Breeders' Cup Betting 2009
The culmination of the North American flat horse racing season provides the global sports betting community with something of a treat come November each year as the Breeders' Cup race meeting is staged at various celebrated race courses across the US. And with the Breeders' Cup betting 2009 fixed very much in our minds as we head towards the massive money-spinning event, now is the ideal time in which to run the rule over the probably key players who'll provide the Breeders Cup Betting 2009 backdrop to those of us looking to add to our coffers (and internet sportsbook skill-set) on the back of the main event at the famous meeting, namely the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Generally agreed to illustrate a 'World Cup' of thoroughbred horses, the annual Breeders' Cup World Championship takes in 14 separate, yet equally high voltage races in early November annually. In 2009 the meeting takes place at the Santa Anita Park situated in California for the second successive year, something of a first in itself. Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th November 2009 are the precise dates to watch out and tune in for, as what are universally considered the the fastest sprinters, best turf horses and most promising two-year olds participate in a battle of wills and skills in front of a massive global televisual audience.
Historically agreed to offer the biggest prize pot in horse racing regardless, the 2009 running of the Breeders' Cup will break new financial territory by proffering a purse totalling some .5 million dollars. Which along with the honour of winning such cherished races as the prime spectacle that is the Breeders' Cup Classic, makes the popularity of involvement in the meeting understandable from a horse owner/trainer/jockey's viewpoint. Naturally enough, from a Horse Racing Betting perspective, the attraction is equal and requires very little explanation, with leading internet bookies predicting a rash of online sports betting activity focusing solely on the Breeders' Cup in the build-up to the event in November.
Breeders' Cup Betting 2009 – Preview Of Favourites
So turning our Breeders' Cup betting 2009 attentions toward the feature race of the weekend - and notably the Breeders' Cup Classic – and the mounting excitement is tangible when learning of the quality of thoroughbreds that will be lining up for the million race. Rip Van Winkle, Conduit, double Oaks winner, Sariska and Mastercraftsman will all be in the hunt this year, as Europe sends a very impressive contingent to represent the continent's horse racing hopes. Unfortunately the biggest column inches in the Breeders' Cup betting 2009 savvy sporting press has been reserved for a horse that's sadly pulled out of the running at the last minute, and therein effectively announcing its retirement from the horse racing scene, namely the mighty Sea The Stars. A horse that many millions around the world were eagerly waiting to see if he could add to his already stunning tally of memorable big time wins by pulling off arguably the biggest prize of the lot, the Breeders' Cup Classic.
In the absence of Sea The Stars, Zenyatta has been readily installed as the hot new ante-post favourite for the Classic, undoubtedly the biggest race on the card, and the one that's challenged over one and a quarter miles on a testing turf surface (more unfamiliar to the European horses competing), and is open to three year old fillies, mares, colts and geldings. Suffice to say that over the years native American horses have ruled the Breeders' Cup roost, yet although the best of the British contingent has been systematically halved by the withdrawal of the enigmatic and all conquering Sea The Stars, the inclusion of the well respected and incredibly proficient Rip Van Winkle means the Europeans could still do the business and beat the heavily backed US field in their own back yard in 2009.
Rip Van Winkle Odds On Ante-Post Breeders' Cup Classic 2009 Favourite
Rip Van Winkle (6 - 4 with SkyBet) - Victory in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot - observed as a 'win and you're in' Breeders' Cup entry form guaranteed Rip Van Winkle selection for the Breeders' Cup Mile, yet the Cup Classic was the entry his owner and trainer would have opted for themselves. Therefore they stumped up the pre-requisitional 0,000 entrance fees and associated costs to enable them a place at the table in this lucrative thoroughbred showdown in November. John Magnier's colt - expertly trained by Aiden O'Brien - has more or less lived in the very large shadow cast by Sea The Stars thus far in 2009, who out-gunned him in the 2,000 Guineas, Epsom derby and Eclipse, so finally now Rip Van Winkle can step out of that awesome shadow and underline his own credentials.
Zenyatta (4 - 1 with Bet365) - Not a prolific year by Zenyatta's high-achieving standards, the defending queen of all turfdom will nevertheless be geared up to take on all comers as she limbers up ahead of the Cup Classic. 2008 was the year in which the now five-year old snaffled up everything in her path, yet her lack of shows has seen the much-hyped Rachel Alexandra steal her thunder during this year. That said an explosive outing in the Group One Vanity Handicap - overwhelming Life Is Sweet into the bargain - has reminded fans and critics alike as to her blistering pace when the chips are down.
Summer Bird, Mastercraftsman And Twice Over Well Placed For Breeders' Cup Classic 2009 Victories In Internet Betting Markets
Summer Bird (6 - 1 with Ladbrokes) - Amongst the flat racing experts, popular belief is that the Cup Classic distance is ideally suited to Summer Bird's capabilities; yet countering this is just how he'll cope with the polytrack surface. The timing of the Breeders' Cup Classic is spot on for Summer Bird though, as with recent Stateside wins in 2009 in the Travers Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Belmont Stakes behind him, he finished a solid second to eventual winner - the virtually unstoppable Rachel Alexandra - in the Haskell Invitational to cement his potential for this November's show-piece event in the American flat racing calendar.
Mastercraftsman (10 - 1 with Paddy Power) - Stablemate to Rip Van Winkle, four-time Group One winner Mastercraftsman is a class act that's for sure, yet on the back of a very long season question marks hang over his chances of going the distance if he's neck and neck with the lung-busting runs of Zenyatta or Summer Bird when entering the home stretch. Wins in the Group One Irish 2,00 Guineas and St. James's Palace Stakes at Ascot earlier in the year cemented his bank-ability factor, and there's no doubting that trainer Aiden O'Brien will have whipped him into great shape ahead of the Cup Classic. And with John Murtagh in the mount he has as good a chance as any in a highly competitive field, but purists aside this may be too much of an ask.
Twice Over (10 - 1 with Coral) - Emirates Airline Champion Stakes winner, Twice Over is trained by Henry Cecil, who against all odds has miraculously turned around the fortunes of colt over the past 18 months having failed in many peoples eyes to live up to his hype. Despite winning the Craven Stakes in 2008, interest in Twice Over seemingly waned as he filled largely meaningless places behind the likes of Henrythenavigator and Raven's Pass in subsequent history. Yet going into the Breeders' Cup Classic the omens have never been more encouraging for Twice Over who could now finally deliver the potential Cecil knew he had from the start.
European Thoroughbreds Set To Shine Against American Flat Racing Competition In Breeders' Cup Classic
Elsewhere Ladbrokes are sticking their neck out with Gio Ponti at a 12 - 1 price, whilst Paddy Power have Quality Road currently listed at 14 - 1. Rail Trip finds 16 - 1 favour with the Irish bookie, while both Richards Kid and Einstein can be backed at 20 - 1 with Victor Chandler at this juncture.
As well as the alien surface on which they're asked to perform, the European horses entering the Breeders' Cup Classic also have to contend with the unenviable handicap of having travelled halfway around the globe to be in attendance, clocking up several thousand air miles just in order to stand on the starting line which again serves as a disadvantage. However in recent years, the Breeders' Cup courses have proved rich pickings and a relatively successful hunting ground for a number of European-based yards, not least Godolphin, Aiden O'Brien and Andre Fabre, so the jury is well and truly out as to whether or not the none-American horses can pull something out of the bag or not ahead of the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic.