Breeders’ Cup Friday preview & picks

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships kicks into gear with Future Stars Friday at Santa Anita Park, kicking off the two-day extravaganza on the West Coast.

Five stakes are on tap, including the marquee Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Three other Breeders’ Cup turf stakes compliment the day, which begins at 11:30 a.m. local time and rolls through the early evening back East.

The Saratoga Special and This Is Horse Racing handicappers are back for another season, and we’ve added 2023 Special intern Alec DiConza to the mix. All the other usual suspects, including Saratoga handicapping champ John Shapazian and his almost-vanquisher Charles Bedard, along with Joe and Sean Clancy are all looking for winners.

Here are the picks for Friday, Nov. 3. Enjoy, be safe and good luck.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). $1 million, 2-year-olds, 5 furlongs, turf. Post time 5 p.m. ET.

Embarrassment of riches for George Weaver with three in the field, including fillies Crimson Advocate and Amidst Waves. The former won at Royal Ascot, delivering one of the most heart-warming stories of the season with Weaver’s wife Cindy Hutter in attendance less than a year after suffering severe injuries in a training accident in Saratoga. The stable also sends out No Nay Mets, who didn’t win at Royal Ascot but scored back-to-back stakes victories after his return. “I hate for any of them to get beat, but they all deserve to be there,” Weaver said last month during training at the Oklahoma Training Track in Saratoga.

• Sean Clancy: Givemethebeatboys, Crimson Advocate, Big Evs.
• Joe Clancy: Crimson Advocate, Big Evs, Tiger Belle.
• Paul Halloran: Big Evs, Amidst Waves, Shards.
• Tom Law: Crimson Advocate, Big Evs, Cherry Blossom.
• John Shapazian: Crimson Advocate, Tiger Belle, Committee Of One.
• Charles Bedard: No Nay Mets, Cherry Blossom, Big Evs.
• Rob Whitlock: Amidst Waves, Crimson Advocate, Givemethebeatboys.
• Jessica Paquette: Shards, Crimson Advocate, No Nay Mets.
• Alec DiConza: No Nay Mets, Valiant Force, Big Evs, Crimson Advocate.

NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). $2 million, 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. Post time 5:40 p.m. ET.

All eyes on Tamara, unbeaten daughter of Bolt d’Oro and legendary Hall of Famer Beholder. Off since taking the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, Tamara could give the Richard Mandella stable a boost after they lost major Classic player and Grade 1 winner Geaux Rocket Ride. Candied, Chatalas, Brightwork and Just F Y I add plenty of depth to the event.

• Sean: Tamara, Just F Y I, Candied.
• Joe: Just F Y I, Tamara, Candied.
• Paul: Just F Y I, Tamara, Chatalas.
• Tom: Brightwork, Just F Y I, Candied.
• John: Tamara, Candied, Just F Y I.
• Charles: Candied, Life Talk, Tamara.
• Rob: Candied, Tamara, Accommodate Eva.
• Jessica: Tamara, Brightwork, Just F Y I.
• Alec: Tamara, Candied, Just F Y I, Life Talk.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). $1 million, 2-year-olds, fillies, 1 mile, turf. Post time 6:20 p.m. ET.

Overflow field laden with Europeans and pretty strong Americans. She Feels Pretty, Hard To Justify and Buchu lead the latter, while Carla’s Way and Les Pavots bring the heat for the overseas contingent. Don’t sleep on Gala Brand, and don’t miss her in the post parade.

• Sean: Buchu, Porta Fortuna, She Feels Pretty.
• Joe: She Feels Pretty, Gala Brand, Hard To Justify.
• Paul: Porta Fortuna, Carla’s Way, Buchu.
• Tom: She Feels Pretty, Buchu, Hard To Justify.
• John: Porta Fortuna, She Feels Pretty, Hard To Justify.
• Charles: She Feels Pretty, Buchu, Carla’s Way.
• Rob: She Feels Pretty, Buchu, Carla’s Way.
• Jessica: Gala Brand, Austere, She Feels Pretty.
• Alec: Buchu, Carla’s Way, She Feels Pretty, Porta Fortuna.

FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1). $2 million, 2-year-olds, colts and geldings, 1 1/16 miles. Post time 7 p.m. ET.

Bob Baffert holds a strong hand with Muth, Prince Of Monaco and Wine Me Up in the field of 10 reduced by the withdrawal of Japan’s Ecoro Neo. Prince Of Monaco won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity while Muth took the Grade 1 American Pharoah – over the track and trip. Locked and The Wine Steward, 1-2 in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity; and Timberlake and General Partner, 1-2 in the Grade 1 Champagne, fly the flag for the East Coast.

• Sean: Muth, Locked, Wine Me Up.
• Joe: Prince Of Monaco, Locked, Timberlake.
• Paul: Muth, The Wine Steward, Locked.
• Tom: General Partner, Locked, The Wine Steward.
• John: Muth, Prince Of Monaco, Timberlake.
• Charles: Locked, Timberlake, Muth.
• Rob: Muth, Locked, Prince Of Monaco.
• Jessica: Muth, Locked, The Wine Steward.
• Alec: Timberlake, Muth, Locked, General Partner.

Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). $1 million, 2-year-olds, colts and geldings, 1 mile, turf. Post time 7:40 p.m. ET.

Aidan O’Brien sends out the strong trio of River Tiber, third in a pair of Group 1 stakes in his last two starts; Unquestionable, runner-up in a Group 1 last time out; and Mountain Bear, winner of a small stakes at Dundalk ion his seventh start of the season last time out, against field led by Americans Carson’s Run, My Boy Prince, Agate Road and Endlessly.

• Sean: River Tiber, Endlessly, Unquestionable.
• Joe: Tok Tok, Unquestionable, Endlessly.
• Paul: River Tiber, Unquestionable, Carson’s Run.
• Tom: River Tiber, Agate Road, Carson’s Run.
• John: River Tiber, Unquestionable, Endlessly.
• Charles: River Tiber, Unquestionable, Carson’s Run.
• Rob: River Tiber, Tok Tok, Unquestionable. 
• Jessica: Tok Tok, River Tiber, Endlessly.
• Alec: Unquestionable, Endlessly, Carson’s Run, River Tiber.

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