BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPS BEST BETS DEL MAR FRIDAY

BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPS BEST BETS DEL MAR FRIDAY

Race 6 BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF SPRINT Grade 1)

No2 MILITARY CODE
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick

MILITARY CODE got into the first Breeders’ Cup race by way of a late scratch and it can prove a blessing for owners Godolphin. The Wootton Bassett colt is a dual scorer over 1000 metres, and his head defeat by Revival Power in a Listed race at York was boosted. Furthermore he’s in the better part of the gate to enjoy a perfect stalking run. TRUE LOVE took out the Group 1 Cheveley Park over 1200 metres at Newmarket and looks the pick of Aidan O’Brien’s runners. Stablemate BRUSSELS was only just denied in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot but will need to break smartly from the rail. An attractive longshot is LENNILU, who is four from five for veteran handler Patrick Biancone, and can emerge as the best of the home contingent.

Prediction: 1st MILITARY CODE, 2nd True Love, 3rd Lennilu, 4th Brussels

Race 7 NET JETS BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES (Grade 1)

No7 EXPLORA
Trainer: Bob Baffert – Jockey: Juan Hernandez

EXPLORA’s excellent Beyer figure of 83 in the Oak Leaf Stakes will if equalled make her very hard to beat in this. It was the first time she hadn’t worn blinkers and brought about an improvement. The Baffert filly looks the one to beat and is favoured over TOMMY JO, who is a dual Grade 1 winner. She’s looked very impressive for Todd Pletcher on the track this week but the nagging doubt is that her dam was very fast and didn’t stay two turns. BOTTLE OF ROUGE saw her Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes triumph boosted when the pair she beat went one-two in the Oak Leaf. However, this filly is coming back from time out and statistically that’s a big factor to surmount.

Prediction: 1st EXPLORA, 2nd Tommy Jo, 3rd Bottle Of Rouge

Race 8 JOHN DEERE BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES’ TURF (Grade 1)

No13 PRECISE (Nap)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Christophe Soumillon

Cheveley Park Stakes winner PRECISE is a back-to-back Group 1 scorer for whom the only possible issue is that she’s going round two turns for the first time. Her trainer thinks she’s unlucky not to be unbeaten, and paid her the highest possible compliment when saying on the backstretch “she looks like something we’ve never had before.” Soumillon, standing in so ably for the injured Ryan Moore, is likely to take his time on this worthy favourite who can follow in the hoof prints of Meditate and Lake Victoria by blowing them away in the stretch. TIME TO DREAM looked incredibly fit when I saw her in Todd Pletcher’s barn this week and she gets the trip well. Her halo slipped a touch with her defeat in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland, but she could easily bounce back. Frankie Dettori teams up with the Brendan Walsh-trained IMAGINATIONTHELADY who defends a two race unbeaten record. She’s one to put into the exotics along with FINAL ACCORD, who is a pea out of the same pod.

Prediction: 1st PRECISE, 2nd Time To Dream, 3rd Imaginationthelady, 4th Final Accord

Race 9 FANDUEL BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE (Grade 1)

No1 INTREPIDO
Trainer: Jeff Mullins – Jockey: Hector Berrios

TED NOFFEY put in a career best when tackling two turns for the first time in the Hopeful at Saratoga. The grey is an uncomplicated individual, and temperament wise as cool as the proverbial cucumber. Todd Pletcher’s charge sets a high standard but this looks a deeper race than in recent years. Bob Baffert fires both LITMUS TEST and BRANT at the prize and the latter has a very impressive 100 Beyer figure to his name. However he’s all about speed which makes the task of leading or being prominent round two turns a cause for concern. Equally, his trainer numbers six success in this race and in LITMUS TEST fields a lively longshot. In recent years the best clues to victory in the Juvenile have happened in the American Pharaoh at Santa Anita, and this brings INTREPIDO into play. After hitting traffic got out of jail to win that contest, going past a couple of Baffert rivals in the stretch. Four of the last ten American Pharaoh winner have followed-up in this race and that’s a statistic that can bode well for the Maximus Mischief colt, should he avoid trouble from the rail.

Prediction: 1st INTREPIDO, 2nd Ted Noffey, 3rd Litmus Test, 4th Brant

Race 10 BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF (Grade 1)

No9 ARGOS (Each Way)
Trainer: Riley Mott – Jockey: Flavien Prat

All media attention has been on dual Group 1 winner GSTAAD who Aidan O’Brien believes has the strength both physically and mentally to handle himself breaking from the outside on a first crack at 1600 metres. In the trainer’s view the colt is unlucky not to have won three Group 1s. Looking at his forecast odds (6-5) tempts me to seek out something that might spoil the Coolmore party, and that individual could be ARGOS, a first BC runner for Mott, who is Bill Mott’s son. Admittedly the selection enjoyed a perfect trip when taking out a Grade 1 at Woodbine but he looked assured, and though also berthed wider than ideal could still rattle the favourite’s cage. The Wesley Ward-trained OUTFIELDER returns to grass in spite of the trainer stating he would stick to dirt which is a worry. One that can earn from the roughies is BOTTAS, whose been in good form in his work on the track and is the type that can look after himself.

Prediction: 1st ARGOS, 2nd Gstaad, 3rd Bottas, 4th Outfielder

Nap: PRECISE (13) Race 8
Next best: MILITARY CODE (2) Race 6
Longshot: INTREPIDO (1) Race 9