Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile 2013 Contenders & Odds

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is on tap for this Friday, November 1 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Some of the best dirt running three years old and upward in the world have been assembled to go one mile on Santa Anita's dirt track for a purse of $1 million.

A full field of 12 plus one Alternate Entry has been confirmed for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile which comes our way at 3:05 PM PT Friday. Let's take a look at the past performances of all 13 possible entries for this important Grade 1 Breeders' Cup stakes race.

2013 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Race Favorite Entries

Verrazano - has two bad starts with both on the biggest stage - a fourteenth place finish as one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby and last time out in the Grade 1 Travers August 24. He bounced back after the Derby with a win in the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth June 16 and followed that with another terrific win - in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational July 28 also at Monmouth. He has won six of eight career starts including an impressive score with 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby March 9 and the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct April 6 in the lead up to the Kentucky Derby. He is used to dominating and will be looking to get back to his familiar form this Friday. He has the speed and could have an outside chance at an Eclipse Award with a win here as well. Verrazano departs from post 10 as the 3-1 favorite Friday and will have John Velazquez in the saddle.

Goldencents - may have been the biggest disappointment of the Kentucky Derby with his seventeenth place finish as one of the favorites. Although he was a pedestrian fifth in the Preakness, he bounced back with three straight second place finishes ahead of the Breeders' Cup - last time out in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship October 5 on this track, in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien and before that in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby behind Points Offthebench at Del Mar July 28. Before the Kentucky Derby he had three wins in four starts including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April, the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot and Sham Stakes. Goldencents has two wins and three thirds in eight starts this year and hopes to break his string of runner-up finishes Friday. He is listed at the 4-1 second choice and departs from the far outside post with Rafael Bejarano aboard.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile 2013 | Remaining Contenders

Fed Biz - Bob Baffert trained colt and last year's eighth place finisher in this race had a win in the Grade 2 San Fernando Stakes January 12 over Tritap and Guilt Trip. He had an OK third in the Grade 2 Strub February 2, a third in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile March 2 and was second in the minor Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita April 6. His next two starts resulted in off-the-board finishes however - a fourth in the Grade 1 Eddie Read July 20 followed a fifth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap May 27. Last time out Fed Biz rediscovered his winning form in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar August 25. He leaves from post 5 Friday at 6-1 odds with Martin Garcia guiding him.

Pants On Fire - he started 2013 with a third in the Hal's Hope January 13 went on to an Allowance Optional Claiming score February 15 and another pair of thirds - the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes in March and the minor Mountainview Handicap at Penn National June 1. He enters the Breeders' Cup on a two race win streak however - the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup July 28 and last time out in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs September 7. Pants on Fire is the co-third choice at 6-1 odds and will line up from post 11 - right between Verrazano and Goldencents.

Brujo de Olleros - had four wins in five starts in his native Brazil before shipping to North America. In five starts on North American soil he has been good - a fourth in the minor Majestic Lights Stakes at Monmouth last July 29 and fourth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green here in September 2012 before a nine month layoff. He returned to action June 22 and finished a good second in the minor Donald LeVine Handicap and recorded a win in the minor Carl Hanford Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park August 19. Last time out was a good second behind Graydar in the Grade 1 Kelso at Belmont Park September 28. He has five wins and three seconds in 10 career starts and has been very competitive in his last three starts overall. Brujo de Olleros will have Javier Castellano in the reins from post 4 at 8-1 odds.

Alpha - raced to a twelfth in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic after a decent year - he finished second to Gemologist in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in April 2012 after two straight wins - the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct last February 4 and the Count Fleet Stakes in January. Alpha had a disappointing Kentucky Derby in 2012 finishing twelfth but bounced back with a nice win in the 2012 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 28 and a win in a dead heat in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes in August 2012 at Saratoga. He enters the Breeders' Cup having placed in just one of his last four graded stakes starts however - a terrific win in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga August 31. Sandwiched around that win is a pair of sixths - last time out in the Grade 1 Jockey Gold Cup and August 3 in the Grade 1 Whitney. His win last time out has instilled a bit of optimism - 8-1 on the morning line and will have Joe Bravo in the saddle from post 7.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile betting at Santa Anita Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Golden Ticket - Kenneth McPeek trained colt enters having won two of his last four starts - the minor Prairie Meadows Handicap July 27 by eight lengths and an Allowance Optional Claiming in May with a second in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap sandwiched in there. Last time out was a bit of a hiccup - a fourth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes here September 28. His best career result came back in August 2012 - a dead-heat win in the Grade 1 Travers. He has placed in four of his last seven graded stakes starts but has failed to win one since the Travers. He enters in decent form for trainer Kelly McPeek, is listed at 12-1 odds and will depart from post 2 with Joel Rosario aboard.

Broadway Empire - had two nice wins in Canada this summer - the Grade 3 Canadian Derby by three lengths as favorite August 17 and the minor Ky Alta Handicap by seven lengths in July - both results at Northlands Park. He carried that success on last time out and won the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park September 29. He has won three straight ahead of the Breeders' Cup and four of six career starts. Broadway Empire will have Rico Walcott aboard from post 6 at 12-1 odds.

Centralinteligence - finished an inspiring second in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap last May and followed that with a nice win in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park June 29. Last time out however was a bit of a stumble - a sixth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship here October 5. He has a win and a second in four starts this year and four wins, three seconds and a third in 13 career starts. Centralinteligence is 15-1 on the morning line and leaves from post 9 with Victor Espinoza in the saddle.

Hymn Book - Shug McGaughey pupil won the Grade 1 Donn Handicap in impressive fashion in February 2012 but struggled a tad after that before a decent second in the Grade 2 Suburban behind Mucho Macho Man last July 7. He has four starts in 2013 with three seconds - in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup July 28, in the minor Criminal Type Stakes June 14 and in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs May 3 and he has a third - that coming last time out in the Grade 3 Kelso behind Graydar and Brujo de Olleros. He has placed in 11 of 17 stakes races and has placed in four straight ahead of the Breeders' Cup. Hymn Book is 15-1 on the morning line and will have Javier Castellano aboard from post 3.

Taptowne - has placed in eight of nine starts this year and has a win and four seconds in his last five starts. The win came in the minor West Virginia Governor's Stakes August 3 and the seconds include the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap and the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap September 7 behind Pants On Fire. He has yet to record a graded stakes score but has been knocking on the door as of late. Taptowne starts from the rail at 15-1 odds with Brian Hernandez in the reins.

Holy Lute - James Cassidy trained colt has just four career starts and had a two race win streak before a decent third in his graded stakes debut. The wins include his stakes debut - the minor El Cajon Stakes August 30 after a MSW score on that same track August 10. He now has two wins and two third place finishes in his four starts. Holy Lute is the longest shot in the field at 20-1 odds and departs from post 8 with Mike Smith aboard.

Easter Gift - Alternate Entry and Chad Brown trained colt has been good this year with three wins and two seconds in six starts but was disappointing in his only graded stakes race this year - a fifth last time out in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont Park September 28. Before that was a second in the minor Alydar Stakes at Saratoga August 22 after three straight wins - the best being in the minor Mountainview Handicap at Penn National June 1.

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2013 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Santa Anita Park's Friday card with a Post Time of 3:05 PM.

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