Tipsheet: 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile

A standout field of 12 will run one mile on the Del Mar lawn in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

Breeders’ Cup Mile Picks

• #6 Notable Speech
• #1 Ramatuelle
• #7 Porta Fortuna 
• #8 More Than Looks

Breeders’ Cup Mile Wagers

• $30 win #6 Notable Speech
• $7 exacta key box 6 with 1,7 
• 50-cent superfecta 6 with 1,7,8 with 1,7,8 with ALL

Breeders’ Cup Mile Contenders

#1 RAMATUELLE (5-1): Justify filly has won or placed in each of her nine lifetime races to date and is a major win contender for Christopher Head. Three-year-old chestnut comes off her most impressive tally to date at Longchamp, and if she duplicates that performance, then the filly will be a major player in the heat with Aurelien Lemaitre in the silks. 

#2 CHILI FLAG (20-1): First of the Chad Brown duo owns a trio of graded wins in 2024 and has finished in the top two in seven of her nine lifetime runs at one mile. Five-year-old daughter of Cityscape faces her male counterparts on Saturday in a deep field, but I could envision her rallying late for a minor award with the right pace setup. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the assignment.

#3 GEOGLYPH (20-1): Five-year-old son of Drefong is winless dating back to 2022, but the chestnut was a solid second at Sapporo most recently and could be an exotics threat with improvement while making his first run in the states. The five-year-old chestnut has kept top company in 2024 while holding his own, and he has longshot appeal with Takeshi Yokoyama riding. 

#4 DIEGO VELAZQUEZ (8-1):  Frankel colt has won two in succession for conditioner Aidan O’Brien and might have found his niche at the distance. The expensive yearling purchase seems to perform better on ground like he will run over at Del Mar, and it’s a plus that the go-to pilot for the barn, Ryan Moore, will take the reins. I expect him to stalk the early tempo before being given his cue at the top of the lane. 

#5 GOLIAD (20-1): Fleet one from the Richard Mandella barn ran two big ones at the Kentucky Downs meeting in September, led by a tally in the lucrative Mint Million S. (G3) in his most recent effort. The seven-year-old son of War Front owns five top-three finishes from seven local runs to date, but he will need a career best to fend this field off late with Flavien Prat in the controls. 

#6 NOTABLE SPEECH (7-2): Top pick from the mighty Charlie Appleby barn is a two-time Group 1 winner with an explosive turn of foot, and I feel that the sophomore will take to this surface while making his stateside debut. Chestnut son of Dubawi is 5-for-7 in total, with his latest setback coming over soft ground, and the Godolphin homebred seems poised to run his best race on Saturday with William Buick in the silks. Appleby and Buick have won the last three editions of the Mile.

#7 PORTA FORTUNA (4-1): Dark bay daughter of Caravaggio has reeled off a trio of Group 1 wins in succession and might be the one to beat for Donnacha O’Brien. The Irish-bred was a close second in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita in her first stateside run and is in exquisite form leading up to this affair. Tom Marquand will be in the silks. 

#8 MORE THAN LOOKS (20-1): Dark bay son of More Than Ready possesses a stout turn of foot and fell just two lengths shy in the race in 2023 for Cherie DeVaux. Talented Kentucky-bred has been runner-up in both tries this campaign behind difficult pace setups, and if the early tempo is contested on Saturday, then the colt will be a dangerous figure inside the final furlong at a big price. Jose Ortiz retains the mount. 

#9 JOHANNES (9-2): Standout son of Nyquist is perfect from four outings this season and is 7-for-8 in his lifetime on the lawn for conditioner Tim Yakteen. Four-year-old colt was a stylish winner of the Eddie Read S. (G1) two prior in his lone local run to date, and the tactical Kentucky-bred has to be considered a win threat with Umberto Rispoli up. 

#10 WIN FOR THE MONEY (30-1): Mark Casse pupil upset the Woodbine Mile (G1) in his latest showing but faces a much more difficult assignment at Del Mar. The Mohaymen gelding surely has some class to him, but others seem more likely to me in the deep group. Patrick Husbands will guide the chestnut. 

#11 TEN HAPPY ROSE (30-1): Chestnut mare upset the Victoria Mile (G1) at 207-1 odds at Tokyo two back but was flat in her prep run for this endeavor. The six-year-old would be a big surprise to me in her stateside debut with Akihide Tsumura in the silks. 

#12 CARL SPACKLER (6-1): Excellent colt from the Chad Brown shedrow wasn’t done any favors by drawing widest of all in the race, but the son of Lope De Vega has never been better and still has to be considered for top honors despite the post. The Irish-bred chestnut has very good gate presence to avoid being hung wide in the tilt, and the four-year-old is also a fine 6-for-7 at the distance as well. Tyler Gaffalione will be in the stirrups.