Breeders' Cup 2008 Schedule

Officials of Breeders’ Cup Limited today announced the establishment of three new Breeders’ Cup World Championships races in 2008, increasing the event to a record 14 races and raising total purses to an all-time high of $25.5 million.

The 25th Breeders' Cup will be held on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25 at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

The 2008 Breeders’ Cup will be the second consecutive year that the richest prize money event in sports will be conducted over a two-day format.

The new Breeders’ Cup World Championships races, which will be run on Breeders’ Cup Friday, are:

- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; 3-year-olds and up; 6 ½ furlongs (turf)
- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; 2-year-old fillies; 1 mile (turf)
- $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Marathon; 3-year-olds and up; 1 ½ miles

Breeders' Cup Schedule Day 1, Friday, October 24, 2008
Race                                    Distance     Age
$1M Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile             1 Mile        3+
$1M Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint   7 furlongs    3+
$1M Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf         1 mile        2
$1M Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint           6 ½ furlongs  4+
$1M Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf 1 mile (turf) 2
$500,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Marathon    1 ½ miles     3+

Breeders' Cup Schedule Day 2, Saturday, October 25, 2008
Race                                    Distance       Age
$2M Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies      1 1/16 miles   2+
$2M Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile 1 1/16 miles 2
$2M Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf  1 1/4 miles    3+
$2M NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile          1 mile         3+
$2M TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint           6 furlongs      3+
$2M Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff 1 1/8 miles 3+
$3M John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf       1 ½ miles      3+
$5M Breeders’ Cup Classic               1 ¼ miles      3+

All “dirt” races next year will be run on the synthetic surface Cushion Track, which is in place at Santa Anita. As of Dec. 10, crews at Santa Anita were working to correct drainage problems with the surface, which was first used for racing in September.

Technorati tag: Breeders Cup 2008 Schedule

What is Morning Line

When you look at racecards, you will see ML. ML stands for morning line and it is the closest prediction of post-time odds on each horse that is racing. Morning line is calculated by the track handicapper and it is not live odds.

Tragic Loss of George Washington

George Washington's Breeders' Cup Classic bid ended in tragedy as he suffered a fatal injury in a race won in brilliant fashion by Curlin at Monmouth Park.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained four-year-old showed up handily early in the $5million contest, which was run on mud-splattered dirt track, but soon began to struggle.

As Curlin powered away to beat Hard Spun, George Washington's rider Mick Kinane dismounted his horse, who was quickly attended by racecourse veterinary staff. He could not be saved, however, and the decision was taken to have him humanely destroyed.

O'Brien's wife Anne-Marie was in floods of tears on the rail and was then consoled by her husband as the family walked back into the paddock.

On-course veterinarian and equine joint expert Dr Wayne McIlwraith said George Washington suffered an open fracture of both sesamoid bones.

Dr McIlwraith added: "The decision was made very quickly. The injury was bad and Aidan O'Brien made the request for euthanisation. He was with the horse.

The 24th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic World Championships at Monmouth Park featured the world's fastest thoroughbreds racing for glory, with Curlin emerging the rightful victor.

Despite wet and muddy conditions, the three-year-old edged out the deep and challenging field to finish at 2 minutes.

Here are the results:

1. Curlin
2. Hard Spun
3. Awesome Gem

The payouts at Monmouth Park were:

Win $10.80
Place $5.20, $7.60
Show $9.40

4-8 Exacta $70.80
4-8-6 Trifecta $1,290.60
4-8-6-2 Superfecta $2,146.20

Breeder's Cup Winners and Payouts

The 24th Breeders' Cup World Championships gave us the first three races today. Here are the first day Breeders' Cup winners and payouts:

$1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (2007)
	Gate	Horse	Win	Place	Show
	4	Maryfield	$18.00	$9.00	$6.00
	2	Miraculous Miss		$37.40	$17.20
	1	Miss Macy Sue			$4.60

Unplaced horses in order of finish:
Baroness Thatcher, Dream Rush, La Traviata, Shaggy Mane, Oprah Winney, Wild Gams, Jazzy (ARG)

	$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (2007)
	Gate	Horse	Win	Place	Show
	7	Nownownow	$27.20	$8.60	$6.00
	8	Achill Island (IRE)		$5.20	$4.20
	2	Cannonball			$7.80

Unplaced horses in order of finish:
Strike the Deal, Domestic Fund (IRE), Texas Fever, The Leopard, Gio Ponti, Your Round, Prussian, Cherokee Triangle, Preachin Man

	$1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (2007)
	Gate	Horse	Win	Place	Show
	8	Corinthian	$9.40	$4.40	$3.00
	6	Gottcha Gold		$6.20	$3.40
	1	Discreet Cat			$2.60

Unplaced horses in order of finish: Wanderin Boy, Lewis Michael, Xchanger, Park Avenue Ball, High Finance

Breeders' Cup Post Positions and Morning Line

The Breeders' Cup post positions have been drawn today.

