Happy Breeders' Cup Saturday from Churchill Downs. The sun is out today, which should make for a somewhat warmer experience in the afternoon compared to a cloudy Friday. Temperatures should rise into the mid-to-upper 50s. 

I would expect the turf to remain yielding - irrespective of how the track officially calls it. Churchill called it "good" yesterday, though the evidence of the races, from the times to the comments of the jockeys, suggested otherwise. Equibase chartcallers called the course yielding for their data.

In my mind, the condition of the course is the most important element for handicapping the grass races on Saturday. Some horses will not care for it. My strategy for the grass today will be to focus on the horses with established wet-course form.

Here are the early scratches. This will be updated as more come in.

Race 1: #3, #4; Race 2: #1, #6; Race 3: #15; Race 4: #15; Race 5, #5; Race 8:#4,#9; Race 11: #15,16; Race 12: #1,#2, #5

(Scratches above updated at 10 AM. Moonlit Garden (#1), Student Body (#5) have been added as scratches from the nightcap. Mr Freeze (#6) from race two.)

A reminder for those coming on-track, DRF will be on sale at Churchill Downs. Outstanding handicapping and editorial coverage by the whole crew.

Speaking of handicapping, some selected thoughts on today's card:

Race 3, Filly And Mare Sprint:

Bob Baffert said yesterday that Game Winner was the horse of his that he most expected to win a Breeders' Cup race this weekend. And here he is, with another probable winner in the Filly and Mare Turf with Marley's Freedom. At least to my eyes, she is a single for multi-race wagers. Bombs could come in behind her, though, with Sky Diamonds being a price horse I could see hitting the board.

Race 4, The Turf Sprint

Live longshot play: Vision Perfect. He is in good form, having won the Parx Dash in July and then narrowly missing when second in the Turf Monster there. Those performances suggest he can contend, but if one digs deeper into his past performances, he takes on even more appeal.  At 2, he won the Awad over yielding ground, and as a 3-year-old was second over soft turf in the Hill Prince.

Race 6: Filly and Mare Turf

The yielding course condition tilts this race in favor of Euro Wild Illusion. She has a win, a second, and a third in three starts on soft ground, and the victory came in Group 1 company.

One of the top American hopes, Sistercharlie, meanwhile, could be disadvantaged by the ground. She has largely raced on firm courses with the exception coming when fourth on heavy turf in France back in March 2017.

Race 7: The Sprint

The day's best for this horseplayer - Roy H - last year's champ, who bounced back from a couple of losses to take the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. He also catches Imperial Hint on a track where the latter has gone unplaced in two prior starts.

Race 9: The Distaff

It is not often that a Chad Brown-trained horse slips through the wagering cracks, but that might happen with Wow Cat. So she holds some price appeal. No doubt, she won a soft Grade 1 in the Beldame - but she won as much the best, and it may have provided her with a confidence boost after a couple of flat efforts that earned her minor awards at Saratoga over the summer. This filly came to the U.S with an eight-for-eight record in Chile, and perhaps needed a little time to acclimate to racing here. 

Race 11: The Classic

I expect John Sadler's losing streak in the Breeders' Cup will end in the Dirt Mile with Catalina Cruiser, but if by chance it doesn't, Accelerate may be in line to give him an elusive Breeders' Cup victory.

This horse was not fully on his game for the Awesome Again - throwing a fit before the start and breaking poorly - and yet somehow managed to still win going away. He lost the one time he shipped from California this year, falling just short in the Oaklawn Handicap, though there was little wrong with his effort. He was valiant in losing by a neck to City of Light, a Grade 1 winner that goes in the Dirt Mile. 

Good luck to all today! Follow us at live.drf.com for updates throughout the day.