BREEDERS' CUP SPECIAL

TONIGHT TO FIRST 20 CALLERS: An unheard-of special!  Two can dine for one at tonight's pre-Breeders' Cup theme night buffet featuring Greek cuisine. Two people.  All they can eat for $14.95.  First 20 callers only!  Menu.  Advance reservations are required. Call Samantha at 885-3330 ext. 0 and mention "Insider Special" when making your reservation.

BREEDERS' CUP BRUNCH:  Still a few openings.  Breeders' Cup Saturday.  Starts at 11 a.m.  $18.95.  Menu.  Phone Samantha at 885-3330 ext. 0.

Fourteen races with a combined purse value of $25.5 million televised from Santa Anita in California.  Watch them on giant screens at the track, at OTBs and at home on Shaw 87, MTS 179-180.

FRIDAY:  Six races.  Post time: 1:15 p.m.

SATURDAY:  Eight races.  Post time: 12:05 p.m.

GET $10 DEPOSITED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT  Tonight is your last chance to sign up for a telephone wagering account and receive a $10 bonus deposited into your account on Saturday. Sign up at the track or any OTB.  If you already have an account and will have bet at least $100 from Sunday until the end of racing tonight, you will also get the bonus deposit.

GUEST HANDICAPPERS AT BREEDERS' CUP SEMINAR: George Williams (left) and Everett Shade will assist in putting together a "community" pick-6 ticket.

FREE SHARE IN BREEDERS' CUP PICK-6!

Come to seminar Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

How's this for a deal on Breeders' Cup Day?  You come down to the Finish Line banquet hall Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and you get a free share in a pick-6 ticket.  And, not only that, you get to watch the ticket being put together and hear the views of experienced handicappers in putting together the ticket!  And you can add your own views!  The pick-6 pool is going to be somewhere between $2 million and $3 million.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a chance at a share?  Here's what's happening:

DATE AND TIME:  Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE:  Finish Line banquet hall, the lower level at the Downs.  (Just go down the steps after you enter the main foyer.)

SUBJECT:  Nailing the Breeders' Cup pick-6.  Analysis of the Breeders' Cup races.

HOST:  Ivan Bigg (I guess that's me) 

GUEST HANDICAPPERS:  George Williams, Free Press handicapper and award-winning racing writer.  Everett Shade, professional handicapper and former Downs clocker.

FREE PICK-6 SHARE:  You will receive a $5 share in the pick-6.  If, for example, $100 is spent on a ticket, there will be 20 shares so your share is 1/20th of whatever money is won. (Those who already have a share--having attended last Thursday's horseplayer workshop--are disqualified from receiving a second share but certainly are invited to the seminar.)

OPTIONAL:  You can purchase additional shares in the pick-6 ticket for $5 each if you wish.  And we can discuss playing a pick-4 ticket as well.

OTHER PERKS:  Muffins, coffee and other refreshments will be served.

LEARN FROM LAST YEAR:  Here's what I wrote a year ago

1. WHO'S GOING TO WIN THE JUVENILE TURF? Almost certainly a European horse. They've dominated previous 'Cup races and did so again. Horses from England finished one-two (Donativum and Westphalia). Exactor paid $45
2. WHO'S GOING TO WIN THE 6 1/2 FURLONG TURF SPRINT? Likely a horse that has already raced this unique down-the-hill course at Santa Anita. The horse that won this year's race, Desert Code, had proven he loved it, having scored three times in five races over it, yet paid $70! What an overlay!

Garrett Gomez Syn King

3. CAN THE BEST DIRT HORSES COMPETE ON SYNTHETIC SURFACES? No. Ignore these horses. Curlin showed that even being the best dirt horse in North America is no match for a synthetic surface. (Remember how Assiniboia Downs' Gold Cup winner Monsoon Rain went to Woodbine's Polytrack and was embarrassingly trounced, finishing way behind the rest of the field?)
4. CAN HORSES DEVELOP A LIKING FOR SYNTHETICS? No. Horses either like the synthetic surface or they don't. I had expected talented speed horse Hysterical Lady to improve over the surface since she had been training diligently over the synthetic surface at Golden Gate. Not to be. She finished fourth to the unbeaten synthetic-loving Zenyatta in the fillies and mares Classic. Like Curlin, she made a move to the front in the stretch but then bogged down on the artificial surface.
5. CAN EUROPEAN GRASS HORSES WIN ON SYNTHETICS? Supremely so. European grass horses finished one-two in the Classic with dirt-horse Curlin finishing fourth. That shows the synthetic surface plays more like a grass course than a dirt track.
6. HOW MUCH DO RIDERS MATTER? Lots. Garrett Gomez is the king of synthetic tracks and showed it by winning a stunning five of the eight races run on the artificial surface. Mike Smith won two. 

