2016 Breeders' Cup Mile Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Breeders' Cup Mile is on tap for the Saturday, November 5 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A purse of $2 million will be up for grabs for horses three years old and upward willing to go one mile on Santa Anita's turf track.

A full field of 14 will give it a go in the BC Mile - race 11 on Santa Anita stacked Breeders' Cup Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:40 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all 14 combatants for this competitive G1 race.

2016 Breeders' Cup Mile Entries at Santa Anita Park

Tepin 3-1 - defending champion, sensational six-time G1 winner and the Eclipse Award Champion grass mare of 2015 - the "Queen of the Turf" has 22 career starts for trainer Mark Casse with 13 wins, four seconds and a third place finish. She enters having not finished worse than second in her last 14 starts with 11 - yes 11 wins over that span. She arrives off a second place finish in the G1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland October 8 which followed a terrific eight race win streak - the G1 Woodbine Mile against the boys September 17, the Group 1 Queen Ann Stakes against the boys at Ascot June 15, the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile May 7, the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes in April, the G2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay March 12, the G3 Endeavour Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths at Tampa Bay February 13, the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile and by an impressive seven lengths and in last year's First Lady Stakes October 3. Before that were consecutive seconds - the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes August 29 and the G1 Diana Stakes in July. She also had wins in the G1 Just a Game Stakes last June and the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May, 2015. Tepin has been off-the-charts the last 18 months and will try to bounce back from a rare loss with regular rider Julien Leparoux guiding the obvious favorite from gate 8.

Limato 7-2 - Irish bred Henry Candy trained gelding has placed in 12 of 13 career starts - eight wins and four second place finishes. Last time out was a win in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de las Foret Stakes in France after a second in the Nunthorpe Stakes in Britain August 19 and a nice win in the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket in July. He also won a Group 2 and Group 3 race in Britain in 2015. Limato has been competitive every time out and hopes to carry that momentum into his North American debut. Harry Bentley has the mount on the intriguing morning line second choice from gate 10 Saturday.

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Alice Springs 4-1 - Irish bred Aidan O'Brien trained filly was runner-up in last year's BC Juvenile Fillies and now has five wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 15 career starts. She enters in career-best form - a win last time out in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket October 1 followed another win in the Group 1 Rock Matron Stakes at Leopardstown September 10, an uncharacteristic eighth in a Group 1 race in France and yet another win in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July. Alice Spring has been competitive every time out and hopes to add to her impressive résumé from gate 2 with Ryan Moore aboard the third betting choice.

Ironicus 8-1 - has placed in 13 of 14 career starts for trainer Shug McGaughey - six wins, six seconds and a third place finish. He enters having won four of his last seven starts - a second last time out in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland October 8 followed another second in the G1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 11, a win in the G3 Fort Marcy Stakes May 7 and eight months away. Before the layoff was a win in the G2 Bernard Baruch Stakes at Saratoga in September, a second in the 2015 G2 Fourstardave Handicap, an Allowance Optional Claiming score in July of last year and another win in the G2 Dixie Stakes in May, 2015. He has finished first or second in 10 straight races ahead of this weekend (5 wins) - as competitive as they come and will be looking to keep and impressive run going from post 9 Saturday. Jose Ortiz gets the call.

Midnight Storm 12-1 - won the G2 Del Mar Derby in August, 2014 for trainer Phil D'Amato and had a second in the 2015 G1 Shoemaker and has caught fire again in his last three starts overall. Last time was a nice win in the G2 Del Mar Mile August 21 which followed another win in the G2 Eddie Read Stakes July 17 and a terrific victory in the 2016 G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita June 4. Before his most recent wins was a seventh in the G1 Woodford Reserve Classic at Churchill Downs May 7, a fourth in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March and a nice win in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar November 27. Midnight Storm now has eight wins and three seconds in 18 career starts and off three straight graded stakes wins should be in the conversation Saturday. He arrives in career best form and will try to keep the roll going from post 13 with Rafael Bejarano aboard.

Miss Temple City 12-1 - has placed in 10 of 14 career starts for trainer Graham Motion and enters off a terrific win in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland October 8. She wasn't great before that - a close fifth in the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga August 27 followed a fourth in the G1 Diana Stakes on that track July 23 and another fourth in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Ascot June 15. She posted a terrific win against the boys in the G1 Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland in April, had a decent second in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup back on October 10 and an OK third in the G2 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park last September 12. Miss Temple City has been OK and tries for a second straight G1 win from gate 4 with Edgar Prado guiding her again.

