Defending champion Found was ninth in last year’s Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Chantilly, ran second in the Champion Stakes (G1) and then won the Turf, becoming the 10th Turf Sportsbook to have also run in the Arc.
However, no Arc Sportsbook has won the Turf. Oops, Found won the Arc this year at 9-1, so is that a bad thing? She has kept her busy schedule, running a good second in the Champion Stakes (G1). She seeks to give her trainer Aiden O’Brien his sixth win in the Turf.
The Arc Sportsbook is currently at 2-1 in early Breeders’ Cup Turf wagering.
O’Brien is also sending over Highland Reel, who ran a good second in the Arc at 24-1. He looked washed out before the race which got me off him, but he bounced back nicely off his seventh-place finish in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leapordstown in his previous start. He made a trip to the U.S. in 2015, winning the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington Park.
Flintshire could end up the betting favorite for the Turf (he is currently 12/5 at Sportsbook) and he ran second in the race in 2014 behind Main Sequence. Since sticking in the U.S. and landing with Chad Brown, he won his first three starts for the barn but then was upset in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) over yielding footing he did not seem to care for. He will get firmer footing at Santa Anita.
He was beaten in the Joe Hirsch by the Todd Pletcher-trained Ectot, who was able to take the field gate to wire. That was his first win since taking the Prix Niel (G2) in September 2014.
Other U.S. hopefuls include John Henry Turf (G2) Sportsbook Ashleyluvssugar and Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) Sportsbook Da Big Hoss.
Handicapper Michael Dempsey will be covering the Breeders’ Cup for OddsShark and his full card reports with final selections, analysis, fair odds line and wagering recommendations for both days of action will be available at turfnsport.com where you can also pick up the Turf ‘n’ Sport 2016 Breeders’ Cup Wagering Guide, a 38-page look at the early contenders and betting trends for each race.