Another big-priced horse from the home team is Family Way 20/1 and she is proving to be one of the most consistent horses in training, having not been out of the first three in her last seven races. Her best recent run was against War Like Goddess in the G3 Bewitch Stakes and there was no disgrace to be beaten by that one.
Family Way has since hit the board in another three graded races and finished second to another of today’s rivals, Going To Vegas in the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita. Going To Vegas went gate to wire that day whereas Family way had a tougher trip and can be expected to turn that form around this time.
Looking at the European team, we have the English Oaks winner Tuesday 8/1 trained by Aiden O’Brien and she is a top-class filly. In her recent runs, she has come up against another of today’s rivals and the morning line favorite for the race Nashwa 5/2. She beat the Gosden-trained filly in the Oaks over a mile and a half but was no match for her rival when they both met last time in France over a mile and a quarter.
This will be a tough assignment for Tuesday around this tight track and she’ll be doing well to hit the board.
We also must give a mention to Above The Curve 9/2 who just failed to catch Nashwa for second last time in the G1 Prix De L’Opera in France and Joseph O’Brien’s filly may be the best suited to this much sharper track here at Keeneland.
Whichever filly you fancy to come out on top then check out the great odds on offer at Jazzsports.
So, we have looked at the main pretenders to the crown from Europe, but what about the home team? Is there a horse that could match up to the raiding party from across the pond?
We have to start off by looking at In Italian 7/2. The Chad Brown filly has won five of her eight races and hit the board in the other three. Her most recent run was in the G1 First Lady Stakes here at Keeneland over a mile on the lawn and she was given a beautiful ride by Joel Rosario going gate to wire. The Jockey stacked them up from the front, but when he asked his filly to quicken at the top of the stretch, the response was immediate and she quickly cleared away by two lengths and was a length winner at the wire.
Her post draw for this race makes it tough out of gate 11, but she possesses natural speed and may be able to get to the lead early. This will be her first try at a mile and a quarter, but she looks to have the stamina for this trip.
Another of the European team and one that may be capable of causing an upset is Aiden O’Brien’s Toy 20/1. She has not reached the heights of her barn buddy Tuesday, but if you take a closer look at her form, she has some solid lines there.
She was second beaten just a half-length in the Irish Oaks and although only 11th in the French 1000 Guineas, she was only beaten 4 lengths. She’ll need to step up on the form she has shown so far, but Aiden O’Brien is known to win these top-class races with the bigger-priced representatives from his stable, and this filly should not be taken lightly.
There are a few outsiders here who could cause an upset so make sure to check the best odds and offers on the Breeders Cup at Jazzsports.
Breeders Cup Fillies & Mare Turf Betting Pick
The European team will fancy their chances here and the Hollie Doyle-ridden Nashwa is their best chance of victory. She has a great post position in gate 3 and it will be very tough to keep her from hitting the board.
For all the strength that the Europeans have here, the main selection has to be In Italian who travels beautifully in her races and around this tight track, she’ll aim to get to the front, stack them up behind and use her potent turn of speed at the top of the stretch to put the race to bed.
From the longshots in the race, then it looks like Lady Speightspeare could be worth including in exotics.
2022 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint
Grade 1 – Purse $1,000,000 – 5 1/2 Furlongs – Turf – 3 Year Old & Upwards
We have 14 runners going to post here and the race centers around the Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal who is the current 2/1 morning line favorite. Ward also runs Campanelle here with Frankie Dettori taking the ride.
Golden Pal has now won eight of his twelve races and it is important to note that he has only ever lost once on home soil which was on his debut run. He has won his last three races here at Keeneland and although drawn in a tricky post position in gate 8, he will surely be using his customary early speed to try and go gate to wire.
This is his third Breeders Cup and it would take a brave man to bet against him notching up a Breeders Cup hat-trick after winning the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2020 and this race last year.
There are plenty of good sprinters here and Casa Creed 6/1 from the Bill Mott barn has been running consistently well. His last two runs have come over a mile, but the cutback in distance will be no problem for this son of Jimmy Creed, and it will be the first time he has faced Golden Pal on the racetrack.
Arrest Me Red 15/1 was third in a Grade 2 last time behind another of today’s foes Bran 15/1 and had previously been narrowly beaten in the G1 Jaipur by Casa Creed. Those form lines put those three very close together, and each has a solid chance of hitting the board and could be good angles for exotics players.
Looking at the European team, they certainly have a strong chance with the improving Highfield Princess 7/2 looking like a real danger drawn inside the Wesley Ward-trained favorite. She has won her last three, including a powerful performance in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes in August. also, she took up a position just off the pace and came home strongly to win clearing away by 2 1/2 lengths.
Highfield Princess has since followed up in another Grade 1 in Ireland and her Timeform rating of 125 is of the highest level and she’ll give Golden Pal plenty to think about.
Godolphin’s Creative Force 10/1 on the morning line odds has been running very consistently in Grade 1 company in England, taking in all of the top sprint races.
Ridden by William Buick who has a great record at The Breeders Cup, and positioned right on the inside post position in gate 1, he could maybe be a good play to hit the board.
Going back to the home team, and the one at a huge morning line price is Artemus Citylimits 30/1. He has got the worst of the post draw here but is blessed with early speed and if breaking sharply from the gate, he could surprise a few people. His last run where he was only beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Golden Pal is very solid and this distance around this tight track could play to his strengths. He was only gunned down late two back by Bran, but that was over further and if getting on the speed from his wide draw, any trouble behind may allow him to shake loose entering the stretch and it will be a case of catch me if you can.
Drawn just inside is Cazadero 20/1, a lightly raced four-year-old son of Street Sense who has had just ten career starts so far, winning four and hitting the board in three others. He won a Grade 2 last time and looks to be improving.
2022 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint Free Betting Picks
A very deep race in terms of quality, and this will certainly be the toughest field that GOLDEN PAL has faced on home soil, but we just cannot get away from his record of 8 from 9 victories in the US, and if breaking well, he can go gate to wire and register his second win in this race and his third Breeders Cup victory overall.
Another for the home team is Bran who will be trailing early but can close late in the stretch to hit the board at a big price for supporters.
The Europeans have a strong hand in this and the mare Highfield Princess is another who will be closing strongly in deep stretch. She has a great post position to work with and will surely be closing down Golden Pal late on, the question is if it will be in time.
At big morning line odds, then Cazadero could also play a part and for bettors looking to bet across the board (Win, Place & Show) then his Grade 2 win last time marks him down as an improving horse and he could pay dividends by including in your exotics (exactas, trifectas, and superfectas)
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