Awesome Gem Odds Breeders Cup 2009: The Breeders Cup 2009 Betting Odds makers at Sportsbook.com have Awesome Gem at 30-1 odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The local boy will try to make good when Craig Dollase sends out the 6yo gelding in the Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday at Santa Anita.

“I was an Arcadia Apache,” said Dollase Thursday from Barn 7 as he spoke about his scholastic days at Arcadia High School a few furlongs away. The trainer made headlines when he became the youngest trainer to win a Breeders' Cup race at 27 with Reraise in the 1998 Sprint at Churchill Downs, a record that still stands. 

Bio: Trainer: Craig Dollase, Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds, Breeder: Runnymede Farm Inc, Catesby Clay & Peter Callahan, Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Awesome Again (Deputy Minister (CAN), Primal Force), Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Piano (Pentelicus, Thwack), Age: 6.

David Flores, aboard Awesome Gem recently as winning jockey: "We were in good position after the first turn. I was pretty much looking for the right spot, and he was taking me there pretty easily. At the top of the stretch, I tapped him left handed and he just went on really nice."

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Quality Road Odds 2009 Breeders' Cup: The colt that got most of the attention during the Triple Crown buzz in the springtime could salvage his sophomore season with a strong showing in the Classic for trainer Todd Pletcher. He galloped 1 ¼m on the main track Thursday morning. “I think he’s coming up to the race really well,” said Pletcher, who took over the training of the Elusive Quality colt after a quarter-crack in his right front hoof sidelined plans for the Kentucky Derby. “He’s had a good series of prep races, and I thought he galloped over the track really well this morning.” The 2009 Breeders' Cup Betting Odds makers at Sportsbook.com have Quality Road at 12-1 odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Bio: Owner: Edward P. Evans, Breeder: Edward P. Evans, Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Elusive Quality (Gone West, Touch of Greatness), Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Kobla (Strawberry Road (AUS), Winglet), Age: 3.

John Velazquez, winning jockey recently on Quality Road:  “He didn’t leave the gate very good. I had to put him into the race a little bit, and once I got him going and got him where I was happy with him, I didn’t want to move too soon or wait too long. On the other hand, I had to watch for Javier’s horse coming from behind. He did real good. I’m sure he got a lot out of the race. We’ll have to see how he comes back and what they want to do next time.”

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Gio Ponti Odds 2009 Breeders' Cup: The 2009 Breeders' Cup Betting Odds makers at Sportsbook.com have Gio Ponti at 12-1 odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Christophe Clement had high praise indeed for Gio Ponti as he will be the 18th horse that the trainer starts in Breeders’ Cup races when he leads the 4yo colt over on Saturday when he said “He’s a very good horse. I am sure of that. This is the best horse I have ever trained.”

Clement has a long list of Graded stakes winners on his resume and is the only trainer to have won the prestigious Beverly D. at Arlington Park three times,  but he hasn’t won an Eclipse Award. “I’m a lucky guy. I’ve had many, many good horses but I have never trained a champion,” he said. He’s hoping that will change on Saturday.

Gio Ponti as the winner of this year’s Arlington Million, Manhattan Handicap, Man o’ War, and Kilroe Handicap is widely hailed as North America’s best turf horse, but Clement remains solidly convinced that his decision running Gio Ponti in the Classic on the synthetic track will be successful. Ramon Dominguez, aboard Gio Ponti: “He handled the going well. He just got a little tired at the end.” On his most recent race.

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Richard’s Kid Odds 2009 Breeders Cup Classic: The Pacific Classic upset winner Richard’s Kid galloped at Santa Anita Thursday morning, getting ready for his run at the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday in post position 6. The 2009 Breeders Cup Classic Betting Odds makers at Sportsbook.com have Richard’s Kid at 12-1 odds to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Trainer Bob Baffert was rather quiet about his 4yo son of Lemon Drop Kid but commented; “Things have to go right for him, he’s a horse that you’re in there and you’re just hoping you might be lucky enough to hit the board,” he said. “But then, you never know what’s going to happen.”

I’m always weary of those kind of comments so I won’t be surprised at a strong finish.

On Oct. 10, Grade I  at the  Goodwood Stakes, Santa Anita, 1 1/8 Milem Richard's Kid finished third, beaten a length by the winner Gitano Hernando,. He was sixth at the stretch call, so he finished very well.

Alex Solis, aboard Richard's Kid: “He came running. He ran big. I was very happy with his effort. He finally leveled off the last sixteenth of a mile. He finished flying, but the wire came up a little too fast. God willing, this will set him up well for the next one, the Breeders’ Cup. I really liked the way he ran today. It was very encouraging for the next one.”

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