Breeders' Cup Classic Field
Gate Horse Morning Line
1 . Lawyer Ron 5/2
2 . Street Sense 3/1
3 . Any Given Saturday 4/1
4 . Curlin 3/1
5 . George Washington 20/1
6 . Awesome Gem 30/1
7 . Diamond Stripes 15/1
8 . Hard Spun 8/1
9 . Tiago 12/1

Technorati tag: Breeders Cup Post Positions

Breeders Cup 2007 Odds - Distaff

Right now Ginger Punch is listed as the favorite to win the 2007 Breeders Cup Distaff with odds 7/2. Ginger Punch holds record of 7/4/2/1 with total earnings this year at a little over $600,000. Trainer is Robert Frankel and Ginger Punch qualified for the Distaff race with a victory in the Go For Wand Handicap in July. Indian Vale is another top contender for the Breeders Cup Distaff this year. Indian Vale holds odds on winning the race at 9/2 with a 2007 record 6-2-1-1 and earnings of $469,000 this year. Trainer of Indian Vale is the famous Todd Pletcher and last jockey was John Velazquez. Indian Vale has 20 Breeders Cup points. Unbridled Belle is also listed with 9/2 odds on winning the Distaff and she is yet another Breeders Cup Distaff participant trained by Todd Pletcher. Unbridled Belle has a 4-2-2-0 record this year with a little over $1 million in earnings. Unbridled Belle qualified for the 2007 Breeders Cup Distaff after winning the Beldame Stakes in September at Belmont Park. Other top contenders are Lears Princess with odds 8/1, Lady Joanne and Miss Shop, both listed at 9/1, as well as Bear Now with odds 10/1. All odds by Bodog Racing.

Technorati tag: Breeders Cup Distaff

Breeders Cup Odds - Turf

Clear favorites are already emerging for the 2007 Breeders Cup Turf. Dylan Thomas is the ultimate contender with odds on winning the 2007 Breeders Cup Turf at 3/2. He is the last year’s Irish Derby winner and this will be his final career appearance, after coming out victorious at the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe earlier this month. But Dylan Thomas will meet the real challenge, facing English Channel, trained by legendary Todd A. Pletcher. English Channel hold a 2007 record of 6-3-2-0 with earnings of over $1 million and is listed at Bodog with odds on winning the Breeders Cup Turf 7/2. English Channel qualified for the Turf by winning the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational in September at Belmont Park. Red Rocks, the winner of the last year's Breeders Cup Turf, comes third in betting odds, posted at 11/2. Although Red Rocks took over $1.6 million in earnings in 2006, he was not very active this year and finished fourth in the Irish, which was won by Dylan Thomas. Other noticeable contenders of the 2007 Breeders Cup Turf include Champs Elysees listed at 6/1, Better Talk Now with odds 10/1 and Sunriver also listed at 10/1.

Technorati tag: Breeders Cup Turf

141 horses that have been pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships

Top 141 horses that have been pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27, at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Nine thoroughbreds have been pre-entered for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. In addition to Street Sense and Curlin, the other possible contenders are Any Given Saturday, Awesome Gem, Diamond Stripes, George Washington, Hard Spun, Lawyer Ron and Tiago.

In races that are oversubscribed (more than 14 horses pre-entered or more than 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf) the fields are assembled as follows: 1) Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners. 2) Top American Graded Stakes Points earners. 3) Once a total of seven horses have been counted from the Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners and the Points earners, the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel selects the next seven horses. The panel has also ranked all horses not selected into the body of a field in preference order. (In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the first six horses earned starting positions based on Graded Stakes Points and the next six were selected by the Panel). Should there be a defection from a field, horses will fill any vacancies in order of ranking until the time of entry, Tuesday, October 23 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Post Positions for all 11 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races will then be drawn.

To check out the full list, click here
Click to check out the Breeders' Cup winning odds!

Technorati tag(s): Breeders Cup Pre-entry

Breeders' Cup race order and post time announced

There will be a total of 10 races on the Breeders' Cup Friday program and 11 races on the Breeders' Cup Saturday program. First post time on Breeders' Cup Friday is 12:30 p.m. ET. There will be seven races preceding the three new $1 million Breeders' Cup World Championships races (ESPN2 4-6 p.m. ET), which are: The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint -- 4:25 p.m.; $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf - 5:00 p.m., and the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at 5:35 p.m. Friday's program will also include three $250,000 stakes races: the Inside Information (Race #5), the Epitome (Race #6) and the Favorite Trick (Race #7).

On Breeders' Cup Saturday, first post time is 11:00 a.m. Saturday The eight Breeders' Cup Championships races, televised live by ESPN (12:00-- 7:00 p.m., ET), will be preceded by the $250,000 Pegasus Stakes (Race #1), the $200, Miss Woodford Stakes (Race #2) and the $200,000 Select Stakes (Race #3). The post time for the first Breeders' Cup Championships race, the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will be at 12:30 p.m.; $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (1:10 p.m.); $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (1:55 p.m.); $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (2:35 p.m.); $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (3:20 p.m.);$2 million Emirates Airline Breeders Cup Distaff (4:05 p.m.); $3 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (4:50 p.m.) and the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic -- Powered by Dodge - at 5:35 p.m.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders Cup Post Time, Breeders Cup race order

Dance Smartly - The richest filly

When Dance Smartly won the Breeders' Cup Distaff in 1991, she became the first Canadian-bred Thoroughbred to win a Breeders' Cup race. She retired from racing a year later as the richest filly or mare in Thoroughbred history, with winnings of $3,263,836.

O’Brien sends out two starters in Breeders' Cup races

Aidan O’Brien, who has been a dominant force in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, will send out Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Dylan Thomas in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf and Excellent Art in the NetJets Mile.

