BREEDERS' CUP LONGINES DISTAFF

Purse: $2,000,000 Surface: Dirt Distance: 1 ⅛ Miles

Friday November 4th Race: 9 Post Time: 7:35 pm ET

BREEDERS' CUP DISTAFF PICKS AND ANALYSIS

By Michelle Yu, BetAmerica VIP Manager

1st Choice: #1 SONGBIRD (6/5)

Sometimes you can’t argue with perfection. For me this is one of those times. Songbird has been perfect. She sprints, she routes, so goes classic distances. She stalks, she leads, she relaxes. She’s shipped, she’s run at home. Most importantly she has won. No matter what. Will she now have to contest the best older mare we have running? Yes and it’s not going to be a walk in the park. But I think Songbird has gas left in the tank. I think she has room to grow and I think she wins the Distaff by open lengths.

2nd Choice: #5 STELLAR WIND (5/2)

Stellar Wind has been the beneficiary of two VERY smart and savvy rides by Victor Espinoza enabling her to beat Beholder. I have been a big Windy fan since last year and I love that she is consistent and recently she has been gutty and game. But I think her battle will be for second, which is not a bad place to be when you are facing a horse like Songbird.

Longshot: #3 CURALINA (12/1)

Todd Pletcher took this race last year and I think Curlina is the best of the East Coast horses to get a big check. Her odds are enticing for sure. Curalina is not a win machine but she is consistent, especially at 9 furlongs. She’s got very good numbers and she has the right style. Should you decide to try and beat the chalk I think Curalina and her connections are the price play way to go.

2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Entries

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds	Record	Earnings

1	Songbird (KY)	M E Smith	J Hollendorfer	6-5	11-11-0-0	$3,372,000
2	Land Over Sea (KY)	M Gutierrez	D F O'Neill	30-1	12-2-5-1	$726,500
3	Curalina (KY)	J R Velazquez	T A Pletcher	12-1	12-6-3-2	$1,515,940
4	Corona Del Inca (ARG)	P G Falero	G Frenkel-Santillan	30-1	10-4-1-1	$70,718
5	Stellar Wind (VA)	V Espinoza	J W Sadler	5-2	11-7-2-1	$1,353,200
6	Forever Unbridled (KY)	J Rosario	D Stewart	12-1	13-5-3-3	$1,411,600
7	I'm a Chatterbox (KY)	F Geroux	J L Jones	12-1	16-8-3-2	$2,209,614
8	Beholder (KY)	G L Stevens	R E Mandella	5-2	25-17-6-0	$5,056,600

Who won the Distaff in 2015?

Stopchargingmaria won the 2015 Distaff under jockey Javier Castellano for trainer Todd Pletcher. She defeated 2016 Distaff contender Stellar Wind by a neck and paid $16.20 to win.

How many horses have won the Distaff multiple times?

Two mares have won the Distaff twice: Bayakoa in 1989 and 1990, and Royal Delta in 2011 and 2012.

Which jockey holds the record for most wins?

Mike Smith has won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff 5 times: in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2008, and most recently in 2012 aboard Royal Delta

Has the Distaff always been run at 1 ⅛ miles?

When the Breeders’ Cup began in 1984, the Distaff was run at a longer distance of 1 ¼ miles. It was reduced to 1 ⅛ miles in 1988.

Previous Breeders’ Cup Distaff Winners

Show

entries

YEAR	HORSE	AGE	JOCKEY	TRAINER	OWNER	WINNING TIME

2018	Monomoy Girl	3	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables	1:49.79
2017	Forever Unbridled	5	John Velazquez	Dallas Stewart	Charles E. Fipke	1:50.25
2016	Beholder	6	Gary Stevens	Richard Mandella	Spendthrift Farm	1:49.22
2015	Stopchargingmaria	4	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	Town and Country Farms	1:48.98
2014	Untapable	3	Rosie Napravnik	Steven Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC	1:48.68
2013	Beholder	3	Gary Stevens	Richard Mandella	Spendthrift Farm LLC	1:47.77
2012	Royal Delta	4	M. Smith	W. Mott	Besilu Stables	1:48.80
2011	Royal Delta	3	J. Lezcano	W. Mott	Palides Investments N.V., Inc	1:50.78
2010	Unrivaled Belle	4	K. Desormeaux	W. Mott	Gary Seidler and Peter Vegso	1:50.04
2009	Life Is Sweet	4	G. Gomez	J. Shirreffs	Mr. & Mrs. Martin J. Wygod	1:48.58

Showing 1 to 10 of 35 entries