From Bob Ehalt
The news that Untapable will not be operating in the Breeders‘ Cup Longines Distaff because of a temperature affected that the $2 million race in a number of ways.
Breeders‘ Cup 2015For starters, it eliminated from the combination that the defending champ and one of the top threats in this year’s edition at Keeneland Race Course.
It might make life easier on the front end for a speedster like Wedding Toast, the 4-1 favorite at a controversial field.
It also means Sheer Drama will break from post 13 instead of 14.
She’ll still be breaking from a spot where she could be caught wide on the first flip, and she still faces the prospect of having to pay more ground than her competitors that drew the first few posts.
But, hey, what is it they say about little favors? At least she does not possess the worst place in a field of 14 to get Friday’s nationally televised race around the NBC Sports Network (5:35 p.m.).
Only the next-to-worst post.
„It’s exactly what it is,“ said coach David Fawkes, that was not about to waive a flag and shout“no mas“ following the“luck of the draw“ worked against his 5-year-old mare.
In Sheer Drama, Fawkes has a horse at career-best form. A winner of merely one of six begins in 2014, she came of age at five when she started her season at Gulfstream Park in January. After winning a Sunshine Millions bets and finishing second at the Grade 3 Rampart, she submitted her first graded stakes triumph when she romped by 6 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Royal Delta.
A pair of moment in graded stakes at Churchill Downs followed, and then she finally broke through with back-to-back Grade 1 wins at the Delaware Handicap along with the Personal Ensign at Saratoga in her last two starts. Unknown to a national stage one year ago at this time, she is now the 9-2 second choice in the morning line from the country’s highest race for older fillies and mares.
She has not raced in fourteen days since her win in the Aug. 29 Personal Ensign, but how she’s been coaching because then gives Fawkes enough confidence to think she could win from any place.
„I was really disappointed in her big brother’s attraction when he (Big Drama) attracted the one post from the Breeders‘ Cup Sprint at 2010, and he won anyway,“ Fawkes said. „She has great tactical speed and I have a fantastic jockey (Joe Bravo). I believe we will be fine. She is quick to get out of the gate, and we will not need to hang out in there too long. The draw is a downside. I think everything is going to be fine.“
Godolphin Racing’s Wedding Toast, the 4-1 favorite, is also coming into the mile and an eighth Distaff that the right way as she posted a 5-length victory over Untapable from the Ogden Phipps in Belmont Park on June 6 and then tuned up to the Breeders‘ Cup with an easy two 3/4-length winner over Curalina at the Grade 1 Beldame on Sept. 26.
A front-running winner at both the Phipps and Beldame, Wedding Toast attracted article seven and it’d not be any surprise when jockey Jose Lezcano — remember him with Frosted in the Travers? — tries to grab control of the BC Distaff.
„She could not be doing much better,“ trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. „She’s doing fabulous… She is doing so well, we believe she is the one to conquer.“
Both favorites need to be at their best at a highly talented field that contains some familiar faces.
Got Lucky (6-1) was next to Sheer Drama in the Personal Ensign and then rallied strongly in the last furlong to shoot Keeneland’s Grade 1 Spinster with a neck above Untapable and Yahilwa (20-1) in a tight, three-horse finish, gaining valuable experience over the track. Stopchargingmaria (5-1) was in the Personal Ensign but earlier which won the Grade 3 Shuvee over Untapable and was second at the Grade 1 Madison Stakes this last spring at Keeneland.
There’s also some gifted 3-year-olds, such as I’m a Chatterbox (8-1), Curalina (12-1) and Stellar Wind (12-1), that can derive some optimism from Untapable’s victory as a 3-year-old in last year’s BC Distaff.
They’re also able to let out a sigh of relief they don’t have post 13.
Read more here: http://stroika-prof.ru/2019/09/mma-betting-picks-and-tips/