Breeders Cup Day 1 Preview & Tips
The Breeders Cup 2025 gets underway on Friday at Del Mar, featuring some of the worlds best juveniles and turf horses. Day 1 often sets the scene for the weekend and can have larger fields that offer good betting opportunities, and this year is no different. Here is the breakdown for the best races and the best tips.
Juvenile Turf Sprint (5f)
16 horses line up for this years Juvenile Turf Sprint and top of the market is TRUE LOVE. She looks hard to oppose having never been out of the top 2 in all of her runs. She won the Cheveley Park Stakes last out with some left in hand and so comes here top rated. She is currently favourite for the race at 7/2 and is positioned well in stall 9.
A good e/w angle could be for SCHWARZENEGGER who cost $950,000 and is an exciting 2 yr old colt. He will be carrying more than girls here but only 3lb more. Stall 11 may be tricky for him but he is mighty fast and the trainer holds him in very high regard. Trainer too his time with him to make sure his first 2 races suited him and had withdrew him from a few previous races. He ran a good 2nd on debut and was then impressive on his latest outing. Looks to be one of the fastest horses in the world and could be great value at 7/1.
TIP: TRUE LOVE win @ 7/2. Decent draw, highest rated and nice improver.
SCHWARZENEGGER e/w @ 7/1. Lightly raced and looks very quick, could definitely get a place.
Juvenile Fillies (1m 1/2f)
A smaller field here with the 9 runners but does look like a 3 horse race on paper. TOMMY JO, EXPLORA and BOTTLE OF ROUGE look like the ones that will be battling it out. There is likely to be a fast pace on which may suit most of these and makes it hard to separate them.
TOMMY JO was beaten across the line when 4/9f last time out but did get awarded the win in the stewards room. She did not look convincing that day and that the step up to 1m+ did not suit and so others may be better suited to this trip.
EXPLORA was also turned over on her penultimate start at 3/5f (see in image). She was beaten by BOTTLE OF ROUGE who she faces again here.
Since that run EXPLORA had a run at this distance over at Santa Anita where she won convincingly and so is in better form coming here.
BOTTLE OF ROUGE has won both here starts after here 2nd on debut. She has improved on every start and has looked better upped in trip every run. The fast pace should suit her as she looks like the best stayer here. Stall 2 is also a big positive as she can get handy early on and be in a good position.
TIP: BOTTLE OF ROUGE win @ 4/1
Juvenile Fillies Turf
This is always a tricky race and one that the jockeys need some look in as there is never lots of space or gaps. The pick for this race is PRECISE who has gone from strength to strength since her 2nd on debut where she has been faultless since. She won the Fillies Mile most recently in good style.
Trainer Aiden O’Brien seems happy as he stated ‘Precise seems very well and everything has gone well with her since she arrived. She looks brilliant and she’s just very classy. She relaxes, stays and handles fast ground. She seems to have it all, but her draw has added a whole new dimension so it will be interesting.’ (Racing Post)
Others that may be of some value are both IMAGINATIONTHELADY and ULTIMATE LOVE who are both unbeaten and come here in good order with two great jockeys of John Velazquez and Frankie Dettori to do the steering.
TIP: PRECISE @ 6/5. Has the best CV and is only improving and could improve even further. Only worry would be the stall 13 and she’s had a tough season but if anywhere near her best then she wins.
IMAGINATIONTHELADY + ULTIMATE LOVE e/w at 12/1 and 20/1 could both definitely improve even more and hold their unbeaten records from 2 very good draws.
Breeders Cup Juvenile(1m 1/2f)
A small field for this years Juvenile race with just 7 runners but there is a lot of quality here. The two most exciting here are TED NOFFEY and BRANT who are both unbeaten and have won all their races very impressively.
TED NOFFEY comes off his Futurity win and has looked good in work since that day, has to be respected. He has the widest draw and so may find it difficult if he doesn’t break out the gates well. However, in both his last two starts where he’s been mighty impressive, he has had to come out of the widest draw and had no trouble. TED NOFFEY has also ran over this distance which is something BRANT has not done yet. Definitely the one to beat.
BRANT is drawn on the inside of TED NOFFEY which could help him. He got the best of Desert Gate last time out, however, it’s hard to be super confident that the 1m+ route will suit him. He has a lot of raw talent but he could be found out here by TED NOFFEY who looks huge for a 2yr old and seems like this distance may suit him better.
TIP: TED NOFFEY win @ 1/1
JUVENILE TURF (1m)
14 runners for this years renewal is nice to see and makes it all the more competitive. Rightfully so, GSTAAD is at the front of the market at a skinny 11/8 considering he is drawn as wide as possible at 14th.
He has had some trouble and been unlucky recently and we may not have seen the best of this horse and he could be far too good. He takes some time to really hit top gear and so the 1m should actually get the best out of him.
He is physically amazing for a 2yr old colt and could be too powerful here, but will need to break well from that less than advantageous draw.
One of value could be STREET BEAST who moved up to 1m last time out and won by 7 lengths! He is drawn stall 2 which is very handy and will like conditions of the race. He is currently 16/1 and although hasn’t beaten anything of note, he looks quite smart. Definitely has a chance and can run into the extra places that are available for this race.
TIP: GSTAAD to win @ 11/8. Has all the form and 1m could get best out of him.
STREET BEAST e/w at 16/1 (4 places available at bet365). Looks like step up to 1m was a great choice and could put up another great run.
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