Tourist 15-1 - Bill Mott pupil won three straight races in the summer of 2014 including the minor Sir Cat Stakes at Saratoga in July and finished a good second in his graded stakes debut- the G1 Secretariat at Arlington August 16, 2014. He went on to a thirteenth place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile and was forced out of action for 10 months. He returned to action last September 5 and won the minor More Than Ready Mile by 3 3/4 lengths at Kentucky Downs and followed that with a respectable third in the 2015 G1 Shadwell Turf Mile October 3. He has been decent since - an OK third last time out in the 2016 G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland October 8 followed a good win in the G1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga August 20, a respectable second in the G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita June 4, a fourth in the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 7, an OK third in the G1 Maker's 46 Mile and an eighth in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile. Tourist has been a tad tough to figure out but has been trending upward once again ahead of this weekend. He chases his second G1 score in three starts Saturday with Joel Rosario in the irons from post 5.

Photo Call 15-1 - Irish bred Todd Pletcher trained mare has six wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 21 career starts and enters off a good win in the G1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland October 8. Before that was a fourth in the G3 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga September 3, a sixth in the G2 Waya Stakes on that track August 6, a respectable second in the G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park July 9 and a disappointing sixth in the G2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park June 10. He also had a nice win in the G3 Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream Park in April, a fourth in the Endeavour Stakes in February, a fifth on the biggest stage - the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and a nice two race win streak last year - the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita September 26 and the G3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park August 29. Photo Call has shown form in the past and off his first win in six months could be a factor. Kent Desormeaux will be in the reins from gate 6.

Dutch Connection 20-1 - British bred Charles Hill trained colt has 16 career starts with four wins, five seconds and two third place finishes. His only North American start resulted in a fifth in the 2015 G1 Shadwell Turf Mile. He has been just OK lately - last time out was a sixth in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de Moulin de Longchamp September 11 after a fifth in a Group 1 at Deauville in August, a good win in the Group 2 Qatar Lennox Stakes at Goodwood July 26 and a second in the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot July 2. Dutch Connection has shown form in the past and will out to snap a two race losing streak from post 7. James Doyle will be in the irons.

Ring Weekend 20-1 - returned from a 14 month layoff May 21 for trainer Graham Motion and finished a very respectable second in the G2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico and followed that with an uncharacteristic sixth in the G1 Fourstardave Handicap August 20 and a good win in the G2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga September 5. Last time out was a bit of a hiccup - a seventh in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland October 8. Before the layoff he won the 2015 G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita and had wins in the G3 Saranac Stakes in September, 2014 and the G3 Hill Prince Stakes a month later. Ring Weekend has six wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in 18 career starts and has four wins and two seconds in his last nine starts overall. He looks for a strong bounce back from an ugly effort from post 11 Saturday with John Velazquez guiding him.

What a View 20-1 - Kenneth Black trained gelding has six wins and two second place finishes in 12 career starts. He arrives off a career-worst effort - an unfortunate eighth in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland October 8. Before that was a terrific four race win streak - the G3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita April 9, the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on that track in March, the minor California Cup Turf Classic January 30 and an Allowance Optional Claiming December 26. He also had a fifth, a second and a win respectively in Allowance races on California tracks. What a View was terrific before his layoff and will be out for a strong bounce back from the rail. Tyler Baze gets the call.

Spectre 20-1 - has two wins, two seconds and a third place finish for trainer Markus Munch and will be making her North American debut Saturday. Last time out was a second in the Group 2 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at Chantilly September 11 which followed a fourth in the Group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard - Jacques Le Marois August 14, a third in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat July 10, a fifth in another Group 1 race in France in May and a career-defining win in the Group 1 Prix Imprudence in April. Spectre has been OK in her career and will be out to snap a four race losing streak from post 3. Javier Castellano has been tabbed to ride.

Hit It a Bomb 20-1 - lightly raced Aidan O'Brien trained colt has three wins and two third in six career starts. He won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last year and has been OK in three starts since. Last time out was a ninth in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot October 15 after consecutive third in Group races this past summer. Hit It a Bomb won his first three starts and hopes to build on his BC legacy from gate 12 Saturday with Seamus Heffernan scheduled to ride.

Cougar Mountain 20-1 - Irish bred Aidan O'Brien trainee has just three wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 19 career starts. He enters off a fifth in the Group 1 Dubai 100 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket October 7, a good win in the Group 2 Shadwell Joel Stakes on that track September 23, a sixth in a Group 1 race at Doncaster September 10 and a decent second in the Group 3 Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown in August. He has placed in just two of his last six starts ahead of this weekend and will try to channel his form from two starts back when he departs from the outside gate 14 with Donnacha O'Brien in the reins.

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2016 Breeders' Cup Mile Odds & Entries

Race 11 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 7:40 PM.