Breeders Cup 2021 Friday Preview - The Winners Enclosure

The first race covered on Friday is the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and we are siding with Averly Jane.

Wesley Ward, who has an excellent record in this race, is renowned for training high class sprinters and this daughter of Midshipman looks yet another off the conveyor belt of talent.

She is unbeaten in four career starts to date, showing blistering speed in the process, and her victory over stablemate Kaufymaker at Keeneland the last time looks decent form.

Tyler Gaffalione will be hoping to make every yard and given her sharpness from the gate stall eight should pose no issues.

Next up is the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filles where odds on favourite Echo Zulu is likely to be popular here boasting a perfect record.

At the prices, we are happy to oppose however, as this is the first time this filly tries a two-turn track and she is also unlikely to get an easy lead with Juju’s Map on her case.

Both of those market leaders could just make this their own race and string the field right out but if they do cut each-others throats and there is a pace collapse, don’t rule out 40/1 shot Sequist, who has finished with a flourish in all of his three career starts to date.

Admittedly, this track and small field size may not suit his running style, but if they do go an extreme gallop he is one who will be running on and at 40/1 he is worth a small bet.

With a massive five places on offer we have two each way selections in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The first and shortest of the pair is Haughty for Tyler Gaffalione and Chad Brown.

This filly was disqualified at Belmont Park on her debut but she followed that up with a devastating performance at Keeneland last month and given her connections it would be no surprise if she could handle this step straight into Grade 1 company.

At a bigger price, stablemate Consumer Spending looks likely to go close under in-form pilot Flavien Prat.

Things didn’t go smoothly for this filly last time out with her meeting some trouble as she moved through the field however she still managed to produce an electric turn of foot to burst away from her rivals before being eased down in the closing stages.

That performance entitles her to plenty of respect in Graded company and she shouldn't be dismissed.

We are relying on the Champagne Stakes form in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile but not with market leader Jack Christopher.

Chad Brown's charge is the most likely winner however stall 1 could prove tricky if he wasn’t to break sharply and Todd Pletcher’s Commandperformance looks a solid each-way bet.

This son of Union Rags was finishing best when second to today’s rival that day and we may see them get closer over this extra yardage.

He knows how to pass horses and there is a chance the front end will fold.

The final race carrying us into early Saturday morning is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and we feel the Europeans will get off the mark heading into the weekend.

Modern Games, a nicely bred son of Dubawi, has been progressing race by race for Charlie Appleby and his victory in the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket last time out is a useful piece of form.

Andre Fabre’s horse in second that day had previously finished closer to Perfect Power, a horse many regard as the best juvenile in Europe, and Modern Games dealt with him much a little more ease.

A nice position on the front end can be crucial over 1m at Del Mar therefore Buick will be hoping to break sharply from stall 1 and gain a crucial advantage.

Another big price (33/1) that shouldn't be totally ruled out is Grafton Street for Mark Casse, who has all three of his horses drawn next to each other in 11, 12 & 13.

The lowest of those is our selection, a big John Magnier-owned War Front colt, who doesn't have much to find on Albahr based on their clash in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine.

That rival is 6/1 compared to 33/1 in the current market and granted a clearer passage they would have been a lot closer at the finish.

Mark Casse has been quoted to say this 2-y-o has been impressing in his work outs and Tyler Gaffalione takes the ride.