Racing! Finally, the Breeders’ Cup is here

Hello, my name is John Cherwa, welcome back to our horse racing newsletter and it’s showtime at Del Mar.

No need for a long intro to this newsletter as everything and everybody are focused on the first day of the Breeders’ Cup. Del Mar seems to be holding up well in its inaugural time hosting the thoroughbred championships. The crowd is being capped at around 38,000, which is less than you have on opening day of the summer meeting.

The weather is perfect and the dirt and turf courses seem to be playing fairly and, more importantly, safely. It’s an early post of 11:25 a.m. on Friday.

So, here’s what you have to look forward to today. (And, don’t forget, you can find the entries at the bottom of this newsletter.)

Juvenile Fillies Turf (2:25 p.m.)

The favorite in this one-mile race, at 7-2, is Rushing Fall, for trainer Chad Brown. This filly has run only twice, winning both, the second a blistering win in the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland by 3¼ lengths. Brown, who has won this race three times, also has Significant Form, winner of one of her two starts. Aidan O’Brien has two European shippers that should be the toughest competition. Happily, at 9-2, has won four of her six starts and September, two for five, just lost by a nose in a Grade 1 at Newmarket in her last start.

Dirt Mile (3:05 p.m.)

This race has horses familiar to the Southern California crowd. Mor Spirit, who was Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby horse last year, is the favorite at 3-1, but he hasn’t raced in five months. He is coming off three wins, including the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont. Baffert also has Cupid in the race, coming off a disappointing race in the Awesome Again at Santa Anita. The second favorite is Accelerate, at 7-2, for John Sadler. He has won at Del Mar, beating Arrogate in the San Diego Handicap. He finished third in the Pacific Classic, so probably prefers the shorter distance of this race. He was third in it last year. Not to be overlooked, at 10-1, is Battle of Midway for Jerry Hollendorfer. He finished third in the slop at the Kentucky Derby.

Juvenile Turf (3:50 p.m.)

This one-mile race is traditionally won by foreign horses. The favorite, at 9-2, is Masar for Charlie Appleby. The colt is two for four, with two third-place finishes. One of his wins was in a Grade 3. James Garfield, the horse not the president, is second favorite at 6-1. The George Scott trained colt has two wins in six starts and is coming off a Grade 2 win. O’Brien has won this race three of the last six years and has Mendelssohn at 8-1. A horse that might get overlooked is Encumbered at 15-1, running for Simon Callaghan. The colt has won twice on the Del Mar turf course.

Distaff (4:35 p.m.)

This is the featured race of the day. It’s not likely to bring the chills that last year’s stretch duel between Beholder and Songbird did. But it could bring tears as it will be Stellar Wind’s last race. To read more on Stellar Wind click here. Stellar is the 5-2 favorite. The best female from the East is Elate for Bill Mott. She is coming off three Grade 1s with two wins and a second. She is 3-1. Paradise Woods, at 9-2, looks to be back in form for trainer Richard Mandella after winning the Zenyatta Stakes. She was the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks but got caught in a speed duel and finished 11th. The winner of the Oaks was Abel Tasman for Baffert. She is listed at 4-1.

View from the experts

This is our last Breeders’ Cup preview with our experts Jeff Siegel and Aaron Vercruysse of xbtv. Today’s is a look at the final four races on Saturday’s card. (watch here) If you want to look at the first five races on Saturday’s program. (watch here). If you missed the handicapping for Friday. (watch here.) And if you want to catch up on some others, here’s one on horses that are under the radar (watch here). And, there’s also one on European horses (watch here), and the popular Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies (watch here) races.

Racing at Del Mar

Besides the four Breeders’ Cup races on Friday's 10-race card there are also four additional stakes races. It starts with the $200,000 Damascus Stakes for 3 and up over 7 furlongs. Silent Bird is the 5-2 favorite. There is the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies (the name explains all the conditions) over 7 furlongs. Ismelucky is the 5-2 choice in that race.

The race before the first Breeders’ Cup race is the $200,000 Marathon Stakes for older horses over an excruciating 1¾ miles. Veteran Hard Aces is the 5-2 favorite. Finally, after the Distaff will be the $150,000 Ken Maddy Stakes for older fillies and mares on the turf over 5 furlongs. Firsthand Report is the 7-2 favorite.

So, with no really clear favorites in any of those races, it should be a good betting opportunity.

The feature on Thursday was the $93,580 Lure Stakes over a mile on the turf. A person you may see a lot of in the winner’s circle the next couple of days — Mike Smith — guided favorite He Will to a win by a neck. It was close with five horses within a length of the finish. He Will paid $7.80, $4.40 and $3.40. Tequila Joe was second and a Red Tie Day was third.

Jeff Nahill’s DM spot play

FIRST RACE: No. 2 Good Bye Greg (8-1)

It's Breeders' Cup Day 1 but we're coming out firing in the first race, the 7-furlong Damascus. Trainer Larry Rivelli is a staple on the Midwest circuit and in Florida. Therefore he wouldn't come West unless he had a horse he thought would fit and a horse that has run one time on the dirt in 14 races. This 6-year-old is a speedball. The track the first two days of the meet has been playing to speed with the cooler temperatures. Yes, there is other speed in here, but we're going to take a shot. I would recommend a win bet and back wheel an exacta with the six other horses on top of Good Bye Greg.

Thursday’s result: Swiss Minister used the speed bias to finish second in the second race, paying $7 to place and $4.20 to show.

Jeff Nahill is a quality editor for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He can be reached at jeff.nahill@sduniontribune.com. For other selections go to his blog: fromthewinnerscircle.me

Los Alamitos preview

The highlight of this weekend’s card is the $938,850 Golden State Million Futurity on Sunday night. Trainer Jaime Gomez is hoping to add to his win with Moonie Blues last weekend in the Wild West Futurity with the Golden State’s fastest qualifier J Fire Up. He also qualified Famous N Hot. J Fire Up won his qualifying win by a huge 1¾ lengths over the 400-yard course. Gomez is fourth all-time at Los Alamitos with 87 stakes wins.

Remember last year’s Champion of Champions winner, Zoomin For Spuds? He’s been having an off year, winless in four starts. He’ll be in the featured allowance on Saturday night.

Los Al will be open real early on Friday and Saturday for simulcast wagering on the Breeders’ Cup.

Ed Burgart’s LA spot play

SEVENTH RACE: No. 5 Light Up The Dark (3-1)

He arrives sharp from Wyoming where he finished second in a maiden stakes two outs ago. He gets second leading rider Cesar DeAlba and two of his main contenders are winless in 29 starts combined.

Final thought

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Any thoughts, drop me an email at john.cherwa@latimes.com or feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa.