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 AielloTed BlackGary QuillNick HahnEric Rubin
1ST8. Ecoro Sieg7. Whistlejacket8. Ecoro Sieg10. Governor Sam9. Shareholder
2ND10. Governor Sam10. Governor Sam7. Whistlejacket12. Ides of March2. Aesterius
3RD2. Aesterius12. Ides of March2. Aesterius2. Aesterius4. 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 AielloTed BlackGary QuillNick HahnEric Rubin
1ST9. American Bikini3. Immersive9. American Bikini5. Quickick1. Vodka With a Twist
2ND10. Scottish Lassie7. Non Compliant7. Non Compliant4. La Cara3. Immersive
3RD4. La Cara9. American Bikini4. La Cara3. Immersive5. 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 AielloTed BlackGary QuillNick HahnEric Rubin
1ST7. Thought Process1. Lake Victoria1. Lake Victoria1. Lake Victoria11. Fiery Lucy
2ND13. Vixen7. Thought Process2. Nitrogen12. May Day Ready1. Lake Victoria
3RD1. Lake Victoria13. Vixen7. Thought Process9. Kilwin8. 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 AielloTed BlackGary QuillNick HahnEric Rubin
1ST7. Gaming1. East Avenue6. Citizen Bull5. Jonathan’s Way10. Chancer McPatrick
2ND1. East Avenue10. Chancer McPatrick4. Ferocious7. Gaming7. Gaming
3RD10. Chancer McPatrick7. Gaming8. Shin Believe1. East Avenue5. 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 AielloTed BlackGary QuillNick HahnEric Rubin
1ST11. New Century4. Al Qudra4. Al Qudra5. Zulu Kingdom4. Al Qudra
2ND10. Mentee11. New Century11. New Century11. New Century3. Noble Confessor
3RD6. Iron Man Cal13. Henri Matisse13. Henri Matisse13. Henri Matisse1. 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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