Betting the Gold Cup at Santa Anita on a Budget
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Description:
Hoppertunity wins the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)
A field of eleven older runners have assembled for this year’s edition of the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita Park which features a rematch of the first three finishers of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes: Catch a Flight, Moreno, and Hard Aces. In addition to the winner’s share of the $500,000 purse, the winner will also earn an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.
There appears to be plenty of speed signed on with horses like Batti Man, Majestic City, Big Cazanova, and Moreno. I think the pace will be fast and horses like Hoppertunity, Hard Aces, and Catch a Flight will be closing ground late in the race.
#6 Hoppertunity comes off a respectable third-place finish in the Grade I Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs while finishing over five lengths clear of the fourth-place finisher. He closed from the middle of the pack in his win in the Grade 2 San Pasqual here at Santa Anita back in January and I expect a similar trip today.
#2 Hard Aces settled towards the middle of the pack last time out and sustained a middle move down the stretch to grind out a third-place finish behind Catch a Flight and Moreno. In a field with more speed and a longer distance, I feel like he will be in a great spot to pick up the pieces.
#9 Catch a Flight has won three of his six starts in the U.S. including back-to-back stakes victories here at Santa Anita. He’s got enough speed to stay close to the pace setters early on and he looks to be improving with every start.
$20 Betting Strategy:
$12 Win: 6 Hoppertunity
$2 Exacta: 6 with 2,9
$2 Exacta: 2,9 with 6
$500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes
Saturday, Santa Anita Park, Race 9, Post Time 8 p.m. ET
1 1/4 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds and older
TV: NBCSN 8-9 p.m. ET
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
ML Odds
1
Batti Man
Fernando Perez
Kristin Mulhall
Tom Mansor
30-1
2
Hard Aces
Victor Espinoza
John Sadler
Hronis Racing
12-1
3
Poshsky
Flavien Prat
Peter Miller
Silver Ranch Stable and Wachtel Stable
30-1
4
Motown Men
Tyler Baze
Ted West
Gulliver Racing
6-1
5
Majestic City
Chuck C. Lopez
Richard Baltas
Bloom Racing Stable
12-1
6
Hoppertunity
Martin Garcia
Bob Baffert
Pegram, Watson or Weitman
7-2
7
Big Cazanova
Corey Nakatani
Peter Miller
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Brous Stable and Dona Licha
12-1
8
Moreno
Cornelio Velasquez
Eric Guillot
Southern Equine Stable
7-2
9
Catch a Flight
Gary Stevens
Richard Mandella
Haras Santa Maria de Araras
5-2
10
Lideris
Joe Talamo
Peter Miller
Dona Licha
50-1
11
Finnegans Wake
Mike Smith
Peter Miller
Donegal Racing or Rockingham Ranch
6-1