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 Margaret Ransom
Private Mission – Photo Courtesy of Benoit Photo
Baoma Corporation paid $750,000 for Private Mission at Fasig-Tipton’s 2019 Saratoga Select yearling sale and since then, the 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief has won four of her five career starts in the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, including the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) over her home track of Santa Anita where she secured herself a spot in the Distaff starting gate.
“Private Mission, I’m glad I stayed home with her,” Baffert said. “I decided (the Zenyatta Stakes) would be best for her with the Breeders’ Cup in mind, we didn’t want to stress her. She’s on the improve, getting better and better.”
Currently, Private Mission is riding a three-race win streak into the Breeders’ Cup and while the Distaff will be her first stab at 1 1/8 miles, having only won at 1 1/16 miles or shorter, she certainly is bred to like the stretch out.
Private Mission has worked just once since the Zenyatta, posting a half-mile in 48.80 at Santa Anita on Oct. 15, and worked on Sunday, Oct. 31 at Del Mar, covering 5 furlongs in 58.80, the fastest of 44 workouts at the distance.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff Profile: Private Mission
Post position: TBD
Odds: TBD
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Baoma Corp. (Charles and Susan Chu)
Career record: 5-4-0-0
Career earnings: $256,800
Top Equibase speed figure: 98
Pedigree: Into Mischief-Private Gift, by Unbridled
Color: Bay
Running style: Front-runner
Betting advice: Private Mission’s speed is her weapon, which may work to her disadvantage against well-seasoned and talented runners who also have speed, such as division leader Letruska and Shedaresthedevil. She is a graded winner over the track – the Torrey Pines Stakes (G2) in August
Notes: Baffert has won 17 Breeders’ Cup races to trail fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas by three, but his runners have earned the most with $35,985,000, which is nearly $10 million more than the next closest trainer, Aidan O’Brien … Baffert has never saddled a Distaff winner, however, from seven starters, his best finisher in the race was Abel Tasman, who was second in 2017… Jockey Flavien Prat has ridden 46 Breeders’ Cup mounts with three winners – Obviously (2016 Turf Sprint), Battle of Midway (2017 Dirt Mile), Storm the Court (2019 Juvenile)… Baoma Corporation has had four Breeders’ Cup starters and one winner, Drefong captured the 2016 Sprint.
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 |
California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal.After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.
She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law in Kentucky known as the “Borell Law.”Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time.She lives in Robinson, Texas, with her longtime beau, Tony. She is the executive director of the 501(c)(3) non-profit horse rescue, The Bridge Sanctuary.