THE HORSEPLAYER M ONTHLY, B ROUGHT TO YOU B Y THE HORSEPLAYERS ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA speed favoring. I don’t think he will be as effective going two turns, and there are others in that race, particularly Gun Runner, who should excel at that distance
Mike Adams
Q: Who is the favorite you’re taking a stand against? A: These races are so competitive, so I am always wary of backing low priced horses. I think the turf races in particular offer lots of value and I think Lady Eli is going to be overbet in the Filly & Mare Turf. She is a special horse, but she is going to have a very hard time giving four pounds up to Seventh Heaven. Q: Who is the horse you’re most excited to bet? A: Dancing Rags in the Juvenile Fillies. Graham Motion has done a wonderful job with her and I think she is just ultratalented. She should get a perfect stalking trip and I think she will be a square price too.
Q: The Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita has been somewhat notorious for speed biases – are you expecting the same thing this year and how do you adjust your handicapping? A: I’m going to watch the early races and adjust if there appears to be any speed bias. The undercard on Friday has some early races with multiple speed horses so we should be able to get a read on the track pretty early. Q: The Turf Sprint at Santa Anita is unique to the event with them racing down the hill – what are your thoughts on that race? Is experience down the hill a key? Mike likes the chances of Dancing Rags in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies photo by Penelope P. Miller, America’s Best Racing
A: I think that experience on the downhill course is less important than the distance of the race being 6 1/2 furlongs. There are lots of horses in this race that excel at five or 5 1/2 furlongs. I think the downhill course is ideal for seven furlong – one-mile type horses. Also this year I think the quality of the European sprinters is higher than I have seen so it will be interesting to see if they excel.
Q: Classic: Chrome, Arrogate, or someone else? A: Those two are the most likely winners based on their most recent efforts but from a betting perspective, I will have to have a few bucks on Shaman Ghost. He has been very good to me this summer and I have a feeling that he is better than his PP’s show. I think he will stalk an honest pace and if the top two falter he will be there to upset at a big price.
Q: The Juvenile Turf looks wide-open as always, who are you going with? A: My attitude with Breeders’ Cup Turf races has always been to favor the European runners unless there is a standout US runner. I think Lancaster Bomber will really benefit from adding Lasix and getting on firm turf, and I think he will be a square price with Ryan Moore riding the other stable entry. I have always been a fan of Seamie Heffernan and I like the inside draw. Q: What do you do with Runhappy in the Dirt Mile? A: I will be playing against him unless the track is super
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