“We haven't finalized plans just yet, but they might be our only runners at the meeting,” O’Brien told the Racing Post. “At this stage, it looks as if we might not have a 2-year-old runner.”

Dylan Thomas looks to be a sure bet for European Horse of the Year honors after winning the Arc, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stakes ; Irish Champion Stakes; Prix Ganay and Alleged Stakes this year; and finishing second in the group I Juddmonte International, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and Tattersalls Gold Cup. Last year, the son of Danehill won the group I Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes, and was third, beaten a head, in the English Derby.

Technorati tag(s): Monmouth Park, Breeders Cup starter

2007 Breeders' Cup Classic Odds

Bodog racebook has released the latest horse racing odds to win the 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic on October 26-27 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. This year the Breeders' Cup has been expanded to two days and includes three new races, bringing the 11-race purse total to $23 million.

This years’ classic has the potential of being one of the greatest Breeders Cup races of all time. It also has the potential of burning a lot of money because the Monmouth racetrack plays towards speed and the most popular horses in the race are closers such as Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. Pay attention to the front-runners such as Street Sense, Hard Spun and Student Council.
Technorati tag(s): Monmouth Park, Breeders' Cup Odds

Street Sense, Curlin preparation for Breeders’ Cup Classic

Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Preakness Stakes winner Curlin continued preparations for the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 27 at Monmouth Park on Tuesday, posting half-mile breezes at Churchill Downs and Keeneland Race Course, respectively.

Jim Tafel’s homebred Street Sense covered a half-mile in :48.40 on a fast track at Churchill under regular jockey Calvin Borel.

Street Sense completed the workout in fractional times of :13, :25.20, and :37 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.40 and six furlongs in 1:12.40 for trainer Carl Nafzger, who was pleased with the strong move.

Street Sense is expected to post one more workout at Churchill before he ships to Monmouth, approximately ten days before the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Curlin is expected to have his final Breeders’ Cup workout at Keeneland on October 22 and is scheduled to ship to Monmouth the following day.

Technorati tag(s): Street Sense, Curlin

Hard Spun defeats Street Sense in Kentucky Cup Classic

Hard Spun, second in the Kentucky Derby, turned the tables on Derby winner Street Sense in winning Saturday's $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park. It was the first time Hard Spun finished in front of his rival in three races.

Hard Spun and Street Sense were sent off as 4-5 co-favorites in the four horse field. Breaking from the inside post Hard Spun immediately took the lead at the start and never looked back.

With Mario Pino in the saddle, Hard Spun repulsed the challenge of Street Sense down the stretch and went on to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Finishing third was Stream Cat with Cat Shaker fourth. The field was reduced to four when Muqbil was scratched by trainer Duane Knipe.

The time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.48 on the all-weather surface.

Hard Spun returned $3.80 and $2.10, and Street Sense paid $2.10. There was no show wagering due to the short field.

Hard Spun and Street Sense are both expected to run in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Saturday, October 27.

Technorati tag(s): Street Sense, Hard Spun

Street Sense vs Hard Spun in Kentucky Cup Classic

Kentucky Derby and Travers winner Street Sense likely will be the odds-on favourite in Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park.

The three-year-old colt will start from the middle of a field of five entered Wednesday. Hard Spun, runner-up in the Derby, will start from the inside post in a rematch that Turfway had hoped for, just four weeks before the Breeders' Cup.

Others entered for the 1 1-8 mile race over Polytrack are Stream Cat, trained by Patrick Biancone; Cat Shaker, trained by Craig Callis; and Muqbil, trained by Duane Knipe.

Turfway help lure Street Sense and Hard Spun for a Derby rematch by offering a $150,000 bonus if the Classic winner also had won a Grade 1 stakes in 2006 or 2007.

Carl Nafzger, who trains Street Sense, had been considering three races for Street Sense, including the Hawthorne Gold Cup at Hawthorne Park and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. But he decided on the Kentucky Cup Classic because of Turfway's proximity to Louisville, where Street Sense is stabled at Churchill Downs.

"It was the idea of putting him on the van in the morning, go up there, run, then come back home," Nafzger said Monday.

Both trainers are pointing to the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Oct. 27, although Larry Jones has said Hard Spun could end up in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Technorati tag(s): Street Sense, Hard Spun

Top Horses in the Breeders' Cup Divisional Ratings

Top horses in the Breeders' Cup Divisional Ratings with Win And You're In (WAYI) qualifiers listed first and points leaders next.

Breeders' Cup Classic: WAYI – Lawyer Ron, Student Council. Points – Street Sense 42, Hard Spun 36, Curlin 34.

Breeders' Cup Turf: WAYI – Jambalaya, Shamdinan. Points – After Market 30, English Channel 22, The Tin Man 20.

Breeders' Cup Distaff: WAYI – Ginger Punch. Points – Octave 40, Miss Shop 28, Balance 26, Christmas Kid 24.

Breeders' Cup Mile: WAYI – Able One, Crossing The Line. Points – Kip Deville 17, Worldly 14, Duveen 12.

