Luke Morris provides his Saturday Breeders’ Cup tips from Santa Anita
Luke Morris provides his Saturday Breeders’ Cup tips from Santa Anita
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I’VE taken a few more steps towards returning to riding this week but I’ll be in front on the television with my feet up this weekend watching the Breeders’ Cup from Santa Anita.
I’m pretty good overall. I started physio this week and I’ve started doing a few exercises. I got back on a mechanical horse for the first time on Wednesday and it felt pretty good. I was a bit sore but I’m hoping to be back in about a week or ten days.
I’d love to be at the Breeders’ Cup this time next year. I have the Breeders’ Cup alongside Royal Ascot as one of the best meetings in the entire world. I’ve watched it since the days of Swain and Silver Charm and have always been wowed by it.
Santa Anita’s a special place and I worked out there for three months in the past and have ridden on the courses as well. I think that’s given me some insight and I’ve had a look at a few of the feature races on Saturday.
I cannot wait.
7.43 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf – Queen’s Trust She was slightly disappointing the last day and my main concern with her in this race is whether she’ll be quick enough. She’s dropping back in trip from 1m4f to 1m2f and it’s a tight track and firm ground as well. I think she’s vulnerable and I like Queen’s Trust in this race. She’s badly drawn in stall 11 but she’s run some big races behind the likes of Minding this season and if she adapts to the track and overcomes the draw I think this represents a really strong opportunity for her.
9.05 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint – Home Of The Brave This race would look tailor-made for Home Of The Brave. He’s got a good draw in stall four and it’ll simply be a case of whether he’s good enough to win or not. Washington DC looks his main danger on form but my one concern is whether 6½f might stretch his stamina. They always say you need a horse that stays seven furlongs to win on this track and that’s why I’d side for Home Of The Brave over Washington DC.
9.43 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – Gormley Gormley really appeals to me in this race for the Zenyatta team of John Shirreffs and Jerry Moss. He was a Grade 1 winner last time and he has the strongest claims going into the race for me. His main rival would look to be Klimt but I think he has more in hand and is the class act.
10.22 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Turf – Flintshire Found has had a hell of a year and for Aidan O’Brien to send her to the track once again he must be very confident she’s as well as she has ever been. At the back of your mind though you have to wonder if this is one race too many, but Aidan has been unstoppable this year. Flintshire has produced his best form since he switched to America. It was a shock to see him beaten last time but before that he’d looked the top turf horse in the country and I think he’ll be very tough to beat from a good draw in four.
11.40 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Mile – Alice Springs Limato has looked very good all year and I think he will get the sharp mile around there fine as he was only just beaten over a straight mile at Newbury. It was a funny race when Tepin was beaten last time at Keeneland but she also looked beatable when she just won the Woodbine Mile and I think the winner will come from elsewhere. Alice Springs is the one I like and she’s been really impressive recently. I think her turn of foot will make the difference.
12.35 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Classic – Arrogate All eyes will be on California Chrome here but I fancy Arrogate to beat him. California Chrome hates being crowded and from stall four there’s quite a bit of pace on his outside which could cause problems for him. He wants to lead and I think he’s going to be pressed on the pace and make him go too quick. I think that’ll make him vulnerable and Arrogate was so impressive at Saratoga last time and he ran under two minutes for the 1m2f, something California Chrome has never done.
