The Grade 1, $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Dash will likely be contested at six furlongs on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The 2024 working has attracted a high-powered, 11-horse area. Who will show to be the quickest of the quick? Right here is an at a look have a look at the contenders for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dash.
1. Raging Torrent (10-1 morning-line odds): Enters the Dash on a three-race profitable streak that features a win final trip within the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar, the place he gamely defeated heavy favourite The Chosen Vron at seven furlongs. He’s in tremendously good kind now and is confirmed at Del Mar. His early velocity will show helpful as a result of he’ll most likely have to ship for the lead from the rail, and it’s good to see that he doesn’t essentially want a transparent lead with a purpose to win. Doug O’Neill has an opportunity to notch his second Dash win after profitable this race for the primary time approach again in 2006 with Thor’s Echo.
JOCKEY: Antonio Fresu; TRAINER: Doug O’Neill
2. Gun Pilot (20-1): Profession spotlight got here earlier this 12 months when he blew away the sphere to win the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes Offered by Ford, however his two losses since then, each at Saratoga, weren’t practically nearly as good. Obtained beat by Mullikin by 5 ¾ lengths final time within the Grade 1 Forego Stakes, and he might want to flip the tables on that rival and beat another powerful ones to get the win on this spot. Asmussen gained the 2019 Dash with Mitole. Gun Pilot’s finest likelihood on this spot is to put again off a swift tempo and hope to come back from behind if the velocity horses tire late.
JOCKEY: Cristian Torres; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
3. Federal Choose (3-1): Rapidly ascended to this excessive degree with wins in his final two races, together with a wire-to-wire, 5 ½-length win within the Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland final trip. Could have benefitted from a speed-favoring monitor that day at Keeneland, and 3-1 odds on the morning line supply little worth, however there’s no denying that this speedster is an upwardly cell and critical contender if he can someway get clear on the lead once more. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has gained the Dash three of the final 4 years, and it’s exhausting to low cost the possibilities of anybody he’s aboard.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Brad Cox
4. Nakatomi (6-1): Completed third behind the likes of Elite Energy and Gunite within the 2023 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Dash and have become a Grade 1 winner in 2024 when he defeated Skelly within the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. Stalker didn’t get a fantastic tempo state of affairs final time within the Phoenix Stakes when chasing Federal Choose, who was blazing up entrance on a speed-friendly monitor, however the Dash seems to be overloaded with sufficient early velocity to assist set the desk for a late runner. The final 4 editions of the Dash have been gained by horses coming from behind, and if there’s one other tempo meltdown this 12 months, the race units up for Nakatomi.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Wesley Ward
5. Don Frankie (15-1): The primary of three horses on this 12 months’s Dash that hail from Japanese connections, this horse already has optimistic worldwide expertise from earlier this 12 months when he completed second forward of Nakatomi and fellow Japanese invader Remake when second within the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen. He’s raced solely as soon as since then, which resulted in an August victory going six furlongs in Japan. Has by no means completed out of the exacta in 5 profession races at six furlongs and has proved he matches properly in opposition to this sort of competitors.
JOCKEY: Cristian Demuro; TRAINER: Takashi Saito
6. Bentornato (30-1): Survived a velocity duel final time to win the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing in a race that featured a lot simpler competitors than he’ll face at the moment. However, it appears it might be reckless to disregard this horse at 30-1 odds on the morning line since he is an ideal 5-for-5 in his profession in one-turn dash races, he earned a 101 Beyer Velocity Determine within the Gallant Bob, and he nonetheless has room for enchancment in what will likely be his third race again from an extended layoff.
JOCKEY: Luis Saez ; TRAINER: Jose D’Angelo
7. Meta Max (20-1): Japanese invader lastly notched his first win of the 12 months final time in his fourth outing of 2024. Likes this six-furlong distance the most effective with three profession wins at this journey. As soon as upon a time, he bought for $1.1 million as a 2-year-old in coaching. He appears to be the least completed of the three Japanese-based entrants within the Dash, however his essential promoting level seems to be his tempo versatility as a runner that has had success each on the lead and coming from off the tempo in his previous wins.
JOCKEY: Akira Sugawara; TRAINER: Hideyuki Mori
8. Straight No Chaser (5-1): Exits a formidable win within the Santa Anita Dash Championship Stakes Offered by Estrella Jalisco, which is similar race Aloha West got here out of en path to his Breeders’ Cup Dash victory the final time the race was held at Del Mar in 2021. Has solely raced twice in 2024 and has tons of upside primarily based on flashes of brilliance at occasions in his profession, together with in his most up-to-date race. His drawback within the Dash would be the identical problem that all the early velocity horses will face on Saturday. Can he outrun the assassin’s row of Raging Torrent, Federal Choose, Bentornato, Mullikin, and Skelly, and if he does, will he then have something left to carry off the closers? He has John Velazquez aboard, and that gained’t harm. Johnny V. will search his second profession Breeders’ Cup Dash win and first since 2004 aboard Speightstown.
JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Dan Blacker
9. Remake (8-1): Worldwide traveler exits his second straight win within the $1 million Korea Dash and likewise owns a win earlier this 12 months within the $1.5 million Riyadh Dust Dash on the Saudi Cup undercard the place he beat Skelly, who at that second was in career-best kind. His solely loss in three outings to this point in 2024 was when fourth behind each Don Frankie and Nakatomi within the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup Day when he was hampered by a troubled stretch run. He will likely be launching a rally from off the tempo, and that will likely be a tactical benefit in a race overloaded with velocity horses that might setup for a closing winner.
JOCKEY: Yuga Kawada; TRAINER: Koichi Shintani
10. Mullikin (7-2): Sports activities an ideal 4-for-4 document in 2024 and comes into this race off a Grade 1 win within the Forego Stakes at Saratoga, the place he went wire-to-wire and soundly disposed of Gun Pilot within the course of. He owns loads of early velocity however most likely gained’t be capable to get the lead within the Dash in opposition to a area that features a number of fearsome speedsters. On the plus facet, he does appear to have a bonus over the opposite velocity horses within the area as a result of he has already proven that he can nonetheless win in cases the place he doesn’t get the early lead. Ignore Mullikin at your personal danger.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Rodolphe Brisset
11. Skelly (8-1): Loomed the most effective sprinter within the land in the course of the early phases of 2024 when he was rolling by means of a number of stakes wins at Oaklawn Park. His kind has remained good all through the season and has but to complete out of the exacta in seven outings. However, when confronted this 12 months by a few the highest challengers within the Breeders’ Cup Dash area, Skelly got here up quick, first behind Remake within the $1.5 million Riyadh Dust Dash and later behind Nakatomi within the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. Skelly is a front-running speedster who will go for the lead from the skin submit and whether or not he will get the lead or not, he might want to outrun a number of others and overcome what might be an excessively quick tempo with a purpose to win.
JOCKEY: Ricardo Santana Jr.; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
THE PICK: Remake
LIVE LONGSHOT: Don Frankie
SUPERFECTA: 9-10-4-5
