Saturday’s third Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race at Keeneland is the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) for 3-year-olds and up. The winner receives an automatic bid in the BC Mile (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
The race was named the Keeneland Turf Mile in 2021 and the Shadwell Turf Mile before that. Last year’s winner, Up to the Mark, skipped the BC Mile for the 1½-mile BC Turf, in which he ran second to Irish superstar Auguste Rodin. Up to the Mark won three Grade 1 grass stakes in 2023 and was voted the Eclipse Award for male turf champion.
For those who bet horse racing, here are a few handicapping tips for the Coolmore Turf Mile:
Carl Spackler, America’s best grass miler, is 5-for-6 at the distance for turf wizard Chad Brown. The 4-year-old Irish-bred, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, comes off two impressive stakes wins over a mile at Saratoga, the Kelso Stakes (G3) in July and the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) in August. Beat him to win this.
His main challengers come from Europe but aren’t standouts. Ireland’s best trainer Aidan O’Brien sends over Mountain Bear, loser of five in a row since running second at 22-1 odds in the BC Juvenile Turf. He’s 1-for-12 on grass but never underestimate O’Brien. England-based Harry Charlton ships in Kikkuli, a lightly raced 3-year-old who was second of 19 in a 7-furlong Group 3 at Royal Ascot. He didn’t handle soft ground last time in France at Deauville, where he was sixth, his first time out of the exacta in five career starts.
Other trifecta possibilities include More Than Looks, Running Bee and Talk of the Nation.
The other Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ races on the card are the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) and the Breeders’ Futurity (G1).
The Coolmore Turf Mile is race 10 with a post time of 5:48 p.m. ET.
The picks: 1 Carl Spackler 2 Kikkuli 3 Mountain Bear
1 Mountain Bear (Chris Hayes, Aidan O’Brien, 6-1
2 Kikkuli (Frankie Dettori, Harry Charlton), 4-1
3 More Than Looks (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux), 3-1
4 Running Bee (Florent Geroux, Chad Brown), 12-1
5 Noises Off (Cristian Torres, Paulo Lobo), 20-1
6 Talk of the Nation (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 8-1
7 Cash Equity (Mike Smith, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 15-1
8 Spirit of St. Louis (Luis Saez, Chad Brown), 15-1
9 Carl Spackler (Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Brown), 2-1
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
