Friday's Santa Anita racing tips: Best of British target major prizes at Breeders' Cup meeting
- Planet Sport writer
- 3 November 2023
British racing will be well represented on the other side of the pond this weekend as the Breeders’ Cup meeting takes centre stage at the Santa Anita racetrack in California.
The centrepiece events are not until Saturday, but there’s plenty of top-quality racing to enjoy on the opening day, with several strongly fancied British-trained horses lining up in search of some serious prize money.
Below we take a closer look at a couple of our main hopes and assess their chances of landing their respective races.
(*All times are GMT)
Santa Anita 21:00 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (5 furlongs)
Big Evs
- Jockey: Tom Marquand
- Trainer: Michael Appleby
There’s plenty likely to have a say in this five-furlong dash, with the home crowd likely to be cheering on Crimson Advocate, who has already won at Gulfstream Park this season, and also landed the Queen Mary Stakes last time out at Royal Ascot.
The Irish contingent is inevitably as strong as ever, with Aidan O’Brien’s Cherry Blossom and Ado McGuinness’s Tiger Belle entering calculations, but given Michael Appleby’s record of saddling winners over there, it’s his star sprinter Big Evs who gets our impartial nod.
Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Big Evs wins, get a £5 Free Bet!
He was caught out against older horses in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August, but before and since that race he has exuded class among his own age group.
His roll call of wins this year includes the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, and the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting last-time-out in September.
He has won on anything from good-firm to heavy ground, so his only concern will be the bend that is a feature of American race tracks. Tom Marquand rode him for the first time at Doncaster and is retained here for what offers a great chance of British success.
Suggested bet: Big Evs in the 21:00 at Santa Anita
Santa Anita 22:20 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (1 mile)
Carla's Way
- Jockey: James Doyle
- Trainer: Simon and Ed Crisford
This is another race that has the potential to be dominated by British and Irish raiders, leaving the home team rooting for best hope She Feels Pretty and perhaps some outsider interest in the Brendan Walsh-trained Austere, who might outrun his current odds.
Both of those will need to overcome Irish prospect Porta Fortuna, who landed the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and also won the Cheveley Park Stakes last time out at Newmarket in September.
Carla’s Way carries the hopes of Simon and Ed Crisford, and they will be looking to reverse the form that saw their charge finish eighth behind Porta Fortuna in the Albany.
Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Carla's Way wins, get a £5 Free Bet!
She has certainly responded well to that setback, backing up a runner-up spot at Goodwood with a convincing victory in the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket last time out five weeks ago.
She has changed owner recently and has been reported to be in top shape and raring to go for this, with the Crisfords hopeful of landing this fabulous contest on Friday.