Breeders' Cup Sprint: WAYI – Diabolical, Greg's Gold. Points – Silver Wagon 16, Midnight Lute 15, three tied at 12.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf – WAYI – My Typhoon, Royal Highness. Points – Citronnade 28, Precious Kitten 26, Rutherienne, Valbenny 22.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile – WAYI none. Points – Salute the Sarge 16, Georgie Boy, Kodiak Kowboy 14, Ready's Image 13, two tied at 10.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – WAYI none. Points – Set Play 12, A to the Croft, Irish Smoke 10, Rated Fiesty 8, two tied at 6.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf – Nothing established at this time.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile – WAYI none. Points – Lava Man, Nobiz Like Shobiz 20, Molengao 18, Corinthian 16, Zanjero 15.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint – WAYI none. Points – Dream Rush 36, Baroness Thatcher 22, Boca Grande, Maryfield, Pussycat Doll 16.

Technorati tag(s): Horse Rankings

Any Given Saturday on road to Breeders' Cup Classic

Any Given Saturday continued on the road to the Breeders' Cup Classic with a victory Saturday in the $154,200 Brooklyn Handicap at New York's Belmont Park.

The 3-year-old will be one of the top contenders in the $5 million Classic on Oct. 27 at Monmouth Park.

Any Given Saturday hit the starting gate at the break and absorbed an early bump before settling into stride.

"I hit the side of the gate and my colt broke outward," said jockey Garrett Gomez. "It took us about four jumps to get off each other. It was kind of a tangled start."

After the early mishaps, the colt had clear sailing as he rallied to a 2 1/2-length win over Tasteyville with Helsinki third.

Trainer Todd Pletcher was relieved to get the final prep out of the way.

"Any time you are a big favorite, you just want everything to go smoothly," Pletcher said. "He had to work a bit. Well go from here. All in all, were very pleased."

Jazzy could be heading to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Monmouth on Oct. 26 following a half-length victory in the $147,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap. The 5-year-old bred in Argentina made her first start on dirt, a test to see how she would handle the surface.

$154,200 Brooklyn H. (G2)
Pgm	Horse	Win	Place	Show
2	Any Given Saturday	2.30	2.10	2.10
3	Tasteyville		5.50	4.00
4	Helsinki			3.90
	$2 Exacta (2-3) Paid $11.80, $2 Trifecta (2-3-4) Paid $64.00

Technorati tag(s): Any Given Saturday

Breeders' Cup tickets remain available

It's only five weeks until post time for the running of the Breeders' Cup championship thoroughbred races at Monmouth Park. If you like to go, Breeders' Cup tickets remain available. The races take place Oct. 26 and 27. Ticket applications may be obtained by visiting www.monmouthpark.com or calling (732) 571-5582. General admission (in no-seating areas) can be purchased at the gate for the Oct. 26 races for $10 (grandstand) or $15 (clubhouse), but general admission for Oct. 27 is limited and must be prepurchased for $50.

This is the first time the Breeders' Cup is being held in New Jersey. Also, the races are being held over two days for the first time.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Tickets

Rags to Riches To Miss Breeders' Cup

Belmont Stakes-winning filly Rags to Riches will miss the Breeders' Cup Distaff next month after suffering a hairline fracture to her right front leg.

"The injury is not career ending, and she is expected to make a full recovery," trainer Todd Pletcher said in a statement on Sunday.

Rags to Riches suffered the injury to her pastern during the Gazelle Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday. The filly finished second in the $250,000 Grade I race.

"It appears as though she sustained the injury during the stretch run," Pletcher said. "When she switched to the right lead, she came off the bridle and lugged in a bit."

The race was Rags to Riches' first since winning the June 9 Belmont Stakes when she became the first filly to win the mile-and-a-half event in 102 years.

Pletcher said the three-year-old filly would move to Ashford Stud in Kentucky for six weeks of rest before being re-examined. Sired by 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy, Rags to Riches has five victories in seven starts with earnings of more than $1.3 million.

Technorati tag(s): Rags to Riches

Rags to Riches Can't Race on the Inside

This is what Steve Davidowitz' says about loss of Rags to Riches.

Rags to Riches shows noticeable discomfort when racing on the inside.

That is why she was beaten by Circular Quay in team drills. That is why she cocked her head to the outside in those workouts, losing her fluid stride. That is also why she did the same thing when Lear's Princess moved outside to challenge her in the stretch.

While expressing this discomfort, Rags to Riches hesitated to change leads in the workouts and in the Gazelle, something she never failed to do properly while racing outside in her impressive series of graded stakes victories in California, Kentucky and New York.

Technorati tag(s): Rags to Riches

What is Breeders' Cup Nominations Programs

Beyond the foreign players and media sponsors, thoroughbred owners and breeders have served as the Breeders’ Cup’s backbone since the very beginning. They not only supply the race horses competing in the Breeders' Cup events but also pay the nominations from which the organization, Breeder’s Cup Limited, derives its major source of funding.

As an international program, the Breeders’ Cup has instituted a nomination process to breeders around the world. Stallion owners annually pay a nomination fee that is the equivalent of a stallion's advertised stud fee, or a minimum of $1,000. Breeders pay a nomination fee of $500 for each foal. Nominated horses are eligible to compete for millions in both the Breeders’ Cup Stakes program and the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships events. Annual nominations from all over the world have made the Breeders’ Cup a truly global institution.

Click here to find more information about this year's Breeders' Cup Nominations Programs

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Nominations

Monmouth Park Racetrack, Oceanport, New Jersey

Monmouth Park Racetrack, located in Oceanport, New Jersey, is touted as the "Resort of Racing". With its rich thoroughbred history and entertainment offerings, Monmouth is unique.

