The first Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race on Saturday at Keeneland is the 6-furlong, $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares 3 years old and upward. The winner earns an automatic bid in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
Groupie Doll in 2012 was the last to hit the TCA-Filly & Mare Sprint double. Judy the Beauty won the TCA in 2013 and took the Filly & Mare Sprint the following year.
Brightwork. NYRA Photo.
A spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint gate is on the line in the TCA Stakes
For those who bet horse racing, here are a few handicapping tips for the $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes:
Although it’s her first time against older opponents, 3-year-old Brightwork deserves her 2-1 favorite’s role. She’s undefeated in sprints, going 5-for-5 from 4½ to 7 furlongs. Her only defeats came at 1 1/16 miles last year in the Alcibiades and the BC Juvenile Fillies. Tactical speed is her best weapon, and she used it Aug. 31 to win the 6-furlong Prioress Stakes (G3) at Saratoga in her first race since the Juvenile Fillies.
She’s had five weeks since her return, making a bounce less likely, and there’s enough speed in here (Clearly Unhinged, Anywho, Spirit Wind) to give Brightwork a target. Red Carpet Ready is inconsistent but she’s faced much better fields than this one and could complete the exacta with a well-timed ride by Tyler Gaffalione.
The Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes is race 7 with a post time of 4:12 p.m. ET.
The picks: 1 Brightwork 2 Red Carpet Ready 3 Clearly Unhinged
The field for the $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Clearly Unhinged (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen), 3-1
2 Anywho (John Velazquez, John Sadler), 10-1
3 Brightwork (Luis Saez, John Ortiz), 2-1
4 Spirit Wind (Mike Smith, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 7-2
5 Run for the Hills (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mark Casse), 20-1
6 Zeitlos (Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen), 4-1
7 Red Carpet Ready (Tyler Gaffalione, Rusty Arnold), 8-1