Breeders' Cup 2014 Odds: Latest Vegas Lines Before Friday's Races
There are so many big-time races at the 2014 Breeders' Cup that they had to split it into two days, and that leaves a handful of enticing races to catch Friday.
Horse racing enthusiasts will have to wait until Saturday to see California Chrome try to finish 2014 with a bang in the Classic, but Friday's schedule will not disappoint. Only four races are on tap, with the other nine set for Saturday, but at least $1 million is on the line for each of them, and many of the world's top horses will be in action.
Let's take a look at the race schedule for Friday along with the latest odds for each Friday race.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
2014 Breeders' Cup Day 1 Schedule
| Juvenile Turf | 5:25 p.m. | 1 Mile | NBCSN |
| Dirt Mile | 6:05 p.m. | 1 Mile | NBCSN |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | 6:50 p.m. | 1 Mile | NBCSN |
| Distaff | 7:35 p.m. | 1 1/8 Miles | NBCSN |
Odds for Friday's Races
Note: All lines are courtesy of the Breeders' Cup official site, where complete odds for each race can be found.
| Hootenanny | 3-1 |
| Imperia | 6-1 |
| War Envoy | 9-2 |
| Commemorative | 8-1 |
| Startup Nation | 12-1 |
All the hoot is about Hootenanny entering the Juvenile Turf, which will be the first of the 13 races to hit Santa Anita Park over the weekend.
With only a little over $200,000 in career earnings, Hootenanny has impressed in all four of his 2014 appearances. He won two and finished in place and show in the two others. Daily Racing Form announced his post position:
But plenty of suitors threaten to take the spotlight. Most notable is Imperia, who has a victory in the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park as one of his two 2014 appearances and will have experienced jockey Javier Castellano on the saddle.
Don't sleep on Great Britain's own Commemorative, making his first-ever appearance in the United States with 10-1 odds.
| Goldencents | 6-5 |
| Fed Biz | 7-2 |
| Pants on Fire | 6-1 |
| Tapiture | 6-1 |
| Bronzo | 12-1 |
A little more than a year ago, Goldencents was making waves as a contender in the 2013 Triple Crown circuit. This weekend, he'll have the chance to cap off a much quieter 2014 with glory.
The four-year-old leads the charge convincingly in the Dirt Mile, assuming 6-5 odds to win. He's looking marvelous leading up to Friday's race, per Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch:
Goldencents couldn't make the most of his chances last summer, but it's been a different story as of late. He won the Pat O'Brien Stakes in Del Mar in August before finishing second in Santa Anita earlier this month.
His contenders are few and far between, but one undeniable threat is Fed Biz. Trainer Bob Baffert is no stranger to the spotlight, and he's been a lock for top-two finishes so far in 2014.
| Sunset Glow | 7-2 |
| Osaila | 5-1 |
| Qualify | 5-1 |
| Lady Eli | 6-1 |
| Conquest Harlanate | 10-1 |
Most of the top fillies will be competing in Friday's 1 1/8-mile Distaff race, but that doesn't mean there is a shortage of contenders in the Juvenile Fillies Turf one-miler.
One horse in the field would be a head-turner in the Distaff, and that's Sunset Glow. With finishes in the top two in each of his five 2014 appearances—three of which were wins—he's assuming 7-2 odds to win.
Either Sunset Glow or Hootenanny has a chance to make history for trainer Wesley Ward, per Daily Racing Form Formulator:
Six international horses threaten Sunset Glow, with a pair of Irish-bred fillies leading the charge. Osaila and Qualify could both turn their 5-1 odds into a victory.
| Untapable | 5-2 |
| Close Hatches | 3-1 |
| Don't Tell Sophia | 5-1 |
| Iotapa | 6-1 |
| Belle Gallantey | 6-1 |
The crown jewel of Friday's racing slate is the Distaff, and it features the most wide-open field of any of the four Day 1 races.
Untapable has the best odds of any horse in the field at 5-2, and it's not hard to see why. He has won all but one of his six races in 2014, amassing a cool $1.7 million in the process.
He has a chance to more than double his career earnings with $2 million on Friday, but it won't be easy for jockey Rosie Napravnik. Close Hatches has been on a tear for the second straight year, winning nine of his 13 races since the start of 2013.
Also keep an eye out for Iotapa and Belle Gallantey at 6-1 and Tiz Midnight—ridden by Victor Espinoza—at 10-1.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
