The fields for the 14 races that comprise the Breeders’ Cup World Championships actually start to come back into focus in summer season and fall. This common function will provide a snapshot profile of one of many earlier weekend’s standout stars, often a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Problem Sequence winner, and whether or not I’m shopping for or promoting their probabilities to win Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.
This week we take a better take a look at Win for the Cash, who on Sept. 14 received the $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes at Woodbine, a Problem Sequence “Win and You’re In” race for the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Introduced by PDJF.
Accomplishments: Win for the Cash picked a profitable spot for a breakout race, ending powerfully to win the $1 million (Canadian) Rogers Woodbine Mile to safe his first profession graded stakes win … on the highest (Grade 1) degree no much less. The $440,059 (U.S.) winner’s share of the purse exceeded his buy worth at public sale as a 2-year-old in coaching in 2021, when Charlotte Weber’s Reside Oak Plantation purchased him for $350,000.
Weber and coach Mark Casse teamed to win the Woodbine Mile in 2017 with World Approval, who was favored in that race and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile by 1 ¼ lengths in his subsequent begin.
Can historical past repeat itself in 2024 for Weber and Casse? Let’s take a better take a look at Win for the Cash, whose 13.65-1 odds on this 12 months’s Woodbine Mile mirrored a résumé not almost as sturdy as that of World Approval, a five-time graded stakes winner and two-time Grade 1 winner getting into the 2017 Woodbine Mile.
Race report: Win for the Cash made his first seven begins on the principle monitor, six on Woodbine’s all-weather floor and one on grime, with strong outcomes: two wins and two seconds. He then switched to turf in spring 2023 and ran effectively in three begins, ending first twice – he was disqualified and positioned second in considered one of them – and rallying for fifth within the Arlington Million Stakes.
He closed out 2023 with a second within the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes and a 3rd within the Valedictory Stakes, each on the all-weather floor at Woodbine.
Win for the Cash has raced solely on the grass in 2024, incomes his first profession stakes win within the Mr. Steele Stakes at Gulfstream Park in his season debut after which ending fourth within the Grade 2 Smart Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs and second within the KY Downs Preview Mint Thousands and thousands Turf Mile Stakes at Ellis Park, each that includes a really sluggish tempo.
Win for the Cash bought a really perfect tempo setup within the Woodbine Mile and capitalized. He rated in sixth, 4 ½ lengths behind Casse stablemate Filo Di Arianna by means of a half-mile in :45.44, and rallied alongside the within with a remaining quarter-mile in an attention grabbing :22.84 to win by 1 ½ lengths in 1:32.11. The profitable time was lower than two-fifths of a second off the course report of 1:31.73 set by Olympic Runner Aug. 15, 2021.
Jockey Patrick Husbands saved a ton of floor below Win for the Cash as he rallied from the within, however the 5-year-old gelding confirmed he might deal with a major class take a look at and likewise that he was able to a really quick race. Now, he must show he can win back-to-back races for the primary time in his profession.
Velocity Figures: Win for the Cash earned a 110 Equibase Velocity Determine for the Woodbine Mile, two ticks off his career-best quantity which additionally got here on the grass. He’s run between a 102 and a 110 in 4 races in 2024. His profitable 102 Beyer Velocity Determine for the Woodbine Mile matched his earlier high, which was earned within the Mr. Steele Stakes.
Win for the Cash’s velocity figures up to now are strong, however he’ll very seemingly want to enhance to be a viable Breeders’ Cup Mile win contender. The typical profitable Equibase Velocity Determine for the BC Mile during the last 10 editions has been 121, starting from a 115 to a 128, whereas the typical Beyer Velocity Determine is a 106.2 with a spread from 101 to 110.
Wanting Forward: 5 of the final 12 Breeders’ Cup Mile winners received the Woodbine Mile earlier that season. Moreover, Tepin received the Woodbine Mile the 12 months after her Breeders’ Cup Mile win and Court docket Imaginative and prescient received the Woodbine Mile in 2010 and the Breeders’ Cup Mile a 12 months later, so to say the Woodbine Mile has been a key prep race could be an understatement.
That stated, Win for the Cash on paper would appear to wish to take one other important step ahead by way of enchancment to have a shot at profitable the Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
There are a number of very constructive traits for Win for the Cash. His off-the-pace operating model has been particularly efficient within the Breeders’ Cup Mile and he has an explosive ending kick. That :22.84 remaining quarter-mile would give him a critical shot even towards world-class turf milers. Win for the Cash could have seven weeks of relaxation to gear up for a what would must be career-best effort for a coach in Mark Casse who has received the BC Mile twice (Tepin, 2015; World Approval, 2017).
I’m optimistic that Win for the Cash can – and can – run effectively on Nov. 2 at Del Mar if his connections resolve to go on to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, however the race sometimes attracts one of many deepest, strongest fields of the World Championships. As such, I don’t envision Win for the Cash being one of many prime win contenders so I’m promoting his probabilities for victory within the race.
