Breeders' Cup Turf 2014

Dave Bond | OTB Writer
Breeders Cup Betting

Las Vegas, NV - Santa Anita in Arcadia, California will be the center of the horse racing universe this weekend. One of the races on the schedule Saturday, November 1 is the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf - a 1 1/2 mile test for some of the best horses three years old and upward. A purse of $3 million will be on the line.

A full field of 13 have been confirmed for the Breeders' Cup Turf - race 9 on Santa Anita's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 3:22 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all 13 entries for this lucrative Grade 1 stakes.

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2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Race Favorite Entries

Telescope 4-1 - Irish bred colt has 10 career starts with four wins, five seconds and a third place finish. He has been in the money every time out and is coming off a third in a stakes at York August 20 which followed a second and a win respectively in stakes races at Ascot. He is the tepid morning line favorite but makes his first North American start in this one. Ryan Moore will be in the saddle from the rail.

Flintshire 7-2 - British bred colt will also make his North America debut off a second in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe October 5 after another second in the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy in September. He hasn't won since July, 2013 - the Group 1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris but he has runner-up finishes in three of his last four starts. Flintshire is expected to challenge the field Saturday from post 7 with Maxime Guyon in the saddle.

Breeders' Cup Turf 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Magician 5-1 - defending champion in this race - Aidan O'Brien trained Irish bred colt has 14 career starts with five wins and four second place finishes and enters off a good second in the Grade 1 Arlington Million Stakes August 16. He won a stakes at Curragh in May and went on to consecutive seconds before a disappointing sixth in his last start at home. He will line up in post 8 with Joseph Patrick O'Brien aboard.

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Main Sequence 6-1 - H Graham Motion trained gelding made his North American debut July 6 and posted the upset win in the 1 3/8 mile Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park at 8-1 odds and followed that with another great win -in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga August 17 and another win in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park September 27. That makes three North American starts and three Grade 1 scores. He recorded four wins, three seconds and three third place finishes at home before his tremendous debut here including a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Epsom Derby in England. Main Sequence now has seven wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 17 career starts and enters this weekend on fire. John Velazquez rides from post 12.

Chicquita 8-1 - Irish bred Aidan O`Brien trained filly has one win, two seconds and two third place finishes in seven career starts and enters off a third in a stakes at Ascot October 18. That followed an ugly fifteenth in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe October 5. She did record a stakes win in July, 2013 and finished second in a Group 1 race at Chantilly in June, 2013 so we know she can run with the best. Lanfranco Dettori gets the call from gate 11 Saturday.

Brown Panther 8-1 - terrific British bred world travelling entry has 24 career starts with 10 wins, four seconds and three third place finishes - he has placed in all six starts this year (three wins, a second and two third place finishes). He recorded a second in the Group 2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil Stakes in July which was followed by a third place finish and a win last time out - the Group 1 Irish St. Leger at Curragh September 14 at 14-1 odds. Brown Panther enters this week in the best form of his career for his North American debut. He will line up in gate 4 with Richard Kingscote in the saddle.

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Hardest Core 10-1 - has 11 career starts with six wins and two second place finishes. He enters on a three race win streak for trainer Edward Graham - the Grade 1 Arlington Millions last time out, the minor Cape Henlopen Stakes in July and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Parx in June. He has won six of his last eight starts ahead of this weekend and is an intriguing 10-1. Eriluis Vaz gets the call from post 9.

Twilight Eclipse 12-1 - is defending sixth place finisher in this race is the world record holder at 1 1/2 miles on turf - at last year's Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream. He won the Grade 2 William McKnight Handicap at 12 furlongs December 28 in wire-to-wire fashion by seven lengths and went on to a win in February in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream. He took his show to Dubai where he finished a disappointing twelfth in a Group 1 stakes and returned to North America June 6 and finished an unflattering fourth in the minor Belmont Gold Cup Invitational. He's been better since - a second last time out in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Classic at Belmont Park September 27 followed an OK third in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga August 17 and a decent second as favorite behind Main Sequence in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes July 6. He has 20 career starts with six wins, four seconds and two third place finishes and has four wins and four seconds in 13 career graded stakes tries. Twilight Eclipse looks to build off a couple of good efforts with Javier Castellano in the irons from gate 2.