Monmouth is home to the $1-million Haskell Invitational, the richest invitational thoroughbred horse race in North America. The annual race attracts the finest jockeys and Triple Crown horses in the country. The course includes a lavish paddock, located behind the clubhouse, and consists of a 16-stall oak saddling enclosure leading to the beautiful, tree-shaded English Walking Ring. In the ring, horses are paraded to the public and jockeys receive last-minute instructions. This is easily one of the most picturesque and relaxing areas at Monmouth Park.

The backstretch not only houses approximately 1,600 horses in 38 barns, but also serves as a small community for the horsemen and track employees. Located in the center of the backstretch, in an area called "The Quadrangle", is the Frenchman's Kitchen, where the motto is "Eat your betting money, but never your eating money."

The track's grandstand is capable of seating 13,000, while the clubhouse can seat 5,000. The track offers a free wagering seminar daily at noon. Monmouth also offers its "Dawn Patrol", a popular tour that occurs mornings on Thursday and Friday from June-August. The two-hour tour includes a tram ride, horse-training session, visit with jockeys and a discussion of the track's history. Monmouth also offers Family Day on Sundays. With clowns, face painting, pony rides, and other activities, children can enjoy the day at the races. Monmouth offers a wide array of dining options, including: The Salvator Bar and Grill, The Dining Terrace, Lady's Secret Café, Paddock Sports Bar, Monmouth Café, The Clubhouse, Turf Club and the Rivalry Room.

Monmouth Park plays host to the Breeders' Cup World Championships of thoroughbred horse racing on October 26 and 27th, 2007. This prestigious horse racing event comprises three new races on the 26th and eight Breeders' Cup races, all Grade I, including the 24th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Technorati tag(s): Monmouth Park

2006 Breeders Cup Classic Winner Invasor and Payoff

Invasor, who had not raced for three months, unleashed a powerful closing charge down the center of the track, caught favored Bernardini with a sixteenth of a mile to go, and pulled away for a one-length victory in 2:02.18 for 1 1/4 miles on the fast main track. Bernardini finished second, 2 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Premium Tap. Giacomo rallied for fourth and was followed, in order, by Brother Derek, George Washington, Lava Man, Perfect Drift, Lawyer Ron, Sun King, Flower Alley, Suave, and David Junior, who was eased.

Pgm	Horse	Jockey	Win	Place	Show
11	Invasor	Fernando Jara	15.40	5.80	4.60
3	Bernardini	Javier Castellano		3.40	3.00
2	Premium Tap	Edgar S. Prado			8.80

Also ran: Giacomo, Brother Derek, George Washington, Lava Man, Perfect Drift, Lawyer Ron, Sun King, Flower Alley, Suave and David Junior

Winning Breeder: Haras Clausan
Winning Trainer: Kiaran P. McLaughlin
Winning Owner: Shadwell Farm LLC

Wager Type	Winning Numbers	Payoff
$2 Daily Double	9-11	$191.80
$2 Exacta	11-3	$39.60
$2 Superfecta	11-3-2-9	$8,786.20
$2 Trifecta	11-3-2	$695.20
$2 Pick 3	1-9-11	$2,721.40
$2 Pick 4	10-1-9-11	$96,907.20
$2 Pick 6	2-1-10-1-9-11	$1,450,707.20

Technorati tag(s): Breeder Cup Winner Invasor

How to read horse racing odds and calculate payouts

The most basic information are the win odds quoted on each horse. Those don't tell you what the horse will pay, but the amount of profit you will get and the amount you have to bet to get it. 6-5 means you will get $6 profit for every $5 wagered. 20-1 means you get $20 profit for every $1 wagered (ex: bet $2 and get $42 back). Since most tracks have a $2 minimum bet, below is a handy chart look up the payoff for a $2 bet at various odds.

If you want to calculate the exact win odds on a horse, you will need to use a couple of other figures from the tote board: total win pool and amount bet on that horse. The total pool is all the money bet on all the horses to win, but it is not the amount that will actually be paid out to the holders of winning tickets. Before the track pays off the winners they deduct the "take" which is generally between 14%-20% and is different for every state. This money goes to pay state and local taxes, purse money for the horsemen, expenses at the track, and the track's profit. To calculate the exact odds on your horse, just subtract the take from the total pool then subtract the amount bet on your horse to give you the amount of cash to be paid out. Divide that figure by the amount bet on your horse to get the exact odds. This figure will always be rounded off to the nearest dime (usually) or nickle as mentioned above before the payouts are calculated. Here is a simple example of win odds calculation:

Total pool: $900
Amount bet on horse #1: $300
Take amount: 15%
$900 - 15% = $765
$765 - $300 = $465
$465 / $300 = $1.55

Round this off to $1.50 for breakage and you get odds of 1.5-1 or 3-2 as it would normally be written which yields a payout of $5.00 on a $2.00 wager.

*tote board: The board on which the odds calculated by a tote machine are posted.

