Breeders’ Cup Turf Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2023 Turf is set for November 4 at Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, CA. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Preview
- Race: BC Turf
- Purse: $4 million
- Track: Santa Anita
- Date: November 4
- Post Time: 5:50 PM (ET)
- Live: BC Turf Odds: Click Here
Before we can give you our expert 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Handicapping
The signature turf race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the (G1) BC Turf is open to horses age three and older, and is run at a distance of 1 1/2 miles. It will go as race five of nine on the Saturday BC card.
Betting Angles: Since its inception at the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984, European-bred horses have dominated the Turf, winning 24 of 39 races, including the last three years in a row, and eight of the last 10. Two favourites have won in the past 10 years, with two others in double-digit odds, the highest of those at 14-1. The remaining six have been at odds between 4-1 and 9-1. Only one of the past 10 winners has taken the field wire-to-wire, while five have rallied from way back in the field.
Odds listed here are provided by the Santa Anita track oddsmaker.
2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Free Pick & Handicapping: Mostahdaf Race Odds: 5-2
Irish-bred Mostahdaf comes in off a pair of Group 1 wins in the UK and having won three of his last four. He’s proven to be a very versatile runner, having won on both soft and firm turf as well as dirt and wet dirt.
He’s a bit of an all-or-nothing type, with 10 wins and two runner-up finishes to go along with not hitting the board four times. If there’s a chink in his armour it could be the distance, as he’s only 1-for-5 in races going 1 1/2 miles.
2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Free Pick & Handicapping: Auguste Rodin Race Odds: 3-1
Another Irish-bred, Auguste Rodin was last seen on his home soil winning the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, rebounding from a head-scratchingly poor performance prior to that in a Group 1 at Ascot.
For his career he’s won six-of-nine overall and two-of-three at the distance. While five of his wins have come on softer turf, he did also win in his only try on turf rated as good-fast, that being the Group 1 Betfred Derby at Epsom going this 1 1/2 miles distance.
King Of Steel Race Odds: 4-1
The connections of Kentucky-bred but European-based King Of Steel think so highly of his chances on firm footing that he was actually cross-entered to run in the BC Classic on the dirt, but they eventually decided to take the safer route and run here on the more familiar turf.
One of the more lightly raced horses in the field, he’s made just seven starts and has won three of those, and has started three times at the distance with a win, a second and a third in those races. Last out he prevailed by 3/4 of a length in Group 1 Quipco Champion Stakes at Ascot. He faces a quick two-week turn around here.
War Like Goddess Race Odds: 12-1
Classy six-year-old mare War Like Goddess beat males at this distance last out in the (G1) Turf Classic at Aqueduct and was third in this race last year after rallying from way off the pace.
She’s a specialist at the distance, having won 7-of-9 going 1 1/2 miles, and while she’s a perfect 5-for-5 on soft turf, she’s also won 6-of-12 on the firm going.
Here’s My 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Free Pick.
While it may be a lot to ask of a horse to win at this level after travelling and on only two-weeks rest, I think there’s a lot of other things that work in King Of Steel’s favour here, and he’s going to be my pick for the win.
I note that earlier this summer he came back off a second-place finish to win the Group 2 King Edward Stakes at Ascot after just three weeks between races. I also think the 1 1/2 miles is right in his wheelhouse. Although he’s been beaten three times by Auguste Rodin, the last two were by only 1/2 and 1 lengths. He’s right there, and this time I think he turns the tables.
Full Field: 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Odds
By post position
- #1 – Shahryar 15-1
- #2 – Onesto 8-1
- #3 – Gold Phoenix 30-1
- #4 – Bolshoi Ballet 15-1
- #5 – Auguste Rodin 3-1
- #6 – Get Smokin (scratched)
- #7 – Broome 30-1
- #8 – Up To The Mark 5-1
- #9 – Mostahdaf 5-2
- #10 – Adhamo 30-1
- #11 – King Of Steel 4-1
- #12 – Balladeer 30-1
- #13 – War Like Goddess 12-1
2023 Breeders Cup Turf Racebooks / Betting Apps We Like!
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