Tips for the televised races on day two of the Breeders' Cup
Eight Grade Ones feature on the ITV Racing coverage on Saturday 6th November
Life Is Good, Jackie's Warrior and Tarnawa feature amongst our best bets
We're also tipping Emaraaty Ana, Loves Only You and Hot Rod Charlie to run well at bigger prices
Expired
Tarnawa is tipped to defend her Breeders' Cu Turf crown. (Getty)
ITV Racing viewers have a real treat to look forward to on Saturday night, with eight lucrative Grade One races being shown live from day two of the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.
With eight competitive races to get through, let's jump straight into Saturday's ITV Racing Tips on day two of the Breeders' Cup.
Kevin Ryan landed this prize with Glass Slippers last year, and the defending champion is back for another cracker. EMARAATY ANA also represents the Ryan stable, and I think he could be the one to back amongst the market leaders.
Following a smart win over Dubai Station at Hamilton, Emaraaty Ana has chased home the super impressive Winter Power in the Nunthorpe and beaten Starman to the Sprint Cup at Haydock. Andrea Atzeni's mount always breaks well and likes to be up with the pace throughout. Such tactics should pay dividends around this tight, turning track and he's perfectly placed to execute those plans from stall two.
I'm also going to have an each-way saver on FAST BOAT. Joe Sharp's six-year-old has been well-beaten on both his previous starts over six furlongs. Over shorter distances, he's been much more impressive, and clocked an impressive Beyer Speed Figure of 104 when winning the Grade Three Troy Stakes on his penultimate start. Fast Boat could run much better than his odds suggest.
Three-year-olds have won two of the last four renewals of the Dirt Mile and I see no reason to side against LIFE IS GOOD.
Todd Pletcher's charge kicked off this season with two smart wins over future Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, before going down narrowly to the classy Jackie's Warrior on his Grade One debut. Following an easy win on his prep-run at Belmont, I expect Life Is Good will open his account at the top table on Saturday.
Both the US and Europe play strong hands in what should prove to be a fascinating race. I, however, fancy siding with Japan, as I think LOVES ONLY YOU has a fantastic chance.
Yoshito Yahagi's mare boasts some excellent form in 2021. Loves Only You won the Kyoto Kinen over this trip in February, before finishing just half-a-length behind Mishriff and Chrono Genesis in the Sheema Classic. Yahagi's five-year-old then powered to victory over two very classy horses in Glory Vase and Daring Tact to land the Grade One QEII Cup at Sha Tin.
Loves Only You was beaten on her only start since then back in August, where she was held up off the pace and couldn't quite run down the winner. This has clearly been the plan for Loves Only You and she appeals most at the prices.
As I mentioned earlier, the only horse to have beaten Life Is Good this season is JACKIE'S WARRIOR, and Steve Asmussen's three-year-old looks rock-solid in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Joel Rosario's mount has taken his game to a whole new level since being dropped below the mile, edging out Life Is Good in the Grade One Allan Jerkins inbetween two emphatic wins at Grade Two level. Jackie's Warrior clocked a whopping Beyer Speed Figure of 110 at Parx the last day and the favourite is drawn perfectly in stall two.
Breeders' Cup Classic contenders Essential Quality (left) and Hot Rod Charlie clash in the Belmont Stakes. (Getty)
A really tricky race, where a chance can be given to plenty. Mo Forza is the highest-placed home challenger in the market, but I think there's too big a gap in the market between himself and SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT, who looks to be the value play.
Smooth Like Strait is extremely consistent, winning seven of his 17 starts and finishing outside the places just twice. Umberto Rispoli's mount landed his first Grade One in the Shoemaker Mile and has since finished just behind Mo Forza in a couple of small field Grade Twos.
Rispoli's charge broke well to lead in both of those races, only to get run down by the classy Mo Forza in the strides before the line. This time, with 14 runners in the field compared to five, it may be hard for Mo Forza to make up late ground and Smooth Like Strait is drawn perfectly to go straight to the front and dictate the tempo.
McCarthy's four-year-old has won twice in five starts around Del Mar, finishing second on the other three occasions. Smooth Like Strait can run a massive race at a lovely price.
Since becoming just the third horse to legitimately beat former two-time Distaff winner, Monomoy Girl in the Apple Blossom handicap back in April, Letruska has dominated the fillies and mares division in the States. Fausto Gutierrez's star has collected three Grade Ones, defeating four of the 10 opponents who sit behind her in the market along the way.
One rival Letruska is yet to face this season is CLAIRIERE, who's definitely trending towards a big run at this year's Breeders' Cup.
Steve Asmussen's three-year-old has run up behind Malathaat in three Grade Ones this term. On her penultimate start in the Alabama Stakes, Clairiere started slowly from an inside draw, but made good late ground once she was angled out and finished a staying-on second to Saturday's second-favourite.
Ricardo Santana Jnr's mount blitzed her rivals to win the Grade One Cotillion Stakes at Parx last time out, registering a career-best performance on fast ground. A similar performance on Saturday could see Clairiere comfortably outrun her current double-figure odds.
I backed TARNAWA to win the Breeders' Cup Turf last season, and Dermot Weld's mare obliged with a fantastic performance. Colin Keane's mount returns to the US as the hot-favourite and, based on what we've seen over the last two years, I don't want to side against her.
Tarnawa returned to action with a dominant victory at Leopardstown in August. Weld's stable star was then narrowly beaten over ten furlongs by the super classy St Mark's Basilica in the Irish Champion Stakes. Tarnawa then drifted in the Arc betting when the ground became unsuitably heavy, but Weld's five-year-old still ran a fantastic race to place second.
Being drawn out in stall 13 is far from ideal. If Tarnawa was a front-runner I would be very worried, but Keane would have looked to find some cover on Tarnawa anyway, so he should be able to slot in just fine from that wide gate. Tarnawa is the best horse in this race and she can establish herself as the best mare in the sport in Saturday's penultimate race.
Seven seasonal Grade One winners clash in this mouth-watering renewal of the Breeders' Cup Classic. Knicks Go will go straight to the front, but he has to prove his stamina over this new ten-furlong trip. Essential Quality is a hardy, consistent horse to respect, but I'm not sure whether this sort of track is really going to suit Brad Cox's grinder.
The one I really want to side with is HOT ROD CHARLIE, who has his quirks, but clearly has bundles of ability and he could take all the beating on Saturday night.
Doug O'Neill's star has enjoyed a fantastic three-year-old campaign, winning the Louisianna and Pennsylvania Derbys. Hot Rod Charlie finished a length third behind Medina Spirit in the Kentucky Derby, second to Essential Quality in the 12-furlong Belmont Stakes and was first across the line in the Haskell Stakes before being disqualified for causing interference.
Flavien Prat's mount likes to be up with the pace and he boasts some valuable experience around this track, having run her three times at the start of his juvenile season. The blinkers go back on Hot Rod Charlie, as he bids to hand O'Neill his first Breeders' Cup Classic win.
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