Technorati tag(s): How to read odds

Odds to win the 2007 Breeder's Cup Classic

Breeders Cup Odds from Bodog Racebook
Oct 28th (6:35pm ET) at Monmouth Park

A P Arrow	45/1
A P Xcellent	35/1
After Market	18/1
Any Given Saturday	7/1
Arson Squad	80/1
Asiatic Boy	35/1
Authorized	20/1
Awesome Gem	15/1
Ball Four	70/1
Barbican	70/1
Brother Derek	40/1
Brass Hat	40/1
Buzzards Bay	35/1
C P West	50/1
Chatain	35/1
Circular Quay	50/1
CmonTiger	70/1
Cobalt Blue	80/1
Commentator	80/1
Corinthian	20/1
Cowtown Cat	100/1
Curlin	10/1
Daaher	90/1
Day Pass	70/1
Delightful Kiss	70/1
Diamond Stripes	16/1
Discreet Cat	20/1
Dixie Meister	70/1
Dominican	70/1
Dry Martini	80/1
DylanThomas	80/1
EZ Warrior	125/1
Fairbanks	45/1
First Defence	100/1
Forty Licks	100/1
George Washington	14/1
Grasshopper	18/1
Great Hunter	50/1
Haradasun	70/1
Hard Spun	40/1
Harlington	40/1
Hesanoldsalt	50/1
Imawildandcrazyguy	80/1
Latent Heat	100/1
Lava Man	30/1
Lawyer Ron	7/2
Lewis Michael	30/1
Liquidity	80/1
Magna Graduate	25/1
Manduro	10/1
Master Command	20/1
McCanns Mojave	100/1
Midnight Lute	90/1
Minefield	50/1
Miss Finland	60/1
Molengao	40/1
Mustanfar	80/1
Naughty New Yorker	50/1
Nobiz Like Shobiz	25/1
Notnowcato	40/1
Papi Chullo	40/1
Park Avenue Ball	40/1
Patriot Act	50/1
Pavarotti	70/1
Perfect Drift	100/1
Point Determined	100/1
Political Force	18/1
Premium Tap	7/1
Principle Secret	125/1
Rags to Riches	25/1
Sightseeing	25/1
Stormello	70/1
Street Sense	6/1
Student Council	40/1
Sun Boat	40/1
SunKing	40/1
Super Frolic	125/1
SurfCat	45/1
Sweetnorthernsaint	45/1
Teofilo	80/1
Tiago	25/1
Time To Get Even	35/1
Tiz Wonderful	60/1
Tytus	100/1
Vermilion	65/1
Wanderin Boy	35/1
Zanjero	40/1
Field(AnyOtherHorse)	8/1

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Odds

Betting on the Breeders' Cup races

The Breeders' Cup World Championships recognize some of the year's best performers, but the feature race of the entire event comes at the conclusion with the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. Other high stakes races include the Juvenile, Juvenile Fillies, Distaff, Sprint, Mile, and the Turf.

The key to wagering on any one of the Breeders' Cup races is a horse's performance record over the past year. Therefore, research on past performances is very valuable. Here are a few suggestions on how to conduct your research, along with tips on what to do with your research once you're ready to place your Breeders' Cup wagers.

Types of Breeders' Cup wagers
Straight or Basic: There are a number of different wagers you can choose when wagering at the track. All of these variations stem from one core premise: Bettors receive payouts based on the first, second and third place finishers. Or, in racing terms, they are based on Win, Place and Show. Win: A wager on the horse that will win the race. Place: A wager on the horse that will come in 1st or 2nd. Show: A wager on the horse that will come in 1st or 2nd or 3rd.

Other types of Breeders' Cup wagers
Quinella: A wager on the two horses that will run 1st and 2nd in one race, any order.

Exacta: A wager on the two horses that will run 1st and 2nd in one race, exact order.

Trifecta: A wager on the three horses that will run 1st, 2nd and 3rd in one race, exact order.

Superfecta: A wager on the four horses that will run 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in one race, exact order.

A few things to consider when wagering on the Breeders' Cup
Wager on the Breeders' Cup favorite: the favorite is the horse with the lowest odds or the one on which the most money has been wagered. Favorites win approximately one third of the time.

Check the local papers, the Daily Racing Form and the program handicapper's selections. Breeders' Cup experts offer their observations and advice and are generally a good guide for the newcomer. This is also a great tool for developing your own Breeders' Cup handicapping skills.

Purchase a Breeders' Cup tip sheet. Prepared by professional handicappers, these tip sheets provide useful wagering selections.

Check jockey and trainer standings. The Breeders' Cup program or web site should have a list of jockey and trainer standings, which include the number of wins to date. It's important to note that the top riders generally ride the best horses, and the hottest trainers generally have a high win percentage.

View the Breeders' Cup horses. Watch the Breeders' Cup Championships on television. You want to catch the horses while they are in the paddock and then again in the Post Parade.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Betting

How to place a bet on horse racing

The three most common horse racing wagers are Win, Place and Show bets.

Win
A Win bet is just as it sounds—you're selecting the horse that you think will finish the race in first position. You'll win if the horse wins.

Place
Not feeling quite so confident? With a Place bet, you'll win if the horse you select finishes the race in either first or second position. A Place bet normally pays less than a Win bet on the same horse because the entire pool is split between two groups of people—those whose horse finished first and those whose horse finished second.

Show
A more conservative option is a Show bet, where you'll win if the horse you select finishes the race in first, second or third position. The Show bet pool is split between three groups of people and normally pays less than a Win or Place bet on the same horse.

Quinella Wagers
A Quinella wager, where you select the first two finishers in a race, is essentially a box or combination bet. Because the order of finish doesn't matter, selecting two horses gives you two chances of winning. For example, if you place a Quinella wager on the #3 and #8 horses, you'll win if the first two finishers are 3-8 or 8-3.