THE BIG GAMBLE:   Zenyatta tests boys in the Classic

Zenyatta Is she good enough?

There's little doubt the Breeders' Cup Classic, the last 'Cup race on Saturday at Santa Anita, will be the most-anticipated race of the 14 Breeders' Cup races.  Zenyatta puts her 13-race unbeaten streak on the line facing the boys for the first time in her life.  It is a huge gamble.  But, should she win the $5 million race, there seems little doubt that 2009 will go down as the "year of the filly:" in race history.  We already have Rachel Alexandra probably looking at "horse of the year" honours for  beating the boys twice.  On dirt.  Now we have Zenyatta attempting to do the same thing.  Except on a synthetic track she loves. 

Free glass and draws Saturday

SOUVENIR GLASS:  The first 200 at the race track Saturday will receive a beautiful souvenir 2009 Breeders' Cup glass that increases with value each year.  Doors open 9 a.m.  (Seminar begins at 10:30 a.m.)  A limited number of glasses will also be distributed at OTBs.

MERCHANDISE DRAWS:  Entering the "Elite 8" contest below makes you eligible to be drawn to win Breeders' Cup merchandise.  The colours this year are very impressive.

PREDICT WINNERS:  $100 for being closest  Enter the free "Elite 8" contest at the track on Breeders' Cup Saturday.  The person who predicts the most 'Cup winners receives $100.

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SALUTING LAST WEEKEND'S CONTEST WINNERS

Chaboyer wins $150 jackpot in 5-Alive

5-ALIVE FRIDAY:  Retired seamstress and race-track regular  Diane Chaboyer won the 5-Alive game Friday night, picking three show horses, a place horse and the winner of five races at

Diane Chaboyer Picking second choices paid off

Remington. She won the $150 jackpot. Her system?  Selecting horses that were picked on the preview sheet to finish second.  Too easy for words, Diane!  Congrats!

BETTING SPREES FRIDAY:  Probation officer Glen Burke, the winner of the $4,000 games room package on the final day of live racing, was drawn to participate in one of two betting sprees Friday night.  Playing conservatively ($2 show bets), he accumulated $54 in winnings, edging out the previous record of $53.50.  Let's see who can beat that!  Enter 5-Alive Friday for a chance to play!

FREEROLL POKER FRIDAY:  Not nice (for the person holding a pair of jacks)--Printer Terry Pagee, a primo poker player, won the first game with a pair of queens on the final hand.  Retiree Pat Stockmann aced the second game with overkill--three aces crushing a pair of sixes.

FREEROLL SATURDAY:  Retired office worker (and almost-Olympian athlete in 1943) Betty Patteson didn't give her poker opposition a sporting chance.  She got a straight flush in the final hand to win the game.  Sports store manager and horse owner Trevor Williams won the second game.

LADIES' NIGHT FRIDAY DRAW:  Ruth Vandette won the $300 Fabutan/Finger & Toes Day Spa package in the VLT lounge.  Every Friday is Ladies' Night and there are bonus games throughout the week for up to $100 in prize money.  See November schedule.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Racing on Remembrance Day

Racing on Remembrance Day Wednesday, Nov. 11 begins at 11:25 a.m. with Calder from Florida followed within minutes by Aqueduct (New York), Laurel (Maryland) and Churchill Downs (Kentucky).  Full schedule.  The Remembrance Day service will be shown on large TVs in the Race Book at 11 a.m.  Breakfast will be served starting at 9 a.m. as usual.

SANTA ENDS SUNDAY; HOLLYWOOD BEGINS FRIDAY:  Santa Anita's Oak Tree fall meet concludes Sunday, the day after the Breeders' Cup with a post time of 2:30 p.m.  Five days later (Friday the 13th--oh-oh), Hollywood Park's shortened 27-day autumn meet begins at 9:05 p.m.  It cut back from 40 days last year.

OH-OH.  MILESTONE TIME.  This is Insider #199