Accelerate, Monomoy Girl close as favorites in Breeders’ Cup Future Wager

Multiple Grade 1 winners Accelerate (#1) and Monomoy Girl (#14) each closed at 3-1 for the Classic and Distaff pools of the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Future Wager on Sunday.

Accelerate has captured all but one of his starts thus far this year, most recently taking the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar by a record 12 1/2 lengths for trainer John Sadler. The five-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky scored in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) prior to that by 4 1/4 lengths, one race after suffering a tough neck second in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in his first foray outside of California.

The Kentucky-bred chestnut, who opened as the 4-1 morning-line favorite, will pay $8.20 if he wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on November 3 at Churchill Downs.

Catholic Boy (#5), hero of Saturday’s Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga by four lengths for trainer Jonathan Thomas, was the only other wagering interest in the Classic pool to close at single-digit odds. The More Than Ready ridgling was bet down to 7-1, worth $17.60 at the windows if he wins the Classic, after opening at 50-1.

Monomoy Girl opened as the 7-2 morning-line favorite and currently boasts an 8-1-0 mark from nine career starts. The Tapizar filly is five-for-five in 2018, including triumphs in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn Stakes (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) in her past three.

Monomoy Girl shares 3-1 odds in the Distaff pool of the Breeders’ Cup Future Wager with Abel Tasman (#1), but saw more money wagered on her to close at 3.10-1. Abel Tasman, winner of Saturday’s Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, closed at 3.30-1 and would pay $8.60 as compared to Monomoy Girl’s price of $8.20 to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) on November 3.

Elate (#7) is the final wagering interest in the Distaff pool to be bet down to single-digit odds. The Bill Mott-trained daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, who was fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, has won the Delaware Handicap (G2) and finished second in the Personal Ensign so far this season.