Breeders' Cup 2022 Entries: Lineup Odds and Predictions for Friday Races
The 2022 Breeders' Cup kicks off on Friday with a five-race lineup that serves as the prelude to Saturday's Classic race and a preview of the next generation of stars in the sport.
Friday is all about the two-year-olds, and there are plenty of opportunities to make an impression. With $7 million in prize money distributed between the five races, this is the biggest race day on the calendar for those who are connected to soon-to-be three-year-olds.
The Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies races should draw special attention. There's a $2 million purse, and the dirt track usually attracts the top talents in the age group.
As we prepare for one of the most lucrative weekends in American horse racing, here's Friday's schedule and a closer look at the two biggest races of the day.
Breeders' Cup 2022 Friday Schedule, Odds and Predictions
3 p.m.: Juvenile Turf Sprint ($1,000,000), Love Reigns (4-1)
3:40 p.m.: Juvenile Fillies ($2,000,00), Wonder Wheel (5-1)
4:20 p.m.: Juvenile Fillies Turf ($1,000,00), Xigera (8-1)
5 p.m.: Juvenile ($2,000,000), Cave Rock (4-5)
5:40 p.m.: Juvenile Turf ($1,000,000), Silver Knott (3-1)
Post times are all ET, purse info via Breeders' Cup website. Complete odds can also be found on the Breeders' Cup website.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Preview and Prediction
Just like the Juvenile, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly showcase will take place on a dirt track of 1 1/16-miles.
The field is highlighted by Todd Pletcher-trainee Chocolate Gelato who is coming off an impressive Grade 1 win in the Frizette Stakes after placing third and first in Maiden Special Weight races in Saratoga, New York.
While there's no doubt she has the speed to outrun anyone in the field, it's still fair to question whether she has the endurance for the race. She had to battle to stave off You're My Girl in the Frizette and looked better at the shorter distance of the Maiden Special Weight.
Chop Chop also has to be a consideration after finishing second in her first dirt track race in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes in Keeneland, Kentucky. She finished just behind ultimate winner Wonder Wheel, proving she has the chops to make the 1 1/16-mile trek around the course with enough energy to close out against the leader this time.
But Wonder Wheel is still the pick here. She's proved to have the speed and endurance to win on a dirt track of this distance. Not only did she beat Chop Chop in that race, but she outran Xigera as well.
Wonder Wheel has reportedly looked fast in workouts at Keeneland. Her comfort with the track and her talent should be enough to pick up a big win for her connections.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Preview and Prediction
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is the key race on Friday for those who are interested in the Triple Crown chase every year. The two-year-old championship race gives a little preview of what horses could be capable of success in the American Classics next year.
If the odds are to be believed, Bob Baffert-trained Cave Rock is the horse to beat.
The talented horse won all three of his starts and has posted an Equibase speed figure of over 100 in two of those wins. The California horse has won three of his three starts on the West Coast, now he's been shipped to Kentucky in hopes of keeping things rolling in the $2 million race.
Cave Rock will break from the third post and will see one of his biggest challengers right out of the gate in Forte, who holds 4-1 odds.
Forte is coming off two wins in Grade 1 Stakes races. Just under a month ago, he claimed a win in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in Keeneland across the same distance he'll navigate on Friday.
Trainer Todd Pletcher believes the race has adequately prepared his horse for this spot.
"I certainly think it doesn't hurt getting a two-turn experience and going over the same surface as they are going to run the Breeders' Cup on," Pletcher said, per Bob Ehalt of Blood Horse. "It could be an advantage. Hopefully, that will be in his favor because he has a super tough competitor in Cave Rock. He's been outstanding in his races."
Other horses to consider here are Blazing Sevens, who comes in as the third choice on the betting line and has a win at the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes to his name.
A longshot worth considering is Verifying, who actually finished just behind Blazing Sevens in the Champagne but has only been raced twice. It's not unbelievable that we could see him make a big jump as he continues to gain experience.