Exacta Wagers
An Exacta wager requires that you select the first two finishers of a race in the exact order of their finish. For example, if you select the #3 horse to finish first and the #5 horse to finish second, they must finish in that order.

Trifecta Wagers
A Trifecta wager requires that you select the first three finishers of a race in the exact order of their finish. For example, if you select the #3 horse to finish first, the #5 horse to finish second and the #2 horse to finish third, they must finish in that order.

Superfecta Wagers
A Superfecta wager requires that you select the first four finishers of a race in the exact order of their finish. For example, if you select the #3 horse to finish first, the #5 horse to finish second, the #2 horse to finish third and the #1 horse to finish fourth, they must finish in that order.

Daily Double Wagers
A Daily Double wager requires that you select the first place finishers of two consecutive races, which are usually the first two or the last two races of the day. If one leg of the wager is a loss, the entire wager will be deemed a loss.

Technorati tag(s): Horse Racing Wagers

Breeders' Cup Challenge

New to the Breeders' Cup this year is the Breeders' Cup Challenge, which features 24 stakes races at six different venues. The highlight of the event is its “Win and You're In” format, where the winner of each of the races automatically qualifies for the corresponding divisional race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge began on July 28th at Saratoga Race Course and will continue with races at Arlington Park, Del Mar Race Track, Belmont Park, Keeneland Race Course and Santa Anita Park.

The Challenge leads to the $23 million Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held this year at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey on October 26 and 27.

Check out the Breeders' Cup Challenge Schedule and the winners.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders Cup Challenge

Race Horses Ranking

Ranked by Earnings
Horses with at least one N. A. start,
through 08/12/2007

HORSE	EARNINGS
Invasor (ARG)	$3,900,000
Street Sense	2,280,000
Curlin	1,952,800
Lava Man	1,385,000
Robe Decollete (f)	1,376,264
Rags to Riches (f)	1,290,028
Kelly's Landing	1,263,000
Premium Tap	1,218,662
Hard Spun	1,142,500
Jambalaya	979,421
Koiuta (JPN) (f)	918,688
Any Given Saturday	900,000
Lawyer Ron	870,000
Scat Daddy	826,500
Tiago	809,750
Sky Conqueror	794,878
Red Giant	786,720
Lady of Venice (FR) (f)	755,272
Nobiz Like Shobiz	704,200
Spring At Last	680,000
Panty Raid (f)	664,075
English Channel	660,000
Zanjero	658,717
Summer Doldrums	651,082
Mike Fox	640,840
Flashy Bull	635,063
My Typhoon (IRE) (f)	634,000
McCann's Mojave	625,000
Nashoba's Key (f)	623,460
Unbridled Belle (f)	620,000
Octave (f)	617,234
Corinthian	609,173
Master Command	580,170
Precious Kitten (f)	560,000
Sealy Hill (f)	558,061
Royal Highness (GER) (f)	555,500
Dominican	549,140
Christmas Kid (f)	547,000
Dream Rush (f)	542,675
Citronnade (f)	531,405
Alezzandro	521,385
Silent Pleasure	505,000
Moon Catcher (f)	501,600
Cowtown Cat	500,500
Shamdinan (FR)	496,298
River's Prayer (f)	490,175
Friendly Island	490,000
Anamato (AUS) (f)	487,746
The Tin Man	486,920
After Market	486,725

Technorati tag(s): Racing Horses Ranking

Breeders' Cup Betting Tips

Read the Q&A below to get to more about how to bet on the Breeders Cup.

Q: Who's going to win the Breeders' Cup races?
A: The Breeders' Cup is similar to any other set of races in that the handicapper should attempt to make a decision based on each horse's chances in relation to his price. This is the very essence of value, which along with speed, pace and track bias, form the four pillars of horse betting.

It may sound odd but trying to pick the winner of a race is a hopeless strategy. Rather than betting picks, you should try to pick your bets.

Q: How many of the 11 Breeders' Cup races should I bet?
A: Probably all of them. With full or near full fields, it's a rare opportunity to get excellent value on your wagers. In fact, the last time the Breeders' Cup was held at Churchill Downs, in 2000, Spain paid $113.80 (for a $2 wager) for her victory in the Distaff and Caressing returned $96.00 for winning the Juvenile Fillies.

Q: What's the best way to play the Ultra Pick Six?
A: With a lot of money. Let's face it, unless you invest a large sum of cash that allows you the luxury of many combinations, your chances of hitting the gimmick are about as likely as John Rocker celebrating Kwanza.

If you're a small horse betting investor, you have to be bold and innovative. That means going against the crowd. For example, instead of singling the day's most likely winner the only way you're going to beat the masses is to do something audacious such as leaving an odds-on horse off your ticket. Conversely, rather than spreading out to four or five horses in a tough, competitive race, the right move is to take a stand.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Betting Tips

Breeders' Cup Purse

Horse Race Name / Sponsor	Purse (US Dollars)
Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies	$2,000,000
Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile	$2,000,000
Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf	$2,000,000
TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint	$2,000,000
NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile	$2,000,000
Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff	$2,000,000
John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf	$3,000,000
Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge 23rd Breeders' Cup Classic	$5,000,000

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Purse

2007 Breeders' Cup Schedule

The 2007 Breeders' Cup horse races are scheduled to take place on Oct. 26th and Oct. 27th, 2007 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The two-day $23 million event has expanded to include three new races.

