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Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic is the richest race of the 13 in the Breeders' Cup World Championships and Saturday's renewal at Del Mar, north of San Diego, is also one of the program's most fascinating. Here's a look at the Classic and the other races run on the dirt course in this year's Breeders' Cup:
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The $6 million Classic
Trainer Bob Baffert has won the last three Classics and has four horses set for this year's renewal including 2016 winner Arrogate and budding 3-year-old star West Coast. But he does not have the favorite.
The Del Mar morning line gives that spot to Gun Runner, who finished second to Arrogate in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March but has not lost, or really been challenged, in three starts since returning home. He's the oddsmaker's 9-5 pick and assistant trainer Scott Blasi said after Monday's work the colt "just looks fast. That's what you want to see in a race like this and going into a race like this."
Arrogate has lost his last two decisions, both at Del Mar, but has shown some spark in recent workouts. "He looked great for him," Baffert said after the 4-year-old drilled 5 furlongs in 1 minute flat Monday morning. "I've been happy with all of his works. I don't see why he wouldn't run a big race."
Baffert also fields Collected, who held on to a late lead to beat Arrogate by 1/2 length in the Grade I Pacific Classic Aug. 18, and Mubtaahij, who was fourth in the Dubai World Cup and might be better than some think he is.
Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien is so well stocked with turf runners that he sidetracked two of them to this race. Not to be ignored is Churchill, whose value in the breeding shed next spring could be enhanced greatly with a good performance in his first start on the dirt. His owners are awaiting the result of this race to set his fee. Honest. O'Brien's other, War Decree, would be a major surprise.
Any of the others in the 11-horse field also would be something of a shock.
$2 million Longines Distaff
Eight signed on for this 1 1/8-miles event and the Del Mar morning line has five of them almost inseparable. Among them, 3-year-olds Elate, Abel Tasman and Paradise Woods will try their luck against older rivals Stellar Wind and Forever Unbridled.
Abel Tasman already has four Grade I wins to her credit, including this year's Kentucky Oaks, but finished second in the Grade I Cotillion in Pennsylvania in her most recent start. Elate is the more "now" horse, winner of the Grade I Alabama and Grade I Beldame Invitational in her last two starts. Paradise Woods won the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks by 11 3/4 lengths and, most recently, the Grade I Zenyatta at Santa Anita by 5 1/4 lengths.
Stellar Wind is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Distaff after three consecutive victories, all Grade I events and the last at Del Mar. She was fourth in last year's Distaff after hesitating at the start. Forever Unbridled was third in that dramatic Distaff showdown between Beholder and Songbird, now both retired. Forever Unbridled shows two Grade I wins in her last two starts.
This race is so tough that another 3-year-old filly, Champagne Room, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and an easy winner in her last start, is a 15-1 longshot.
$1.5 million TwinSpires Sprint
This race is all about defending champion Drefong. Other than a learning experience in his career bow and a misadventure in July when he lost jockey Mike Smith shortly after the start, he is undefeated in six starts. He has had only two starts this year, including the aforementioned misadventure, but has been training superbly well for Baffert and likely will be a "single" on some cost-conscious multi-race tickets.
Roy H, Mind Your Biscuits, Takaful and Imperial Hint would be most likely to take advantage of any regression by Drefong. Mind Your Biscuits was third last year in this race and won the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan in March. His last race was awful but he's been working well since.
$1 million Filly & Mare Sprint
Unique Bella is unique, indeed. The 3-year-old Tapit filly has won five in a row, the last four graded stakes and the first, a maiden event at Del Mar, by 10 1/4 lengths. She will be another single on many multi-race wagers.
That's not to say it's a walkover. Skye Diamonds, Finley'sluckycharm and Paulassilverlining all have stellar resumes. Sky Diamonds has won five of her last six, all in California. New York-based Paulassilverlining won four straight before fading from contention in her most recent start at Saratoga. Finley'sluckycharm, trained at Churchill Downs, has missed a top-two finish only once in 12 career starts and that was the first and last time trainer Bret Calhoun sent her around two turns.
Also have a look at By the Moon, whose 12-1 morning line odds don't seem to match her consistently good record since a close fifth-place finish in this race a year ago.
$1 million Las Vegas Dirt Mile
Baffert has the morning-line favorite, Mor Spirit, in a short field of 10 for this event. Mor Spirit has won three straight races but has been idle since taking the Grade I Met Mile at Belmont Park in June. Accelerate, third in this event last year, also is well regarded, as are Practical Joke and Sharp Azeca.
$2 million Sentient Jet Juvenile
Bolt d'Oro is the 9-5 morning line pick in the Juvenile and why not? He has won all three of his starts, including the Grade I Del Mar Futurity and the Grade I FrontRunner at Santa Anita in his first two-turn effort. He took the latter by 7 3/4 lengths.
Among the others, Free Drop Billy won the Grade I Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in his last start and Firenze Fire won the Grade I Champagne at Belmont Park on the same Oct. 7 date. O'Brien offers U S Navy Flag, a winner of two straight Group 1 events at Newmarket in England but he makes his first start on dirt and first beyond 7 furlongs.
$2 million 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies
They come from all over for this as Moonshine Memories, Separationofpowers and Heavenly Love are the early picks going 1 1/16-miles event around two turns. Moonshine Memories is undefeated in three starts, including two at Del Mar. Her last was at this distance at Santa Anita. Separationofpowers comes from New York, where she won two of three including the Grade I Frizette in her most recent outing. Heavenly Love won her last two starts in Kentucky -- first on the grass at the key Kentucky Downs meeting, then the Grade I Alcibiades at Keeneland on the main track, by 5 1/2 lengths. Alluring Star and Wonder Gadot hold some attraction and the others are posted at double-digit odds.
