Breeders Cup Betting Odds: Friday Longshot Picks Include Grace Hall

Friday’s Breeders’ Cup card at Santa Anita offers six championship races, giving horseplayers plenty of opportunities to find wagering value.

Large fields and competitive races can lead to long shots, and the Ladies’ Classic (formerly known as the Distaff) has produced a few bombs over the years.

Among the long shots that have won the Distaff/Ladies’ Classic include One Dreamer ($96.20), Spain ($113.80), Adoration ($83.40), and Pleasant Home (63.50).

This year’s Ladies’ Classic features defending champion Royal Delta, who is the 9-5 morning line favorite in the field of eight, according to respected horse racing site TurfnSport.com.

She will face seven very accomplished runners including the undefeated duo of My Miss Aurelia and Awesome Feather, who both won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in their juvenile season.

Here is a look at four live long shots that you may want to consider in your exotic plays on Friday, including a price play in the Ladies’ Classic:

Marathon

Eldaafer (8-1) is running in this race for the fourth time, and we have fond memories when he won back in 2010 at Churchill Downs as my top pick paying $23.20 and topping a recommended exacta that paid us $453.60, and as a bonus we got to watch a fight in the winner’s circle between Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano.

The gelding was seventh in this race in 2009 when it ran here at Santa Anita, but that was over a synthetic surface. He was not a threat last year in a sixth place finish. The gelding has shown more of an early presence in his last two starts. Last out, he pressed the early pace and weakened to finish third in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (Grade 2).

Two back he was up on a slow pace and drew away late to win the Hanford Memorial at Delaware Park. The runner up in that race was Not Abroad, who won the Maryland Million in his next start, and the third place finisher Win Willy returned to win the Governor's Day at Delaware Park on Oct. 20.

He comes into this race the best form we have seen him the past couple of years, and the 8-1 morning line looks more than fair.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

Tara From the Cape (12-1) drew a tough post last out when she checked in fourth in the Alcibiades, which was the race that Stephanie's Kitten used as her final prep last year (She was third in the Natalma and won the Alcibiades.)

She won the Greene Memorial in her first go against winners, then was unable to go with Watsdachances in the PG Johnson, checking in third and beaten 1 1/2 lengths. Watsdachances came back to win the Miss Grillo (Grade 3) in her next start.

The switch back to turf should suit this gal, and she is worth tossing in the mix if she goes off near her 12-1 morning line.

Juvenile Fillies

Spring in the Air (15-1) is coming off a victory in the Alcibiades (Grade 1) at Keeneland over polytrack. The filly stalked the early pace while four wide after breaking from the outside, had to steady briefly losing position just past the three furlong mark and came with a good four wide run to get to the front, winning by a length over Broken Spell.

Two back she ran second in the Natalma (Grade 2) behind Spring Venture, who came back to win the Mazarine (Grade 3) in her next outing on Oct. 6 and is my pick in the Fillies Turf. The question is whether or not she can handle her first trip over conventional dirt as she has run three times on poly and once on turf.

She is bred to like dirt, the $130K Ocala purchase is by Spring At Last out of an Unbridled mare.

Ladies’ Classic

Grace Hall (10-1) gets the call and this race is loaded with talented runners, and it is tough to toss any of these, according to Michael Dempsey, in an article on BreedersCupOdds.net this week.

She won the Delaware Oaks (Grade 2) back in July and went into the Alabama (Grade 1) as the 6-5 favorite, but she just did not show up, fading to finish 31 lengths behind Questing. She pretty much fell off the radar screen after that poor showing, but she looked good rebounding and winning the Indiana Oaks (Grade 2), prompting the early pace and drawing clear to win by 5 3/4 lengths.

She only had to beat four foes, which included Monmouth Oaks (Grade 3) winner Wine Princess and San Clemente Handicap (Grade 2) winner Eden's Moon. The filly has won 6 of her 10 career starts, and if we put a line through that Alabama non-effort, she looks like she fits here and is going to be a price.

She is in good hands with the Tony Dutrow barn that is 0 for 4 in BC races with a second, third and a fourth. The race has plenty of early speed signed up, and this gal looks as if she has the ability to finish. Three-year-olds have won this race eight times.

The Breeders’ Cup offers 15 championship races over two days, bringing together the best top horses, trainers and jockeys from around the world this year, to compete at Santa Anita Park.