The best race at the 2022 Breeders Cup may well be the Distaff as several fillies are legitimate win contenders. We take a look at the race…
Favourite heading into the weekend is the outstanding Nest. The three-year-old daughter of Curlin may have finished second in both her biggest races (Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes) but very strong runs in the CCA Oaks where she comfortably bested Secret Oath, who got her in the Kentucky Oaks and the Grade I Alabama has moved her towards the top of the three-year-old filly division. Any horse who has three Grade I wins in the season should be there or thereabouts but for me, she shouldn’t be the top choice and I would oppose her at the current 11/8 price.
Fellow daughter of Curlin, Malathaat for me should lead the betting. Any time this four-year-old trots on to the dirt, I struggle to believe there is a better horse in the starting gate. Last year she was beaten in a top-notch Distaff by Japanese horse Marche Lorraine in a pretty big upset. Top choice that day was the great Letruska but she fell away early and it looked for all money that Malathaat would come through but the Todd Pletcher filly would finish third in a fast race. She comes into this race on back-=to-back Grade I wins including in the Spinster at Keeneland last time out.
Breeders Cup Betting Odds
The only two defeats Malathaat has suffered this year was to yet another Curlin filly in Clairiere and for some reason this four-year-old is sitting at 7/1 in the betting. That is flat out crazy. The only reason for that price is a really disappointing run in the Grade I Personal Ensign last time out but before that, she was proving herself to be a real force in the division. I like Malathaat a little bit more but not at 5/2 compared to 7/1. Steve Asmussen is a wonderful trainer and you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll have her fully prepped. That price at the time of writing screams value. It will surely shorten significantly by post time.
Argentine five-year-old Mare Blue Stripe is another horse too long in the betting at 16s. Beating Shedaresthedevil at Del Mar in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch is nothing to sniff at. Most will toss just because she ran disappointingly in the Distaff a year ago but I would not be stunned with an each-way play here and nor would I with this year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath, who is sitting at 25s. This may well be her final race and she did look tired in the Cotillion at Parx. Since that Oaks win, her resume and performances have lacked but early in 2022, this D. Wayne Lukas horse looked like a potential great.
I haven’t even mentioned Society yet who has a Grade I win to her name and so has Search Results. Both shouldn’t just be discounted.
This should be a fantastic race. I think Malathaat is the best horse. Clairiere is the best value to win and Blue Stripe is the top choice each-way.
Breeders Cup Distaff Tips
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