Breeders’ Cup Friday Betting: Juveniles Take Center Stage

The two-day Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs gets underway on Friday with five races for juveniles with several solid betting favorites and three other wide-open races.

Three of the five races will be contested on turf, which will be saturated by several inches of rain that was in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. The boggy conditions could favor a strong group of European invaders coming from across the pond.

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

This is the inaugural running, which has expanded the Breeders’ Cup to 14 championship races.

The top three betting favorites are Euro invaders led by Soldier’s Call, who is the early betting favorite at Sportsbook at +250. Trained by Archie Watson, the colt was a close-up third in the Prix de l’Abbaye (G1) at Longchamp on Arc Day.

Sergei Prokofiev is the second choice in early Juvenile Turf Sprint betting at +350. Trained by Aiden O’Brien, the colt won the Cornwallis Stakes (G3) at Newmarket in his final prep.

The third choice in the betting is So Perfect at +600. Also trained by O’Brien, the filly takes on the boys and is +1200 on the official morning line.

Trainer Wesley Ward will saddle four runners in the field, led by Shang Shang Shang (+700) and Chelsea Cloisters (+1400).

Odds as of October 31 at Sportsbook

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

The home team leads the Euros by an 8-2 margin in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and this year trainer Chad Brown will look for his fourth win in the last five editions of this race when he sends out the favorite Newspaperofrecord.

The filly won the Miss Grillo (G2) at Belmont Park in her last outing over yielding ground. She is +175 in early wagering at Sportsbook.

The Mackem Bullet is a generous +1200 in early betting. She has run into a very talented runner in Fairyland in her last two starts.

The shortest price among the Euros is Just Wonderful at +350. The O’Brien trainee won the Rockfel Stakes (G2) over good to firm ground at Newmarket in her last start.

Odds as of October 31 at Sportsbook

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

This race has seen 18 betting favorites win in the 34 runnings, but over the past five years we have seen long shots win, ranging from a $36.60 to a high of $125.40.

This year’s betting favorite is Bellafina, currently listed at +200 at Sportsbook. The filly has won her last three starts, taking the Chandelier (G1) at Santa Anita by 6½ lengths in her last start.

Alcibiades (G1) Sportsbook Restless Rider and Pocahontas (G2) Sportsbook Serengeti Empress are the co-second choices at +333.

Odds as of October 31 at Sportsbook

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

The Euro invaders hold the edge in this race, taking seven of the 11 runnings, and they will be well represented by five contenders making their U.S. debuts. With the prospect of yielding or soft turf, they will be tough to beat.

Aiden O’Brien has won this race four times and has the current favorite in Anthony Van Dyck, who is at +200 at Sportsbook. However, the colt drew a tough post, as he will break from the 14.

Line of Duty is the second choice at +350. The colt is trained by Charles Appleby, who won the 2013 edition with Outstrip, who paid $14.00 to win.

Forty Under (+700) is the leading U.S.-based contender. The colt won the Pilgrim (G3) at Belmont Park in his last start.

Odds as of October 31 at Sportsbook

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

The Juvenile Sportsbook certainly will become the early betting favorite for next spring’s Kentucky Derby (G1). Game Sportsbook will be saddled by Bob Baffert, no stranger to the Sportsbook’s circle at Churchill Downs. The colt is a solid favorite at +150 at Sportsbook for the Juvenile.

The colt is perfect in three starts. He won the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita in his last outing.

His biggest threat may be Complexity, who will be sent out by trainer Chad Brown, who won last year’s Juvenile with Good Magic. The colt is coming off a gate-to-wire score in the Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park, a race that has produced nine Juvenile Sportsbooks.

Odds as of October 31 at Sportsbook

Coming up tomorrow: Live long shots for Friday’s races.

Handicapper Michael Dempsey will be covering the Breeders’ Cup for OddsShark and his full card reports with selections, analysis, fair odds line and wagering recommendations for major tracks can be found daily at turfnsport.com.