Breeders' Cup Race Schedule - Friday, 26th October 2007

Breeders' Cup Race	Age	Gender	Distance/Surface	Purse
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile	3+	Open	8.32 Furlongs/Dirt	$1M
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint	3+	F & M	6 Furlongs/Dirt	$1M
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf	2	Open	8 Furlongs/Turf	$1M

Breeders' Cup Race Schedule - Saturday, 27th October 2007

Breeders' Cup Race	Age	Gender	Distance/Surface	Purse
Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies	2	Fillies	8.5 Furlongs/Dirt	$2M
Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile	2	C & G	8.5 Furlongs/Dirt	$2M
Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup F & M Turf	3+	F & M	11 Furlongs/Turf	$2M
TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint	3+	Open	6 Furlongs/Dirt	$2M
NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile	3+	Open	8 Furlongs/Turf	$2M
Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff	3+	F & M	9 Furlongs/Dirt	$2M
John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf	3+	Open	12 Furlongs/Turf	$3M
Breeders' Cup Classic	3+	Open	10 Furlongs/Dirt	$5M

Breeders' Cup Television Schedule
All Breeders' Cup races will be shown live on ESPN, starting at 4:00 PM-6:00 PM ET on Oct. 26th and then coverage resumes on Oct. 27th from 12-7:00 PM ET.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders Cup Schedule

Breeders' Cup Winners

Since its first run in 1984, the Breeders' Cup World Championships has seen numerous heart-stopping finishes and betting on the Breeders' Cup never has been more exciting. For those looking for the best Breeders' Cup odds, 1998 was a very good year. Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., attracted 80,452 spectators that year and when Breeders' Cup returned to Louisville in 2000, more than $108 million was wagered.

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Time
2006	Invasor	Fernando Jara	Klaran McLaughlin	2:02.18
2005	Saint Liam	Jerry Bailey	Richard Dutrow Jr.	2:01.49
2004	Ghostzapper	Javier Castellano	Bobby Frankel	1:59.02
2003	Pleasantly Perfect	Alex Solis	Richard Mandella	1:59.88
2002	Volponi	Jos Santos	P.Johnson	2:01.39
2001	Tiznow	Chris McCarron	Jay Robbins	2:00.62
2000	Tiznow	Chris McCarron	Jay Robbins	2:00.75
1999	Cat Thief	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	1:59.52
1998	Awesome Again	Pat Day	Pat Byrne	2:02.16
1997	Skip Away	Mike Smith	Sonny Hine	1:59.16
1996	Alphabet Soup	Chris McCarron	D.Hofmans	2:01.00
1995	Cigar	Jerry Bailey	Bill Mott	1:59.58
1994	Concern	Jerry Bailey	R.Small	2:02.41
1993	Arcangues	Jerry Bailey	A.Fabre	2:00.83
1992	A.P. Indy	Eddie Delahoussaye	Neil Drysdale	2:00.20
1991	Black Tie Affair	Jerry Bailey	E.Poulos	2:02.95
1990	Unbridled	Pat Day	Carl Nafzger	2:02.20
1989	Sunday Silence	Chris McCarron	Charlie Whittingham	2:00.20
1988	Alysheba	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	2:04.80
1987	Ferdinand	Bill Shoemaker	Charlie Whittingham	2:01.40
1986	Skywalker	Laffit Pincay Jr.	M.Whittingham	2:00.40
1985	Proud Truth	Jorge Velasquez	John Veitch	2:00.80
1984	Wild Again	Pat Day	V.Timphony	2:03.40

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Winners

The Breeders' Cup History

For horse racing fans, it doesn't get any bigger or better than this: the Breeders' Cup World Championships caps a season of non-stop action and is thoroughbred racing's most prestigious event.

he Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships held the first series of its seven races before a crowd of 64,254 horse racing, horse betting, horse wagering, and handicapping fans at Hollywood Park in 1984. Today, purses for the eight races of the Breeders’ Cup amount to $14 million. The most important race in the series, the Breeders' Cup Classic, has a total purse of $4 million, with a winner's share of more than $2 million.

The Breeders’ Cup traces its roots back to 1982, with a group of Horse racing leaders frontlined by John R. Gaines, founding father of the Breeders’ Cup and former owner of Gainesway Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. The group had envisioned a vehicle to promote the sport, which would not only be a showcase of the sport’s finest elements but also a grand finale to the racing season, with a multimillion dollar total purse. Every one of those visions came true.

The Breeders’ Cup inaugural event was held on November 10, 1984 at glitzy Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. It was an instant hit. The championship races have since become the cornerstone of a year-round program that has allocated over $380 million to owners and breeders alike. Most divisional champions crowned since 1984 have participated in a Breeders' Cup racing event.

After Hollywood Park, the Breeders’ Cup would change venues yearly. Each fall, a different North American track plays host to the prestigious thoroughbred racing event, which have included the richly historical Churchill Downs, the stately Belmont Park, and the panoramic Santa Anita in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The Breeders’ Cup comes to Texas for the first time when it holds the 2004 season ender at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie near Dallas.

Since 1984, the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships has continued to grow in popularity owing to its prestige and keen level of competition. Contending horses have not only come from the US but all the way from England, Ireland, France, Japan, and Germany. The races are televised on both NBC and ESPN (pre-championships), and simulcast in 25 countries, with horserace wagering at more than $108 million.

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup History