Las Vegas, NV - The Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile comes our way from Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky this Friday, October 30. A group of horses three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Keeneland's main track and go one mile for a purse of $1 million.
The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile has attracted a field of 11 to go in race 7 on Keeneland's stacked Friday card. Post time is 4:10 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all 11 entries for this Grade 1 stakes.
Liam's Map 1-1 - has just seven career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher - five wins and two second place finishes. He made his graded stakes debut August 8 and finished a good second behind Honor Code with a career and field-best Beyer Speed Figure of 113 in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga and most recently posted a good win in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on that same track September 5. Those results followed three straight wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming June 19, the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes in December and an Allowance in November. Liam' Map has looked very good so far in his career and hopes to keep that trend going Saturday. Javier Castellano gets the call aboard the morning line favorite from post 3 looking for Liam's Map's second straight Grade 1 victory.
Wicked Strong 5-1 - started his year with a close fourth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap March 7 and followed that with a third in the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct April 25, a fifth in the Grade 1 Met Mile in June, a second in the minor Forbidden Apple Stakes July 11. He finished an OK second behind Tonalist last time out in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park October 3 after a third in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga August 5 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes August 8. He also had consecutive fourth place finishes in last year's Triple Crown races - in the Belmont Stakes and in the Kentucky Derby and posted an eye-opening win - in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct April 5, 2014. Wicked Strong has 18 career starts with three wins, four seconds and three third place finishes and has been a tad up and down lately - nine straight losses ahead of this weekend. He has looked decent lately but will be after his first win in 16 months Friday when he lines up from gate 8 with John Velazquez in the reins.
Red Vine 6-1 - Christophe Clement pupil has five wins, seven seconds and five third place finishes in 19 career starts and enters in pretty good form. Last time out was a second in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park October 3 after a third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August, a second in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Salvator Miles at Monmouth July 5 and a nice win in is stakes debut - the minor Majestic Lights Stakes May 23. Before that he had two straight Allowance Optional Claiming scores. That's three wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in his last eight starts. He has been very competitive the last year and hopes to continue that trend Friday when he leaves from the rail with Joel Rosario in the saddle.
Lea 8-1 - Bill Mott trainee colt has 18 career starts and has hit the board in all except a fourth in the 2013 Forego Stakes, a fifth in the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland that same year and a disappointing dud sixth two starts back in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga August 8. He rebounded nicely with a second as favorite in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile September 13. Good results include wins in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes earlier this year, the 2014 Grade 1 Donn Handicap and the 2014 Hal's Hope. He also had and a second behind Noble Bird in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap June 13 and a third behind Prince Bishop and California Chrome in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March. Lea looks for his first win since January and will have Jose Lezcano guiding him from post 5 Friday.
Tapiture 10/1 - Steve Asmussen pupil has five graded stakes wins, four seconds and two four place finishes in 17 career starts and is coming off one of those wins - the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs September 26. Before that was a disappointing eighth in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadow in June. He also had consecutive third place finishes - the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap May 25 and the Grade 3 Oaklawn Handicap in April. Before that Tapiture had a good second to Goldencents in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, a respectable second in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 20 and a nice two race win streak in 2014 - the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby August 2 and the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs last June 14. Tapiture has been up and down lately but off a win could be a factor. Ricardo Santana gets the call from post 9.
Bet Keeneland online with OffTrackBetting.com
Bradester 10-1 - dominated the summer meet at Monmouth Park for trainer Eddie Keneally. He won the Grade 3 Salvator Mile in July and the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup in August and finished third last time out in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes August 30 - in great form ahead of this weekend. He also holds wins in last year's Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap and Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap. Overall Bradester has seven wins, six seconds and two third place finishes in 20 career starts and should be competitive Friday. He looks for his first Grade 1 score from gate 2 with Corey Lanerie guiding him.
Valid 10-1 - Marcus Vitali trained gelding has placed in his last six starts overall and enters on a nice two race win streak - the minor Groomstick Stakes at Gulfstream Park September 26 and the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park August 30. He has three wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 10 starts this year - competitive virtually every time out. Nik Suarez will be in the saddle looking to make a little noise from gate 10 .
War Envoy 30-1 - Aidan O'Brien trained colt has just one career North American start - a twelfth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf a year ago. He has been just OK since posting a win and a second place finish in six starts. He enters off a fourth in a Stakes June 27 at home after a listed stakes score June 18 and a fourteenth in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club Stakes at Chantilly in May. War Envoy has just two wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 14 career starts and hopes to make some noise from the rail with Ryan Moore in the irons from post 7.
War Story 50-1 - has placed in his six of nine career starts - two wins, two seconds and two third place finishes but has failed to place in three of his last four starts - a fourth after a poor start in the minor Ohio Derby at Thistletown June 20, a sixteenth place finish in the Kentucky Derby and a sixth last time out in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 16. He had a third two starts back in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby September 19. Deshawn Park rides from the outside post 11 hoping to snap a skid.
Street Strategy 50-1 - has nine career starts for trainer Randy Morse with five wins, a second and a third place finish. He enters on a two race win streak - both Allowance Optional Claiming with the last one coming on this track October 9. He has yet to place in two graded stakes tries but hopes to change all of that Friday with Robby Albarado in the reins from gate 6.
Mr. Z 50-1 - has just two wins in 18 career starts for trainer D. Wayne Lukas and enters off a fourth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby September 19 which followed a seventh place finish in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga August 29. He did look good in his previous two starts however- a second in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby July 18 followed a win in the minor Ohio Derby at Thistletown June 20. He also had a fifth in last year's Preakness Stakes and a thirteenth in the Kentucky Derby. Mr. Z hasn't been scared of top competition in his career yet and enters in typically inconsistent form. Joe Bravo gets the mount on the longest shot in the field from gate 4.
Race 7 on Keeneland's Friday card with a Post Time of 4:10 PM.
Entry | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Red Vine | Joel Rosario | Christophe Clement | |
2 | Bradester | Corey Lanerie | Eddie Kenneally | |
3 | Liam's Map | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | |
4 | Mr. Z | Joe Bravo | D. Lukas | |
5 | Lea | Jose Lezcano | William Mott | |
6 | Street Strategy | Robby Albarado | Randy Morse | |
7 | War Envoy | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | |
8 | Wicked Strong | John Velazquez | James Jerkens | |
9 | Tapiture | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | Steven Asmussen | |
10 | Valid | Nik Juarez | Marcus Vitali | |
11 | War Story | Deshawn Parker | Jeffrey Radosevich |