Player Quick Pick: BC Sprint 11/1/2014
There is a ton of speed, as always, signed up for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint this Saturday. The race should set up for a presser or closer if the speed doesn’t hold and it’s hard to see the speed holding with Private Zone, Work All Week, Fast Anna, and Bakken signed on to this.
Santa Anita Park Race 10 | 4:01 pm ET
Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint 3&Up going 6f
6 – Rich Tapestry – 5/1 – A case can be made for Palace, but in my mind, Rich Tapestry is the most accomplished thoroughbred in this field. He’s won races at Sha Tin, Meydan and Santa Anita. He’s won over the turf, the synthetic and the dirt. He’s won over $1.4 million dollars and he just beat one of America’s best sprinters in Goldencents in a Grade 1 prep for this. The victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship was amazing in the sense that jockey Olivier Doueze put Rich Tapestry near the lead before taking back once he realized how fast they were going. Then, he tried to make a run on the outside but noticed that he wasn’t going to get there in time, so Doueze pushed Rich Tapestry to the inside of Goldencents and caught the favorite for a nose victory. It was just an amazing race and one that should have educated both the horse and jockey. There are two things to worry about, though. First, Doueze might have trouble weaving through a field of 14. So, he can’t use the same tactics in the BC Sprint. Second, will Rich Tapestry regress off of such an awesome effort in his first race state-side? I’m willing to write off the two concerns because of this horse’s class and the fact that Rich Tapestry could go off no better than third choice in this after Secret Circle and Palace.
9 – Salutos Amigos – 6/1 – This David Jacobsen trainee does have a victory over the Santa Anita dirt, but that was a long time ago. The real reason to like Salutos Amigos in this is because of his ability to lie about 3 lengths off before making a run to the wire. That ability should serve him well in the BC Sprint and the win in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler was a terrific race. Salutos Amigos put away the field by 3.4 lengths. Confirmation and Romansh were both in that event; it wasn’t like Salutos Amigos was running against a bunch of has beens. He and Rich Tapestry should be in the second flight behind the front-runners. From there, it will be a case of which horse has the most left in the tank for the stretch, who will have to go wide, and which jockey makes the right decision. Javier Castellano jumps aboard Salutos Amigos. Therefore, those liking his chances shouldn’t worry about a wrong decision being made.
7 – Mico Margarita – 15/1 – The four-year-old, Steve Asmussen trained colt sired by Run Away and Hide, might have a class issue in this, but the 15 to 1 morning line odds are just too difficult to pass up. He’s a must use in the exotics because, mainly, Asmussen trains and Rosie Napravnik rides. Rosie has turned into one of the top riders in the world in my opinion. Anything that she rides has to be looked at as a serious threat. The pace could definitely flatter this one since Mico Margarita is the only real closing sprinter in the race. Don’t be surprised if Rosie pulls a Corey Nakatani who ran down the speed after trailing the entire field near the top of the stretch aboard Elmhurst in the 1997 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Santa Anita Park Race 10 | 4:01 pm ET
Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint 3&Up going 6f
6 – Rich Tapestry – 5/1 – A case can be made for Palace, but in my mind, Rich Tapestry is the most accomplished thoroughbred in this field. He’s won races at Sha Tin, Meydan and Santa Anita. He’s won over the turf, the synthetic and the dirt. He’s won over $1.4 million dollars and he just beat one of America’s best sprinters in Goldencents in a Grade 1 prep for this. The victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship was amazing in the sense that jockey Olivier Doueze put Rich Tapestry near the lead before taking back once he realized how fast they were going. Then, he tried to make a run on the outside but noticed that he wasn’t going to get there in time, so Doueze pushed Rich Tapestry to the inside of Goldencents and caught the favorite for a nose victory. It was just an amazing race and one that should have educated both the horse and jockey. There are two things to worry about, though. First, Doueze might have trouble weaving through a field of 14. So, he can’t use the same tactics in the BC Sprint. Second, will Rich Tapestry regress off of such an awesome effort in his first race state-side? I’m willing to write off the two concerns because of this horse’s class and the fact that Rich Tapestry could go off no better than third choice in this after Secret Circle and Palace.
9 – Salutos Amigos – 6/1 – This David Jacobsen trainee does have a victory over the Santa Anita dirt, but that was a long time ago. The real reason to like Salutos Amigos in this is because of his ability to lie about 3 lengths off before making a run to the wire. That ability should serve him well in the BC Sprint and the win in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler was a terrific race. Salutos Amigos put away the field by 3.4 lengths. Confirmation and Romansh were both in that event; it wasn’t like Salutos Amigos was running against a bunch of has beens. He and Rich Tapestry should be in the second flight behind the front-runners. From there, it will be a case of which horse has the most left in the tank for the stretch, who will have to go wide, and which jockey makes the right decision. Javier Castellano jumps aboard Salutos Amigos. Therefore, those liking his chances shouldn’t worry about a wrong decision being made.
7 – Mico Margarita – 15/1 – The four-year-old, Steve Asmussen trained colt sired by Run Away and Hide, might have a class issue in this, but the 15 to 1 morning line odds are just too difficult to pass up. He’s a must use in the exotics because, mainly, Asmussen trains and Rosie Napravnik rides. Rosie has turned into one of the top riders in the world in my opinion. Anything that she rides has to be looked at as a serious threat. The pace could definitely flatter this one since Mico Margarita is the only real closing sprinter in the race. Don’t be surprised if Rosie pulls a Corey Nakatani who ran down the speed after trailing the entire field near the top of the stretch aboard Elmhurst in the 1997 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
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