Breeders’ Cup draw reveals a loaded Classic and a Distaff duel at Keeneland this weekend
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2020 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
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The Breeders’ Cup is back at Keeneland, and — following Monday night’s draw — we now know who will be running in Lexington this weekend.
With 14 races and purses totaling $31 million, this year’s championship event has, as always, attracted many of the biggest names in horse racing. The Breeders’ Cup begins Friday with five races for 2-year-olds before Saturday’s megacard featuring nine Cup races, a showcase that will end with the $6 million Classic. Here are some highlights from Monday’s draw:
Baffert’s Classic trio
This race obviously never lacks for talent, but the 2020 Classic field will bring a particularly intriguing group of contenders to Keeneland, which five years ago hosted its first Breeders’ Cup and became home to American Pharoah’s final race, a 6 1/2-length romp to cap his legendary career.
Like that 2015 race, Bob Baffert will have the morning-line favorite Saturday. In fact, he’ll have three legitimate contenders for win honors.
Chief among them, according to the early odds, is Improbable, the 5-2 morning-line choice and a 4-year-old colt that just keeps winning. He’s coming off three consecutive Grade 1 victories for Baffert, and it’s easy to forget that he was actually the morning-line favorite in last year’s Kentucky Derby.
The horse that crossed the finish line first in that race, Maximum Security, has had an impressive career but one dogged by controversy, including a disqualification in the Derby. He moved to Baffert’s barn in March after previous trainer, Jason Servis, was charged by federal authorities with administering performance-enhancing drugs to Maximum Security and other horses. Maximum Security (the third choice in the Classic at 7-2) was second to Improbable last time out with two high-profile victories for Baffert before that.
And then there’s this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic, who is 6-1 on the morning line. The Classic will serve as a rematch for the Baffert-trained Authentic and the well-rested Tiz the Law, who was the toast of the spring and summer with victories in the Florida Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes before running second to Authentic on Kentucky Derby Day. This will be Tiz the Law’s first start since then, and he’s the 3-1 second choice here.
Not to be lost amid those contenders is Tom’s d’Etat (6-1) who might’ve been the favorite in the Classic if not for his stumble at the break of the Whitney Stakes on Aug. 1. He finished second to Improbable after the disastrous start in that race, but he had won four straight — including a victory over Improbable earlier this year — heading into the Whitney.
The full field for the Classic, by post position: 1. Tacitus (20-1), 2. Tiz the Law (3-1), 3. By My Standards (10-1), 4. Tom’s d’Etat (6-1), 5. Title Ready (30-1), 6. Higher Power (20-1), 7. Global Campaign (20-1), 8. Improbable (5-2), 9. Authentic (6-1), 10. Maximum Security (7-2).
Duel in the Distaff
Perhaps the most interesting head-to-head battle this weekend will come in the $2 million Distaff on Saturday, when 8-5 favorite Monomoy Girl meets 2-1 second choice Swiss Skydiver.
Monomoy Girl won this race in 2018 but missed more than 18 months of racing due illness and injury. She’s 3-for-3 since her return at Churchill Downs this spring, and the 5-year-old star has crossed the finish line first in 13 of her 14 career starts. Louisville native Brad Cox is her trainer, and Monomoy Girl galloped over the Keeneland track for the first time Monday morning. “I don’t think I’ve seen her gallop any better,” Cox said.
Swiss Skydiver was last seen outdueling Authentic in the stretch of the Preakness Stakes, becoming just the 12th filly to win a Triple Crown race. Lexington-raised trainer Kenny McPeek considered the Classic for his star 3-year-old but ultimately opted for this spot instead. McPeek has zero wins in 31 Breeders’ Cup starts, and the Distaff field is not near as deep as the Classic. Still, Swiss Skydiver will have to deal with Monomoy Girl, a competitor that got plenty of praise from McPeek on Monday. “It’s going to be a great race,” he said.
Saturday’s other races
The $4 million Turf is the second-richest race this weekend, and Aidan O’Brien has the top two contenders in a wide-open field. He brings the 5-2 favorite, Magical, a 5-year-old mare who nearly won this race two years ago. Mogul (4-1) — also trained by O’Brien — is the second choice in a 10-horse field that features seven contenders at odds of 8-1 or shorter.
Vekoma, last year’s Blue Grass Stakes winner at Keeneland, is 3-1 morning-line favorite and drew the far outside No. 14 post in the Sprint. Complexity is the 2-1 favorite in an intriguing Dirt Mile that includes this year’s Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector (6-1) and last year’s Preakness winner War of Will (10-1).
Other favorites on Saturday’s card are Ivar (4-1 in the Mile), Rushing Fall (5-2 in the Filly & Mare Turf), Got Stormy (7-2 in the Turf Sprint) and Gamine (7-5 in the Filly & Mare Sprint).
Future Stars Friday
All five Cup races Friday feature 2-year-olds, and the card will be topped by the $2 million Juvenile, which — despite rarely producing the following year’s Kentucky Derby winner — often generates the early Derby buzz heading into the winter.
The 7-5 favorite going into this year’s Juvenile is the undefeated Jackie’s Warrior, a son of Maclean’s Music and coming off two Grade 1 victories in New York. This will be the first start around two turns for Jackie’s Warrior, who drew the No. 7 post and is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who has never won the Juvenile in eight previous tries.
The full field of 14 for the Juvenile also includes the Brad Cox-trained Elusive Quality (4-1), the Chad Brown-trained Reinvestment Risk (9-2) and long-shot Classier (15-1), a buzz horse out of Bob Baffert’s barn who just made his racing debut Oct. 24.
Other favorites for Friday’s races are Princess Noor (9-5 in the seven-horse Juvenile Fillies), Mutasaabeq (5-1 in the Juvenile Turf), Aunt Pearl (3-1 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf), and Golden Pal (8-5 and drawing the far outside No. 14 post in the Juvenile Turf Sprint).
2020 Breeders’ Cup
What: World Championships of Thoroughbred horse racing, including 14 races over two days
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Keeneland Race Course in Lexington (no spectators)
Friday’s races and favorites
Juvenile: Jackie’s Warrior 7-5 (click here for full entries)
Juvenile Fillies: Princess Noor 9-5 (click here for full entries)
Juvenile Turf: Mutasaabeq 5-1 (click here for full entries)
Juvenile Fillies Turf: Aunt Pearl 3-1 (click here for full entries)
Juvenile Turf Sprint: Golden Pal 8-5 (click here for full entries)
Saturday’s races and favorites
Classic: Improbable 5-2 (click here for full entries)
Turf: Magical 5-2 (click here for full entries)
Distaff: Monomoy Girl 8-5 (click here for full entries)
Mile: Ivar 4-1 (click here for full entries)
Sprint: Vekoma 3-1 (click here for full entries)
Filly & Mare Turf: Rushing Fall 5-2 (click here for full entries)
Dirt Mile: Complexity 2-1 (click here for full entries)
Turf Sprint: Got Stormy 7-2 (click here for full entries)
Filly & Mare Sprint: Gamine 7-5 (click here for full entries)
This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 7:24 PM.
