Horse racing news and analysis from Saratoga, Santa Anita and the 2023 Breeders' Cup.

Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Santa Anita Track Configuration Illustration TheFreePPs.com

Saturday, November 6, 2021

Purse: $2,000,000
Grade: 1
Distance: 1 1/8 Miles (1m 1f)
Age: 3+

Rank Horse HRN Odds
1 Letruska 9-5
Seventeen times a winner from 22 starts. 4YO daughter of Derby winner Super Saver, she won her U.S. debut at Gulfstream in the Copa Invitacional del Caribe Stakes as an undefeated champ in Mexico. She’s won 4 “Win and You’re In” events to prove she belongs.
2 Malathaat 11-2
In the image of her sire Curlin and grandsire A.P.Indy on her dam’s side, she’s a long-distance grinder. Set all the pace in the four horse CCA Oaks two back before tiring at the wire as the runner-up.
3 Shedaresthedevil 8-1
Nipped for 2nd in the G2 Sorrento in 2019, she was just getting started. 9 wins in 16 starts she’s been campaigned from coast to coast. Winner of the G1 Hirsch here two back, with her front-running style she’ll have trouble hanging around late against these.
4 Private Mission 8-1
Tired badly to finish fourth for her only loss in the Desi Arnaz here a year ago. Returned a winner six months later at Santa Anita before taking her last two in graded company. Her Zenyatta win last time out was a pokey prep for this. Strategically, there’s too much talent in here for her to take this.
5 Royal Flag 9-1
G2 winner of the Beldame as a warmup for a possible start here. Never off the board in 12 starts, but her only G1 try was and off-the-pace 3rd behind Letruska. Hard knocking 5YO daughter of Candy Ride, the ’03 Pacific Classis winner and sire of Gun Runner, could show up big in here, and winning this would be a fitting end to her career.
6 Clairiere 10-1
After several tries at the majors in New York, she at finally got a G1 in the Parx Cotillion last time out. Young with plenty of future upside, but this probably isn’t the place where an ascension begins.
7 Bonny South 14-1
8 As Time Goes By 18-1
Daughter of ‘Pharoah’ and Take Charge Lady, she’s won a couple of G2, but followed home the Zenyatta winner last time on a slow train to the wire.
9 Blue Stripe 25-1
Winner of 4 lifetime in Argentina, she’s averaging about $10,000 U.S. per victory. That doesn’t automatically disqualify her. But her “Win and You’re In” victory last time in the Criadores is another woke attempt by the Breeders’ Cup to believe in equity over reality. An apple isn’t an orange. A boy isn’t a girl.
10 Horologist 40-1
11 Dunbar Road
12 Army Wife

Note: Early odds sourced from HorseRacingNation.com as they happen. Analysis is a preliminary look at the contenders. Bookmark this page and check back for Wiz Capper’s final take on the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff to be run Saturday, November 6, at Del Mar.