Bob Baffert Gets A Ticket To Breeders’ Cup With Defunded
The countdown to the Breeders’ Cup Classic is well underway, as the final Challenge Series races for a spot in Grade 1 competed at the beginning of October.
Bob Baffert may be breathing a sigh of relief, as he likely went into last weekend not believing that he had a credible chance in the famous race.
However, Defunded emerged as a shock contender for the Hall of Famer with a massive win in graded company.
You can find the current contenders and odds for the Breeders Cup here: https://www.twinspires.com/breeders-cup
Defunded Earns Spot In Classic
Heading into the G1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on the first weekend in October, the shortest-price Baffert horse in the betting for the Classic was Country Grammer.
However, Defunded took his performance to the next level at Santa Anita on his step up to 1 1/8 miles, as he landed a very commanding victory over his stablemate. The four-year-old finished the Awesome Again Stakes with a speed rating of 107, which the joint-highest that he had ever achieved. It was also a first victory in Grade 1 company.
His performance was somewhat of a shock, as Defunded was extremely underwhelming on his two starts prior to that performance. He finished sixth in the G2 Pat O’Brien and was seventh in the G2 San Diego Handicap.
Nonetheless, does that victory at Santa Anita now put him in the frame for a strong bid at Keeneland in November?
Could Defunded Win The Classic?
Defunded’s run in the Awesome Again was only his third attempt over 1 1/8 miles. However, the manner of his victory was extremely impressive in a field of proven graded performers.
Still, he will likely need to show even more improvement if he is going to seriously trouble the leading contenders in the betting for the Classic at Keeneland.
This distance is likely his favoured through, as he has shown on a number of occasions that he excels over the extended distances. Given the Classic is run over 1 ¼ miles, it could be worth examining his only previous career attempt over that distance.
On that occasion, he finished second in the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, reaching a speed figure of 100, as he was narrowly beaten by There Goes Harvard. But, it’s hard to see him posing too many questions of the serious contenders at Keeneland off the back of that run.
Who Are The Classic Leading Contenders?
The betting for the Breeders’ Cup Classic has been open throughout this year, but there has been limited movement at the top of the betting.
Flightline is the highest-rated horse in the field, and the four-year-old looks an extremely exciting contender after achieving a dominant win on his step up to 1 ¼ miles at Del Mar in the G1 Pacific Classic.
The manner of that victory was staggering, as he managed to beat Country Grammer by a stunning 19 and a half lengths.
Life Is Good looks set to be one of the main contender for Todd Pletcher this year. The four-year-old has won each of his previous two Grade 1s over the Classic distance, which includes a success over Law Professor in the G1 Woodward Stakes.
This year’s Triple Crown contenders will be represented by Epicenter, who finished second in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
However, he has continued to show his quality for Steven Asmussen since then, with two victories from two starts. The latest of those was recorded at Saratoga, as he won the G1 Travers Stakes by five and a quarter lengths from Cyberknife. But, he will once again need to raise his game at Keeneland.