Horsebetting.com experts give their three best bets for day one of the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs on Friday, 2 November. Newspaperofrecord has looked sensational in winning both her starts to date, so rates the NAP on the 10-race card in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Sergei Prokofiev bounced back to form with an impressive success last time out and is our next best bet in the Listed extended 5f Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Current, meanwhile, looks cracking each-way value in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf over 1m. For full details on these horses, read our in-depth preview with 2018 Breeders’ Cup day one betting tips.Newspaperofrecord the one to be on in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ TurfTrainer Chad Brown has a terrific record in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Newspaperofrecord looks a worthy favourite to further enhance it with victory in tois year’s renewal of the 1m Grade 1 contest at Churchill Downs on Friday (20:00). Brown has won the race four times, including the last two renewals with New Money Honey and Rushing Fall.
In Newspaperofrecord, he has a filly who is unbeaten in two starts. After landing a 10-runner maiden contest at Saratoga in facile fashion by 6 3/4 lengths, she took the step up into Grade 2 company in style with a sensational 6 1/2 lengths success over Varenka in the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park.
Newspaperofrecord broke smartly to lead in the latter and bounded along at the head of affairs, registering some fast sectionals in the process. The daughter of Lope De Vega held a 4 1/2 lengths lead rounding the home turn without being asked any sort of question, then opened up inside the last to win with consummate ease.
The way in which she travelled throughout and found a whole new gear when given a shake of the reins by Irad Ortiz Jr marked her out as something exceptional. Newspaperofrecord is blessed with excellent tactical speed that enables her to get a good position early in a race and has bagged a decent looking draw in stall six.
This is obviously her toughest ask to date but, judged on the manner in which she totally destroyed the opposition in the Grillo without barely having to break sweat, Newspaperofrecord looks potentially a cut-above her rivals. Thus she rates the standout bet on the card among our 2018 Breeders’ Cup day one betting tips.Prokofiev taken to call the tune in Juvenile Turf SprintIn the first-ever running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (19:21), Sergei Prokofiev looks decent value to land the spoils in the Listed contest run over an extended 5f. This Aidan O’Brien trained colt has won three of his seven starts and comes into the race on the back of a very impressive success.
After shaping with stacks of promise on debut at Dundalk when he was given a tender ride and went down by a short-head, the American bred son of Scat Daddy out of a Tapit mare showed the benefit of that experience when bolting up by 7 1/2 lengths at Navan.
Sergei Prokofiev was then pitched into Listed company at Naas and produced a similarly impressive display when scoring easily by four lengths. He next ran a blinder in defeat when third to the very smart Calyx in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he stayed on strongly until being headed close home and was beaten just over a length.
He then failed to fire in his next two starts, when the stable was under a bit of a cloud, but Sergei Prokofiev bounced back to form in no uncertain fashion last time out at Newmarket when easily beating Well Done Fox by 1 1/4 lengths in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes. After being held-up well off the pace, he was switched to the outside a furlong from home and showed a smart turn of foot to score with far more in hand than the winning margin suggests.
It was a most taking display, especially as he dwelt when the stalls opened, and one which suggested he was back to his best. Sergei Prokofiev has a high cruising speed and potent turn of foot, and they are the ideal attributes for this test. Hence he rates our next best bet on the opening day of the prestigious Breeders’ Cup meeting.Current each-way value in Juvenile Turf O’Brien also has a leading contender for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in the shape of Anthony Van Dyck but, at the odds on offer, Current looks cracking each-way value in the 1m contest (21:22). Since shaping with promise when third on debut, the Todd Pletcher trained colt is unbeaten in two starts.
After winning a maiden at Belmont, where he stalked a slow pace before showing a nice turn of foot to get the job done, this son of the mighty Curlin showed tremendous battling qualities to land the 13-runner Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland by a nose from Henley.
Current looked to have a mountain to climb when in 10th position and forced very wide round the home turn, but dug deep and ran on tenaciously to get up in the final stride. He clearly has guts, as well as a big engine, and looks the type who is going the right way, so should have plenty more to offer.
He also delighted Pletcher with a workout early in the week when striding out well and clocking some decent sectionals and this race could well be set up for a closer. Current fits that bill and has a cracking pilot in the plate in the shape of John Velazquez.
Pletcher also knows what is required to win this contest, having saddled Pluck to land the spoils at this venue back in 2010 and has made no secret that he holds Current in high regard. So, at the double figure odds on offer at the time of writing, Current looks the pick of the home team and had to feature as the each-way punt in our 2018 Breeders’ Cup day one betting tips.Your Next Bet
