Updated November 1, 2023By Rowan Ward
If you’re serious about betting horse racing, the Breeders’ Cup is one of the most important weekends of the year, with two days of championship races across all ages, distances, and surfaces. And, one of the most exciting and historic races of the Breeders’ Cup is the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), which happens Saturday, November 4, 2023 at Santa Anita Park.
The Distaff covers 1 ⅛ miles on the main track and it draws the best two-turn dirt fillies and mares aged three and up. The likely favorite is Idiomatic, the rising star of the division who has proven her Grade 1 class in her last two races. Some of her toughest foes include Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous, longtime distaff-division leader Clairiere, and the ever-consistent Search Results.
Idiomaticto win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff
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Stars like Personal Ensign, Dance Smartly, Zenyatta, Beholder, and Monomoy Girl have all won this race in the past. Keep reading to find out who can join them, and to find out the best sites for betting the Breeders’ Cup Distaff online!
Betting the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Online
As much as we would all like to attend the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park, we can’t all make it there. Fortunately, you can be a part of the action from your phone, tablet or computer by betting online! The best online betting sites give you advantages like market-leading odds and trusted payouts while you bet from home or on the go.
Online sportsbooks also offer lucrative betting bonuses that you’ll never find at the track. From sign-up and deposit bonuses to referral benefits to horse racing rebates that pay you for every bet you make, you can’t afford not to take advantage! Take a few minutes now, read our reviews, and find the best place to add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your bankroll for Breeders’ Cup and beyond!
Handicapping the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff
This is the official field for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff including post positions, trainers, and jockeys:
Hoosier Philly (Tom Amoss/Luis Saez) – 20/1
A Mo Reay (Brad Cox/Christophe Lemaire) – 20/1
Pretty Mischievous (Brendan Walsh/Tyler Gaffalione) – 8/1
Idiomatic (Brad Cox/Florent Geroux) – 5/2
Adare Manor (Bob Baffert/Juan Hernandez) – 4/1
Search Results (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) – 5/1
Wet Paint (Brad Cox/Flavien Prat) – 10/1
Randomized (Chad Brown/Jose Ortiz) – 6/1
Clairiere (Steve Asmussen/Joel Rosario) – 4/1
Desert Dawn (Phil D’Amato/Hector Berrios) – 20/1
Le Da Vida (Ignacio Correas/Vincent Cheminaud) – 20/1
The morning line can be a solid guide to which horses are expected to take money or not on race day. However, they are not guaranteed prices. Your best bet is to play the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at an online sportsbook. Since online sportsbooks let you lock in your odds on major races when you bet, you can claim an overlay when you see it and watch the race confident that you have the best price!
These are the horses at the top of the market on the best online sportsbooks:
Breeders’ Cup Distaff Handicapping
With your betting account set up, it is time to get to know the field for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and find out who to include on your tickets!
Breeders’ Cup Distaff Favorites
Idiomatic comes into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in the best form, and she will be difficult to beat. There are a few others who, like her, have pace: Hoosier Philly, Adare Manor, Search Results, Randomized. But, she proved in several races including the Delaware Handicap (G2) that she is effective from off the pace as well. Furthermore, her recent strength of schedule is among the best.
Idiomaticto win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff
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The question about strength of schedule is what casts questions upon Adare Manor. She is a strong local runner and she also has the ability to be tactical if necessary. However, the company she has been facing out west is nowhere near as strong as the East Coast set. She could hit the board, and she belongs in larger exotics tickets, but she will be an underlay on the win end.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff Exotics Horses
Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Pretty Mischievous fell just short against sophomores last out, but this is a completely different situation: a likely hot pace to chase down, not a loose leader at Parx. She has been a model of consistency: never off the board in her career, and never worse than second this year. And, she is tactically versatile enough to work with the track profile and the pace scenario.
Clariere has yet to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but she has been beaten less than a length each of the last two years: a testament to trainer Steve Asmussen’s ability to get her ready for this goal. Just like last year she comes off of a disappointing outing in the Personal Ensign, but she bounced back well last year and this year she should get a rollicking pace to close into.
As a long shot for larger exotic tickets, consider Desert Dawn as well. Though she rarely wins, she rarely runs a poor race either. She is versatile enough to track or close, she should do well with a hot pace in front of her, and she chased on well enough in the Kentucky Oaks going 1 ⅛ miles last year that if she works that sort of trip, she has every chance to clunk on for a share at a price again.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff Best Bets
You have made your betting account and gotten to know the leading contenders. All that’s left is to place your bets for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff!
$20 to win – #4 Idiomatic
$1 exacta key – #4 Idiomatic with #3 Pretty Mischievous, #9 Clairiere
$0.50 trifecta key – #4 Idiomatic with #3 Pretty Mischievous, #9 Clairiere, #10 Desert Dawn
$0.20 superfecta key – #4 Idiomatic with #3 Pretty Mischievous, #5 Adare Manor, #9 Clairiere, #10 Desert Dawn
Idiomaticto win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff
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About the Author
Rowan Ward
For a decade, Rowan Ward has been making horse race predictions and wagers in Chicago, and has been writing about horse racing for nearly just as long. Understanding the various factors that influence a race’s outcome, they often find that the age-old saying “the pace makes the race” can uncover worthwhile betting opportunities. When it comes to handicapping, their favorite races are those held locally in Chicago, major stake races across the country, and two-year-old maiden races with intriguing bloodlines.
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