Expert picks for Breeders’ Cup Friday
It’s Breeders’ Cup Friday with five stakes on tap for juveniles. In honor of the big day, we convened our experts to get their selections on the day’s action.
The actions starts at 5:45 EDT with the Juvenile Turf Sprint and ends with the 10th race — the Juvenile Turf — at 8:25 p.m. Who do ya like? Let’s see what they came up with:
JUVENILE TURF SPRINT
Joseph Aiello | Ted Black | Gary Quill | Nick Hahn | Eric Rubin | |
1ST | 8. Ecoro Sieg | 7. Whistlejacket | 8. Ecoro Sieg | 10. Governor Sam | 9. Shareholder |
2ND | 10. Governor Sam | 10. Governor Sam | 7. Whistlejacket | 12. Ides of March | 2. Aesterius |
3RD | 2. Aesterius | 12. Ides of March | 2. Aesterius | 2. Aesterius | 4. Magnum Force |
NOTES Japan-based #8 Ecoro Sieg is the only runner to appear two ‘cappers’ picks. He’s two-for-two by a combined 7 1/2 lengths… #9 Shareholder won his first two starts, including a Group 2 at Royal Ascot, before a disappointing run in the G1 Prix Mornay… #10 Governor Sam has won four straight since tasting defeat in his debut, including a win in the Rosie’s Stakes, which previously produced Four Wheel Drive, who then won this event… Whistlejacket has been worse than second just once in seven starts and, after finishing behind Shareholder in the Norfolk, won the Prix Mornay while that rival was eased…
JUVENILE FILLIES
Joseph Aiello | Ted Black | Gary Quill | Nick Hahn | Eric Rubin | |
1ST | 9. American Bikini | 3. Immersive | 9. American Bikini | 5. Quickick | 1. Vodka With a Twist |
2ND | 10. Scottish Lassie | 7. Non Compliant | 7. Non Compliant | 4. La Cara | 3. Immersive |
3RD | 4. La Cara | 9. American Bikini | 4. La Cara | 3. Immersive | 5. Quickick |
NOTES American Bikini, by American Pharoah but bred and based in Japan, has won two straight after running second on debut and earns the top spot from two of our ‘cappers… #3 Immersive is undefeated in three starts for trainer Brad Cox; Manny Franco has been aboard for all three and remains so here… #1 Vodka With a Twist is 20-1 on the morning line and gets a jockey switch after a pair of runner-up efforts in graded company; Mike Smith is gone, replaced by Irad Ortiz… #5 Quickick was a troubled second to Immersive in the Alcibiades last out…
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
Joseph Aiello | Ted Black | Gary Quill | Nick Hahn | Eric Rubin | |
1ST | 7. Thought Process | 1. Lake Victoria | 1. Lake Victoria | 1. Lake Victoria | 11. Fiery Lucy |
2ND | 13. Vixen | 7. Thought Process | 2. Nitrogen | 12. May Day Ready | 1. Lake Victoria |
3RD | 1. Lake Victoria | 13. Vixen | 7. Thought Process | 9. Kilwin | 8. Heavens Gate |
NOTES Lotta love for #1 Lake Victoria from our ‘cappers: all five have her in the top three, with three picking her on top. The Frankel filly, trained by Aidan O’Brien, is undefeated in four starts with a pair of Group 1 victories… #7 Thought Process ran indifferently in her debut on dirt, but switched to the turf, she’s been a beast, winning three straight by open lengths… #11 Fiery Lucy, with one from six starts, will blow up the toteboard with a win…
JUVENILE
Joseph Aiello | Ted Black | Gary Quill | Nick Hahn | Eric Rubin | |
1ST | 7. Gaming | 1. East Avenue | 6. Citizen Bull | 5. Jonathan’s Way | 10. Chancer McPatrick |
2ND | 1. East Avenue | 10. Chancer McPatrick | 4. Ferocious | 7. Gaming | 7. Gaming |
3RD | 10. Chancer McPatrick | 7. Gaming | 8. Shin Believe | 1. East Avenue | 5. Jonathan’s Way |
NOTES Five ‘cappers, five different top choices in the Juvenile… #1 East Avenue has won his first two starts, including the G1 Breeders’ Futurity, by a combined 13 1/4 lengths… #5 Jonathan’s Way is 2-for-2, as well, and tries two turns for the first time… Trained by Bob Baffert, #6 Citizen Bull galloped in his first try around two turns… #7 Gaming is the other Baffert (which makes #2 Getaway Car the other other Baffert) in here and logged his top win in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity going 7 furlongs… #10 Chancer McPatrick has won all three of his starts and will be running at the end…
JUVENILE TURF
Joseph Aiello | Ted Black | Gary Quill | Nick Hahn | Eric Rubin | |
1ST | 11. New Century | 4. Al Qudra | 4. Al Qudra | 5. Zulu Kingdom | 4. Al Qudra |
2ND | 10. Mentee | 11. New Century | 11. New Century | 11. New Century | 3. Noble Confessor |
3RD | 6. Iron Man Cal | 13. Henri Matisse | 13. Henri Matisse | 13. Henri Matisse | 1. Satono Carnaval |
NOTES #4 Al Qudra took the worst of the trip when second to #11 New Century, whom he’d previously beaten, in the G1 Summer at Woodbine. Though beaten in four of six starts, Al Qudra, trained by Charlie Appleby, has never lost by more than 1 3/4 lengths… New Century turned tables on Al Qudra last out and has won three of four…Trained by Chad Brown, #5 Zulu Kingdom is undefeated in three starts, with a pair of neck victories in graded company…
OUR HANDICAPPERS ARE:
- Nick Hahn, author of the eponymous Nick’s Picks for Colonial Downs.
- Eric Rubin, host of Better Betting podcast
- Gary Quill, co-host of Better Betting and former The Racing Biz Maryland handicapper
- Joseph Aiello handicaps Saratoga for The Racing Biz.
- Ted Black is the Charles Town correspondent for The Racing Biz.
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