All Takes
Rushing Fall is the horse to watch in the Friday Breeders' Cup races
There's a horse named Rushing Fall, trained by Chad Brown... She's had two starts. She won them both. Last time out, she looked like an absolute superstar. I think she is on her way to maybe some spectacular things.
Gun Runner has the best chance to beat Arrogate in the Breeders' Cup Classic
I think this is Gun Runner's race to lose... Gun Runner's got better, Arrogate seems to have gotten a little bit worse and I think this is Gun Runner's race to lose.
Highland Reel could repeat in the Breeders' Cup Turf if he goes wire-to-wire
Well, Highland Reels back again. So it's going to be interesting to see, with a short stretch especially, if he can blast off like that again and be able to do the same thing a year later. [Last year] Seamus Heffernan, his Irish jockey, opened up like eight lengths on the field... The horse went wire to wire.
Winning the Belmont Stakes is less valuable to horse breeders than winning the Derby or Preakness
The mile and a half distance of the Belmont Stakes is such a rarity in American racing that winning the Belmont doesn't mean nearly as much to breeders if you're going to retire to stud than winning the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness. You've got a grand total of one grade one stakes in America running a mile and a half on dirt, and that's the Belmont.
Tapwrit is a must-play for the Belmont Stakes trifecta
I think [Tapwrit] is a must play in the trifecta. Absolute must play and maybe even must play in the exactas. Todd Pletcher has this thing figured out... They come into the Belmont, his home track. They're really rested, ready to roll.
Gormley is a 'no bet' for the Belmont Stakes
I would say here, [Gormley], no bet.
Irish War Cry is the logical favorite to beat in the Belmont Stakes
If [Irish War Cry] runs his best race, he's a daylight winner. You can't say that about any of the other horses in the race. So even though he's the favorite, I think he's the horse to beat.
Red Cardinal is a great bet in the Belmont Gold Cup
Red Cardinal is a great bet in the Belmont Gold Cup tomorrow. It's the 10th race. He's coming in from Germany... and he's already one of the co-favorites in November in the early betting for the Melbourne Cup. And this is not a particularly good bunch of American horses. So he's a really, really good play.
Sharp Azteca and Rally Cry will finish 1-2 in the Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap. Sharp Azteca, who I think will win, probably. But the [number] two Rally Cry... he's five to one. And I think he's got an outstanding chance. And I think those two, in either order... I think they're going to run one, two.
Only Always Dreaming or Classic Empire can win the Preakness
In my opinion, only two horses can win the race, Always Dreaming and Classic Empire. Those are the only two that can win the race. The other horses are various confidence levels of playing in the exotics. I think Cloud Computing is a horse that can be a part of the exotics.
Don't bet on Ben's Cat in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint because he is too old
Don't bet Ben's Cat. He's a real popular horse that's going to run in the Jim McKay turf sprint. He's 11 years old, which is like playing in the NFL at age 70... Ben's cat being 11 would probably be the equivalent of a 45, 46-year-old player in the NFL.
Shimmering Aspen will lead from start to finish in the Black-Eyed Susan
Shimmering Aspen, the horse that's won three races and four starts... I think is probably going to go wire-to-wire in the Black Eyed Susan at about four or five to one.
Patch (the one-eyed horse) has zero chance of winning the Kentucky Derby.
What I told the people at NBC, if that horse [Patch] wins the Kentucky Derby, I'm going to immediately jump off the set. The heck with the TV show. I'm going to run down to the winner's circle and get my picture made with Patch. I love the horse, [but he's going to be 40-1].
Classic Empire is bad value for the Kentucky Derby
He's going to be the favorite, and he might be the favorite, and he's not going to be worth the shorter price. [No bet on Classic Empire].
Hence is a strong value play at 20-1 for the Kentucky Derby
Whether it's muddy or whether it's not muddy, you want a horse that's got a good chance at a decent price. His name is Hence... He's going to be 20 to 1... Steve Asmussen has never won the Kentucky Derby, but he's one of the best trainers in America, and he's overdue.
Looking at Lee is a great longshot to include in trifectas and superfectas for the Kentucky Derby.
I think the most likely [longshot] is a horse it's going to be a big price, his name is Looking at Lee. He'll like the distance, he'll just keep coming, keep coming. And he's a good horse to put in third and fourth in those trifectas and superfectas.
Abel Tasman is a strong play to win or run well in the Kentucky Oaks.
Another [horse] called Abel Tasman, trained by Bob Baffert. Those are two horses that have also run pretty well from slightly off the pace, and that ought to play pretty well in the Oaks.
Concussions in youth sports are a significantly more serious national issue than horse deaths in racing
In terms of significance, I think concussions have to be first because you're talking about... the health of young people, humans... progressive brain diseases etc etc. I think that's got to be at the top of the list... let's put the horses next because it is a serious deal.
The 1.5-mile distance makes the Belmont Stakes an unpredictable crapshoot because American horses aren't bred for it anymore
the Belmont is also much more unpredictable than the Derby or the Preakness... horses in America are no longer bred to excel at a mile and a half... performers in the Belmont over the last maybe 10, 12 years have just fallen off the cliff. It really becomes almost a crapshoot.
Destin is a better play to win the Belmont Stakes than Exaggerator
Destin, who ran in the Kentucky Derby, didn't have the best of trips... Todd Pletcher trains him. Now he gives him five weeks off, and he brings him back to the Belmont fresh. And I think that makes a horse like Destin a much better play than a horse like Exaggerator.
Nyquist is not a slam dunk to win the Preakness due to potential rain
There's a probability that it's going to be a hellaciously rainy day on Saturday. [Nyquist] has never run in conditions like that before... Whereas Exaggerator, the horse that he beat in the Derby... he won very impressively in conditions like that.
The horse Lani is a good play for third place in the Preakness
There is a horse that is going to be double digits that I think is set up to run pretty well here and is a good play for third behind the top two, and that would be the Japanese horse, Lani.
American Pharoah was more talented than Nyquist
American Pharoah was a brilliant kind of horse... American Pharoah [was] like a wild horse. Nyquist is sort of like the consummate professional... I think at this point, I would take American Pharoah. I think he has more overall talent than Nyquist.
Bret Bielema is succeeding at Arkansas more than I expected
I was a skeptic when they hired Bret Bielema because in the SEC, Arkansas is not going to out-recruit Alabama and Auburn and LSU. ... But I got to say, Bielema has proven me wrong a few times. ... He's succeeding more than I thought he would there.
Danzing Candy is a possible upset pick to lead the Kentucky Derby from start to finish
On the front end, a horse that's going to be about 20, 30 to 1 and has a shot is a horse called Danzing Candy... He'll be on the lead. They'll probably leave him alone on the lead. ... that's a recipe for a possible upset.
Sudden Breaking News will be running faster than any other horse at the finish line
There's a horse... his name is Sudden Breaking News. I promise you, he may not win, he may not finish second, he may not finish third. But when the horses cross the finish line, he'll be running faster than any horse in the race.
