It's a grueling 1 ½ miles on the grass for the $4 million
Breeders' Cup Turf. Let's take a look at
the last 10-years to build the Profile of a Breeders' Cup Turf winner. One of
the fist things we noticed is that favorites tend to do well with eight of the
last 10 finishing in the money. However, only two of the eight, the last two, ended
up in the winners' circle. While you can probably fade the favorite at the top
of the ticket, you can't knock'em out of exactas or trifectas.
Longer shots are the way to go for the win. Prior to the
past two years, the average winner paid a hearty $20.90.
Another group of horses to keep close to the top of the
ticket are the international invaders from Ireland and/or Britain. They have
claimed the crown in seven of the last 10 Breeders' Cup Turf marathons. It's
not surprising when you watch European races as closers appear to win more than
their fair share.
Only HIGHLAND REEL in 2016 managed to lead from gate to wire
in the last 10 years. DANGEROUS MIDGE ran second most of the way around the
track and LITTLE MIKE raced third for the first mile. Other than that trio, the
remaining seven Breeders' Cup Turf champs were no closer to fifth at the
half-mile marker.
Off the pace might be the right running style for 1 ½ miles
on the grass at Keeneland Racetrack as well. The Lexington, Kentucky course
hosts the 2020 Breeders' Cup but doesn't run a lot at the distance/surface. Of
the few there have been during the past year, almost two out of three winners
stayed patient from the jump, much closer to the back of the pack than the
front.
In the few efforts at 1 ½ miles on Kentucky turf, nearly all
the winners had an inside draw. That stands in contrast to the last 10 to
capture the Breeders' Cup Turf's checkered flag, seven left from gate seven and
out.
To recap, when handicapping the Breeders' Cup Turf,
horseplayers might want to pay special attention to:
·
Horses coming from Ireland and/or England
·
Post time odds of between 8 and 12 to 1
·
Closers
·
Playing the favorite for place or show money
·
An inside draw based on a limited Keeneland data
set
We hope this helps to narrow down your selections and find a winning ticket come Breeders' Cup day.
Get today's full picks for all tracks and races at Guaranteed Tip Sheet.
