Breeders’ Cup Mile Tips & Free Bets

Often one of the most anticipated races on this Breeder’s Cup card, this contest regularly sees the best of the American and European milers lock horns. Here we take a look at the best odds and offers and provide our betting tips for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

This Grade 1 was first run at the Breeders’ Cup meeting in 1984, and as the title suggests has always been run over a 1m trip. In common with all the races on the card, there is plenty of prize money up for grabs, $2 million to be precise.

Breeders’ Cup Mile Tips and Preview 2019

The Breeders’ Cup Carnival is a great way to bid goodbye to the flat racing season as British and Irish racing fans turn their attention to the huge jumps meetings over the winter months. British and Irish trainers are both represented throughout the two days at Santa Anita, including in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Will they be able to get the better of the quality American-trained horses competing in this prestigious Group 1 though?

European Raiders May Struggle

Aidan O’Brien is used to having well fancied horses in the biggest races of all and it’s he who trains the favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Mile with Circus Maximus available at a general price of 5/2. That has to be considered a little short for the three-year-old, even with the jockey booking of Ryan Moore.

He did well enough in the early stages of the season and was not disgraced by a sixth place finish in the Derby. He’s been impressive enough since dropping back to a mile with wins in the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Prix du Moulin but those wins came thanks to the extra stamina he has compared to his competitors rather than any incredible ability on his behalf.

There aren’t a huge amount of top class milers around in Europe at the moment and Circus Maximus is certainly no out and out star. His best chance of winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile is if the race turns into a slog. Without that, O’Brien’s wait to land this race may continue.

Mark Casse is one trainer who knows exactly what it takes to prepare a horse for the Mile. He’s won two of the last four renewals of this race and has a very good chance to improve that record with Got Stormy.

The four-year-old heads into the race on the back of three very good performances over a mile. He should have little trouble coping with the sharp bends the horses will be forced around at Santa Anita nor will he mind the conditions, so he is well priced at odds of 9/2 with bet365.

Suedois Can Grab a Place

The Breeders’ Cup Mile has been won by the bookies’ favourite five times over the last decade. The other years have produced betting shocks though, with winners priced at 16/1, 33/1 and even 50/1 in the case of 2011 winner, Court Vision.

Suedois would doubtless be a surprise winner at big odds of 25/1 with RaceBets but few racing fans who have seen David O’Meara’s eight-year-old run over the years would be surprised about him grabbing a place. He’s had the odd poor performance this season but has generally been as competitive as ever with some very good results. The third place he picked up in a Group 1 at Keeneland was one such good result and bodes well for his second crack at the Mile.

Betting Predictions

Given the lack of real stars in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, the odds of 9/2 that you can get about Got Stormy look well worth taking. The same is true of the 25/1 that RaceBets are quoting about Suedois’s chances, even if an each way bet is much safer than backing him to win outright.

Breeders’ Cup Mile Previous Winners

  • 2018 – Expert Eye – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Michael Stoute
  • 2017 – World Approval – jockey John R. Velazquez, trainer Mark E. Casse
  • 2016 – Tourist – jockey Joel Rosario, trainer Bill Mott
  • 2015 – Tepin – jockey Julien Leparoux, trainer Mark Casse
  • 2014 – Karakontie – jockey Stephane Pasquier, trainer Jonathan Pease
  • 2013 – Wise Dan – jockey Jose Lezcano, trainer Charles Lopresti
  • 2012 – Wise Dan – jockey John Velazquez, trainer Charles Lopresti
  • 2011 – Court Vision – jockey Robby Albarado, trainer Dale Romans
  • 2010 – Goldikova – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Freddy Head
  • 2009 – Goldikova – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Freddy Head
  • 2008 – Goldikova – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Freddy Head
  • 2007 – Kip Deville – jockey Cornelio Velasquez, trainer Cornelio Velasquez
  • 2006 – Miesque’s Approval – jockey Eddie Castro, trainer Martin D. Wolfson

Breeders’ Cup Mile History

Part of the Breeders’ Cup offering right from the off, the name of the winning trainer of the inaugural 1984 edition will be familiar to UK racing fans. Based in California at the time, John Gosden sent out Royal Heroine to victory, with the filly setting a North American record for a mile on turf in the process.

Jonathan Pease, Michael Dickinson and Neal Drysdale were all born in England but training in the US at the times of their wins in the race. As of 2016 Luca Cumani is the only trainer based in England at the time of his success to prevail here, when sending out Barathea to victory in 1994.

French trainers have fared somewhat better, with seven wins in all. Interestingly six of these seven victories have been recorded by fillies. It was the brilliant French filly Miesque who became the first horse to ever win any race at this meeting twice, when landing back to back renewals of this in 1987 and 1988.

Something in the genes of this one appear to have been conducive to success in this contest, as her grandson Miesque’s Approval returned to master the field in 2006. Seven years old at the time, Miesque’s Approval is also the oldest winner in the history of the race.

Sensational Stuff!

The American performers Lure and Wise Dan are others to have won back to back renewals, but in 2010 another French mare topped everything which had gone before. The man to have ridden Miesque to her two triumphs was Frenchman Freddy Head.

Returning to the meeting as a trainer he sent out the sensational Goldikova to leave the rest trailing in her wake in 2008, 2009 and 2010. No other runner has won any race at this meeting three times.

Goldikova’s hat-trick of victories propelled Freddy Head and Olivier Peslier to the top of the trainers and jockeys table for the race.