The Haiku Handicapper Presented By TVG: 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic

Time to analyze the 2019 Breeders' Cup Classic field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.

#1 – Math Wizard
Squeaked out a Grade 1
When nobody else fired
Won't add up again

#2 – Seeking the Soul
A toss of the dice
Whether you use him or not
He'll kill your ticket

#3 – Owendale
He'd have been my pick
If the race were a Grade 3
Out in the Midwest

#4 – War of Will
The Preakness winner
Has struggled to find his spark
Post-Baltimore tilt

#5 – Yoshida
The dual-surface star
Inches closer to finding
His form from last year

#6 – Elate
Somehow, the Classic
Is a less-daunting hurdle
Than Midnight Bisou

#7 – Higher Power
His value depends
On if his freak Del Mar romp
Was real or a fluke

#8 – McKinzie
Despite his record
It still feels like he could lose
Any given race

#9 – Mongolian Groom
For that entry fee
He'd better live up to it
Minor award threat

#10 – Vino Rosso
Ignore the DQ
Focus on resiliency
Should have his gloves on

#11 – Code of Honor
Always runs honest
But he'll need to dig deeper
If he gets challenged

Prediction
A Gold Cup rematch
But this time Vino stays up
Six and nine follow