2023 Breeders' Cup Friday Picks

The most exciting weekend in horse racing is upon us: the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Future Stars Friday, the first day of the two-day event, happens November 3 at Santa Anita Park. It features five championship races where two-year-olds can shine. They include three Breeders’ Cup races on the turf course, and two more on the dirt. Since juveniles can improve by leaps and bounds, these are always exciting and lucrative betting opportunities.

The Breeders’ Cup continues with nine more championship races on Saturday, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Distaff, Turf, Filly & Mare Turf, Mile, Dirt Mile, Sprint, Filly and Mare Sprint, Turf Sprint. We will cover these in a Breeders’ Cup Saturday picks roundup.

Naturally, you can bet which of this trainer's horses will win their Breeders Cup race at FanDuel Racing. Also, discover 2023 Breeders’ Cup betting odds and exciting betting Bonus and Promos on FanDuel.

These are our top picks for each Breeders’ Cup race on the Friday card.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

This race has a lot of speed. Big Evs, the morning-line favorite, does his best work on the front end. But, he’ll have to contend with serious American speed like Crimson Advocate and No Nay Mets, both of whom are drawn inside of him and will have no choice but to go. Other speed to the favorites outside include Givemethebeatboys and Slider.

This sets up nicely for a horse who can run them down, and none looks better than Amidst Waves. Though he was nosed out in the Indian Summer, he had late trip trouble and would have won that race had he not had to alter behind traffic. He is a rallying sort, but should also get the jump on the deeper closers, something important going five furlongs on the quick Santa Anita turf. Committee of One and Shards, the first- and third-place finishers in the Indian Summer, should also be coming well late. Among the speed horses, Slider has proven he can keep going after a fight, and he has won over the local course and distance.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

If Tamara shows in the Breeders’ Cup that she is as good at two turns as she is at one turn, she will be tough to beat. The short Breeders’ Cup win price means asking questions makes sense, but she does have tactical speed. She also has the right pedigree for this: she is a daughter of Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Beholder by Bolt d’Oro, also a two-turn Grade 1 winner at age 2.

Chatalas may be the horse they have to catch: She set a pressured pace in the Chandelier (G1) last out, kept running, and won by daylight. Just F Y I has to prove that her Frizette effort wasn’t just a function of the slop, but she broke her maiden on dry dirt, and her pedigree suggests that the added distance should move her forward. Scalable is still a maiden, but she finished well for second in the Chandelier and could find the exotics in this as well.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is wide open, so why not go for a price? Even though Gala Brand came home only fourth in the Miss Grillo (G2), she beat males in the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga, and cautious trainer Bill Mott doesn’t tend to press on with a horse like this unless she is showing top form. She should be motoring late. Another who should finish well is Jessamine (G2) winner Buchu, though she showed in her maiden win that she does not have to be quite so far back to run a winning race, something that may help on the cutback to a mile. They may have to reel in Hard to Justify, the stalk-and-pounce winner of the Miss Grillo (G2).

Carla’s Way and Porta Fortuna are the class of the European contingent, though neither has yet tried a mile or longer, meaning their Breeders’ Cup odds will be short compared to what they have to prove. And, perhaps their real goals were races like the Rockfel (G2) or Cheveley Park (G1), which they won. From a price perspective, Laulne is a bit more interesting. She fits the profile of a horse who runs consistently overseas but may be better suited shifting to America for the Breeders’ Cup and beyond. She has the two-turn question to answer, but she has the pedigree for it, and the price will be worth the uncertainty.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Covering 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, this race features rising stars who may train on to race in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Haskell Stakes, Travers Stakes, or even the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the future.

Trainer Bob Baffert has an excellent record in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and he will be running on his home circuit this year. The better of his horse right now looks to be Muth, who sparkled on the stretch out to two turns in the American Pharoah (G1). However, he was well beaten behind Prince of Monaco in the Best Pal; the extra distance tips the scales in Muth’s favor. But Prince of Monaco has shown talent and tactical pace, and it would be no surprise to see him make good account.

Locked, the morning-line favorite, drew well. Given how Santa Anita tends to play he will probably have to be closer to the pace than he was in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), but his maiden win was a two-turn race in which he sat closer than he did at Keeneland. The Wine Steward has shown a lot of talent, stepping up from New York-bred ranks to miss by only half a length to Locked in the Breeders’ Futurity. He has handled rail draws before, though he has never had to do so in a field this big.

2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

Aidan O’Brien comes into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf with a strong hand. He trains morning-line favorite River Tiber, but Unquestionable looks the stronger. He missed by only a length in the Prix Jean Luc Lagardere (G1) over seven furlongs on soft going. The better ground could move him forward, and based on his breeding, the stretch to a mile should move him forward, too.

Tok Tok was only fifth in the Bourbon, but he finished well despite traffic. That is exactly the kind of maturity that’s good to see in a Breeders’ Cup contender, especially in a race with 14 horses, and the combination of blinkers-on and the race shape from his Kitten’s Joy win suggests he may be more tactical this time. Carson’s Run, winner of the Summer, is mired outside, but outer posts tend to be fine on the Santa Anita turf; he also has good tactical versatility. Endlessly drew well and won the local prep.

Bet the Breeders’ Cup Online with FanDuel

As the Breeders’ Cup draws closer, make sure to stay tuned to FanDuel TV for the latest Breeders’ Cup odds and news about all of the contenders. After all, horse racing is a game of information. The more you know, the better your bets will be. And, when it’s time to place your wagers, you can bet the Breeders’ Cup online with FanDuel!

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Looking for more horse racing betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Racing to see all of today’s horse racing odds.

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