Imagining 12-1 - won two straight races in the summer of 2012 - both at Belmont Park and was out of racing for nine months before returning to an Allowance score at Keeneland April 13, 2013. He then looked good at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 - a win over Real Solution in the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes May 11 followed a second behind Lochte in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap and a two race win streak - the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct November 16 and the overnight Bowl Game Stakes at Belmont Park in October. Last time out he was third in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic after a good second behind Main Sequence in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer August 18 and an uncharacteristic sixth in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 7. Imagining has won four of his last nine starts with two seconds and a third place finish in there and looks decent for trainer Shug McGaughey this weekend. He leaves from gate 3 with Joel Rosario in the saddle.

Big John B 20-1 - has won six of 10 starts this year with a third place finish in there - four straight victories this summer - the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap August 23, an Allowance Optional Claiming by 7 1/4 lengths, a Starter Handicap June 29 and a Claiming score in May. Last time out was a respectable third in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship here September 28. Big John B has 29 career starts with 11 wins, five seconds and four third place finishes and enters in the best form of his career. He departs from the outside post with Mike Smith aboard.

Hangover Kid 30-1 - raced in graded stakes company for the first time and finished a decent third in the Grade 1 United Nations last July 6, 2013. Hangover Kid recorded consecutive seconds at the end of 2013/beginning of 2014 - in an Allowance Optional Claiming March 1 at Gulfstream and in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct in November. This year he has four other starts - a fifth last time out in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic followed a terrific win in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap here July 12, a good second in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes June 8 and an ugly thirteenth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes in April. Hangover Kid has 25 career starts with seven wins, seven seconds and three third place finishes and will depart from post 5 with Jose Lezcano in the reins.

Finnegan's Wake 30-1 - Peter Miller trainee has three win, three seconds and three third place finishes in 23 career starts and has been at his best the last two starts - a win three back in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap was followed by a fifth in the Grade 3 Arlington Millions and a second last time out in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship here September 28. Joe Talamo gets the call Saturday from gate 6.

Starspangled Heat 30-1 - is coming off a third in the minor Lure Stakes here October 26 after a fourth in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship September 28 and a fourth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap in August. He has placed in just one of his last four starts overall and hasn't won in over a year. Edwin Maldonado rides from post 10.


2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 3:22 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Telescope (IRE) R. Moore S. Stoute
4-1
2 Twilight Eclipse J. Castellano T. Albertrani
12-1
3 Imagining J. Rosario C. McGaughey III
12-1
4 Brown Panther (GB) R. Kingscote T. Dascombe
8-1
5 Hangover Kid J. Lezcano J. Servis
30-1
6 Finnegans Wake J. Talamo P. Miller
30-1
7 Flintshire (GB) M. Guyon A. Fabre
7-2
8 Magician (IRE) J. O'Brien A. O'Brien
5-1
9 Hardest Core E. Vaz E. Graham
10-1
10 Starspangled Heat C. Nakatani B. Abrams
30-1
11 Chicquita (IRE) L. Dettori A. O'Brien
8-1
12 Main Sequence J. Velazquez H. Motion
6-1
13 Big John B M. Smith P. D'Amato
20-1


2023 BREEDERS' CUP RACE SCHEDULE

Breeders' Cup Race Grade Purse Date
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint I $1,000,000 November 3
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf I $1,000,000 November 3
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies I $2,000,000 November 3
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf I $1,000,000 November 3
Breeders' Cup Juvenile I $2,000,000 November 3
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint I $1,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint I $1,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile I $1,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf I $2,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Sprint I $2,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Mile I $2,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Distaff I $2,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Turf I $4,000,000 November 4
Breeders' Cup Classic I $6,000,000 November 4