Breeders’ Cup predictions for Del Mar this weekend

Predictions? You want predictions for this weekend’s 38th running of the Breeders’ Cup, which is being held at Del Mar for just the second time?

My first prediction is that it won’t be long before the track dubbed “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” hosts its third Breeders’ Cup if these next two days go off as smoothly as Del Mar’s debut year as host in 2017.

The weather was great, the racing was even better and it meant more than $100 million to the local economy.

Here are a few other forecasts to do with what you wish:

• You might be tired of hearing his name, but don’t be surprised if Irad Ortiz Jr. wins his fourth consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award as the outstanding jockey.

We’re still waiting for the Breeders’ Cup folks to honor trainers with their own award, one that would have gone to Brad Cox last year when he won four races over the two days at Keeneland, but we’ll save that for another column.

Ortiz is set to ride Life Is Good, the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the Dirt Mile; Letruska, the 8-5 choice in the Distaff; and Golden Pal (7-2) in the Turf Sprint. That’s three live horses, and Ortiz has shown during the past three Breeders’ Cups that he doesn’t miss often on those.

Joel Rosario will be in the mix for the award as well, riding Juvenile Fillies favorite Echo Zulu (4-5) and Jackie’s Warrior (6-5) in the Sprint.

• There are three odds-on morning-line favorites, but only two will win.If Gamine, 3-5 in the Filly and Mare Sprint, breaks, she’ll be long gone. She’s easily the top female sprinter in the nation.

Life Is Good will win the Dirt Mile, but Echo Zulu will come up short in the Juvenile Fillies. I like the Brad Cox-trained Juju’s Map to pull off a mild upset.

• Bob Baffert, at 17 Breeders’ Cup victories looking to catch D. Wayne Lukas’ record 20, will come away with two victories this year and fall short of matching his good friend.

Along with Gamine, Corniche will take the Juvenile from his disadvantageous No. 12 post. Mike Smith will find a way to get it done.

• Don’t sleep on Dr. Schivel in the Sprint. Jackie’s Warrior is going to be tough to beat, but the good Doctor drew a cozy outside post and he likes Del Mar. It wouldn’t surprise me if he upsets the favorite.

• There’s speed, speed and more speed in Saturday’s $6 million Classic, which means music to the ears of any of the closers. Is Knicks Go, 7 for 7 around two turns, up to the task of staving off challenge after challenge and holding on in the stretch?

My Classic pick is Essential Quality, who could easily be unbeaten in nine races if not for a nightmarish trip in this year’s Kentucky Derby that led to a fourth-place finish. It says here he’ll be 9 for 10 after Saturday thanks to a stellar ride by Luis Saez.

• The most noise Saturday will be made by the members of Boat Racing, five former Brown football players who own a share of Hot Rod Charlie, 4-1 on the morning line in the Classic.

Talk about exuberance. Even if he’s well beaten in the stretch (he won’t be), they’ll be heard loud and clear somewhere at Del Mar.

• One of Friday’s three juvenile turf races will produce a longshot winner. Trying to handicap 2-year-olds on the turf, with many of the horses coming from overseas, is akin to trying to figure out what the Dodgers’ hierarchy was thinking when they made some of those puzzling postseason pitching moves.

But keep an eye on trainer Wesley Ward’s trio in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. He does very well with turf sprinters.

• My sentimental pick in the Mile is Mo Forza. The late Barry Abrams, who trained the colt’s dam’s sire, Unusual Heat, loved Mo Forza as much as he did his beloved Lakers.

Abrams’ brother, David, is convinced that Barry helped get Mo Forza to the finish line in his past two victories when he looked beaten, and he might be right.

“Last in his last two races, that’s Barry bringing him home,” David said.

Better have plenty of tissue in the winner’s circle Saturday if he gets the job done.

• The most impressive winner of the two days will be Life Is Good in the Dirt Mile. He could easily have been entered in the Classic, but his connections opted to take the conservative route and face tougher competition later.

Ginobili in his current form, and over a track he likes, is going to be a handful, but Life Is Good is a different animal.

Follow Art Wilson on Twitter @Sham73