Selected Breeders' Cup 2008 picks

Horseracing Betting Lines

10/23/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two days, 14 races, $25.5 million. The 25th running of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita Park has become bigger than anyone could have imagined when it began in 1984.

I will not attempt to handicap each of the 14 races that will be conducted on Friday and Saturday, and I never pick the two-year-old races, which now number four.

However, this website does have Breeders' Cup selections available from four of our most intelligent handicappers, including myself. Use these picks cautiously, but with expected multiple cashin' not trashin'

Starting with the big race, $5 million Classic at 1 1/4 miles. Defending champ Curlin is 7-5 in the program and if he goes off at that price it will be a steal.

Curlin must be included in all exotic wagers, but I will not single him in my straight bets. Breaking from the inside post will be Pacific Classic winner Go Between, 8-1 in the morning-line. He has become the master of the synthetic track.

Back in January, Go Between won the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic on the old artificial surface at Santa Anita. Go Between then had consecutive second-place finishes on synthetic tracks at Santa Anita, Keeneland and Hollywood Park. I have liked Go Between since his three-year-old season and love his chance to upset Curlin on Saturday.

Friday's feature event is the $2 million Ladies' Classic, formerly the Distaff. The 3-5 odds-on favorite is the undefeated Zenyatta. She will start from the inside post with Mike Smith riding.

Zenyatta has not lost in eight career starts, but is barely past the $1 million mark in earnings. She comes from off the pace and may find herself in trouble breaking from the rail.

Let's go with defending champ Ginger Punch. This year she has won five of seven starts with a second and a third. The third was to Zenyatta back in April. Ginger Punch is 9-2 in the program and will start from post six with Rafael Bejarano. The mare will be on or near the lead before she rallies down the stretch to win in a photo-finish.

One of my favorite trainers, Jonathan Sheppard, has a horse in the Filly and Mare Turf. Forever Together, 6-1, has drawn post three with Julien Leparoux riding. The pair have won the Diana and First Lady Stakes. Look for her to come from way back to take the 1 1/4 mile race.

The 1 1/2 mile Turf on Saturday features the only horse to beat Curlin this year, Red Rocks. The five-year-old is the 5-1 second choice behind 7-2 favorite Soldier of Fortune.

Red Rocks won this race two years ago and was third last year to English Channel. Frankie Dettori has the mount from post two. If Red Rocks is good enough to defeat Curlin he's good enough for me.

The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile appears to be the most evenly matched race on the entire card. Surf Cat, Mast Track, Well Armed and Pyro have been entered for the one-mile event over the Classic.

Goodwood winner Well Armed is the 3-1 favorite and will break from post eight with Aaron Gryder. Surf Cat has post two with David Flores and is 6-1 in the program. Also 6-1 is Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track. He will start from post four with Tyler Baze. Mast Track has a quarter-crack and was held out of the Classic.

However, I like three-year-old Pyro in the Dirt Mile. At 20-1 he is an overlay in the 12 horse field. Pyro has been in the money in all but two starts. Even though he didn't like the artificial track at Keeneland, trainer Steve Asmussen must know what he is doing. Pyro will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan from post six, a perfect spot to pull the upset.

My final extended handicapping is for the Breeders' Cup Mile. Defending champ Kip Deville returns. This pick put me over the top last year when the miler went off at 8-1. The five-year-old is 5-1 in the program, behind 3-1 favorite Goldikova and 4-1 second choice Whatsthescript.

Kip Deville is coming off a disappointing fifth in the Woodbine Mile as the 1-2 favorite. But he won his first two starts this year and should primed for an excellent effort.

Good luck to everyone, especially to those directly involved with the Breeders' Cup.