2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Contenders, Odds and Post Position
In the days leading up to the 38th Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in California, usracing.com is publishing profiles on the horses in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Saturday, Nov. 6). The profiles will be updated following the post-position draw on Monday, Nov. 1 (5:30 p.m. ET).
By Noel Michaels
Horologist – Photo Courtesy of Susie Raisher
Horologist owns six career wins, including two in 2021. Both victories were in ungraded stakes races, first at Aqueduct in April’s Top Flight Invitational and then at Saratoga in August’s Summer Colony Stakes.
Horologist has yet to earn a Grade 1 win. Her best career win so far was in the 2020 Beldame (G2) at Belmont Park. Last year’s Beldame was a four-horse field where Letruska ran last as the 3-2 favorite. Horologist went for back-to-back Beldame wins this year but settled for second in her final prep for the Distaff.
This will be Horologist’s second Distaff appearance. She was supplemented in 2020 and went on to finish ninth in a 10-horse field.
Horologist has run on or close to the pace in all six career wins. She failed to make the lead in the 2020 Distaff.
Distaff rival Royal Flag appears to have her number, beating her this year in the Beldame and Saratoga’s Shuvee (G3).
2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Profile: Horologist
Post position: TBD
Odds: TBD
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: Bill Mott
Career record: 26-9-4-4
Career earnings: $942,939
Top Equibase speed figure: 111
Pedigree: Gemologist-Cinderella Time, by Stephen Got Even
Color: Bay
Running style: Early speed
Betting advice: Made the lead in her final Breeders’ Cup prep in the Beldame (G1), but could not hold off Royal Flag, who beat her by four lengths. Needs to turn the tables on that rival, not to mention beat the likes of Shedaresthedevil and Letruska, which seems highly unlikely.
Notes: Jockey Junior Alvarado is looking for his first Breeders’ Cup win. His best finish from 10 mounts was second in 2020 Juvenile Fillies aboard Dayoutoftheoffice … Horologist is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who has won 10 Breeders’ Cup races in his career, including a record five wins in the Distaff: Royal Delta (2011-12), Unrivaled Belle (2010), Escena (1998), and Ajina (1997) … Sire Gemologist was a Grade 1 winner of the Wood Memorial, and was retired at 3 with a record of five wins from seven starts … Horologist began his career racing in New Jersey in the barn of the late John Mazza, before being transferred to Richard Baltas as a 3-year-old. She was transferred to Mott’s stable in the second half of 2020.
2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Odds
| PP | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Private Mission | 8-1 | Bob Baffert | Flavien Prat |
| 2 | Royal Flag | 8-1 | Chad Brown | Joel Rosario |
| 3 | Malathaat | 4-1 | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher |
| 4 | Blue Stripe (ARG) | 30-1 | Lafranco Dettori | Marcelo Polanco |
| 5 | Clairiere | 12-1 | Ricardo Santa Ana,Jr | Steven Asmussen |
| 6 | Letruska | 8-5 | Fausto Gutierrez | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |
| 7 | Horologist | 30-1 | William Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| 8 | Shedaresthedevil | 4-1 | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux |
| 9 | As Time Goes By | 15-1 | Bob Baffert | Luis Saez |
| 10 | Marche Lorraine (JPN) | 30-1 | Yoshito Yahagi | Oisin Murphy |
| 11 | Dunbar Road | 15-1 | Chad Brown | Jose L. Ortiz |
Noel Michaels has been involved in many aspects of thoroughbred racing for more than two decades, as a Breeders’ Cup-winning owner and as a writer, author, handicapper, editor, manager and promoter of the sport for a wide range of companies including Daily Racing Form and Nassau County Off-Track Betting.
He also is regarded as the leading source of news and information for handicapping tournaments and the author of the “Handicapping Contest Handbook: A Horseplayer’s Guide to Handicapping Tournaments”, which made his name virtually synonymous with the increasingly-popular tournament scene.
In addition to contributing to US Racing, he is also an analyst on the Arlington Park broadcast team.
