The 2024 Breeders’ Cup Friday kicks off on Nov. 1 at Del Mar with Future Stars Friday, five stakes restricted to two-year-olds. The five races offer up a total $7 million in purses.
The highlight of the betting card will be the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), where the winner likely will become the early wagering favorite for the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1).
On Saturday we have nine more Breeders’ Cup races with 23 million in purses up for grabs. There is an extensive wagering menu over the two days and plenty of great betting opportunities for horse players.
Click here for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Saturday by the Numbers.
Iron News will have plenty of Breeders’ Cup news, updates, statistics, selections and more leading up to the two-day championship event.
Let’s take a quick look at Friday’s Breeders’ Cup races by the numbers:
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
The festivities kick off with the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The two-year-olds will travel five furlongs over the Del Mar turf course.
The last three winners prepped overseas including the Wesley ward trainer Twilight Gleaming ($12.40) who broke her maiden at Belmont Park and then shipped overseas. She won a listed stake at Deauville in France in her final prep.
The last two winners were won by guys named Appleby. Charlie saddled the 2022 winner Mischief Magic ($15.84) and last year Michael shipped in Big Evs who paid $8.40.
Ward has won the race three times, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard each winner, but don’t dismiss the Euro invaders.
Juvenile Turf Sprint by the Digits: (last 7 years)
Avg. Win payoff: $12.32
Avg. Exacta payoff: $129.28
Avg. Beyer Speed Figure: 87.8
Betting Favorites All time: 2 for 7
2023 Winner: Big Evs ($8.40)
$2 Exacta: $170.00 $0.50 Trifecta: $689.20
Winner final prep: Won Flying Childers (G2)
Runner up: Valiant Force (23-1)
Runner up final prep: 5th Prix Morny (G1)
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
The home team has had a tough go in this race, U.S. based runners winning just five times while the Euro invaders have taken 12 including the last three.
The last two winners of this race made their final prep in France. Last year’s victor Unquestionable ($5.00) ran second in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagaedere (G1) and the 2022 winner Victoria Road ($13.14) won the Group 3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly.
Trainer Aiden O’Brien saddled the last two winners and has won this race a record six times. Ockey Ryan Moore has ridden all six.
The last U.S. based winner was the Mike Maker trained Fire At Will at Keeneland in 2020. The colt lit up the toteboard paying $62.40. The colt came into the race off a gate to wire score in the Pilgrim (G2) at Belmont Park. The Pilgrim has produced three winners of this race.
Juvenile Turf by the Digits: (last 12 years)
Avg. Win payoff: $17.63
Avg. Exacta payoff: $165.20
Avg. Beyer Speed Figure: 85.7
Betting Favorites All time: 3 for 17
2023 Winner: Unquestionable ($5.00)
$2 Exacta: $76.60 $0.50 Trifecta: $101.85
Winner final prep: 2nd Jean-Luc Lagardere-G1
Runner up: Mountain Bear (22-1)
Runner up final prep: Won Star Appeal S.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
While the Euros dominate the Juvenile Turf, the U.S. based barns fare much better in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, winning 13 of the 16 editions.
That is mostly thanks to trainer Chad Brown, who has won the Juvenile Fillies Turf six times. He saddled last year’s winner Hard to Justify, who pulled off the upset at 9-1.
Hard to Justify become the sixth winner of the race to prep in the Ms Grillo.
Aiden O’Brien has shipped in 17 runners for this race but has won just once, with Mediate ($6.08) in 2022, Moore with the ride.
While the Euros have won just three times, they often round out the exotics. Overseas invaders have completed the exacta seven times and have run third four times.
Juvenile Fillies Turf by the Digits: (last 12 years)
Avg. Win payoff: $14.44
Avg. Exacta payoff: $143.18
Avg. Beyer Speed Figure: 87
Betting Favorites All time: 4 for 16
2023 Winner: Hard to Justify ($20.20)
$2 Exacta: $108.40 $0.50 Trifecta: $102.75
Winner final prep: Won Ms. Grillo (G2)
Runner up: Porta Fortuna (7-2)
Runner up final prep: Won Cheverly Park (G1)
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
This race used to be one of the most chalk friendly. The favorite won seven years in a row from 2002 to 2008, and again in 2010 and 2011. However, since then in the past dozen years the betting favorite has won just twice.
Just F Y I pulled off a minor upset last year returning $16.00 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott after breaking from the 12 post. She became the 15th filly to use the Frizette (G1) as a final prep.
Echo Zulu also used the Frizette when she won this race here at Del Mar in 2021, returning $3.60 as the heavy favorite. She was the fifth in the last 12 winners to wire the field.
No Breeders’ Cup race has seen more favorites win overall, with 19 favorites winning in the 40 running’s of the race. The betting favorite has run in the top three spot 29 times.
Juvenile Fillies by the Digits: (last 12 years)
Avg. Win payoff: $31.75
Avg. Exacta payoff: $341.64
Avg. Beyer Speed Figure: 86.2
Betting Favorites All time: 19 for 40
2023 Winner: Just F Y I ($16.00)
$2 Exacta: $202.40 $0.50 Trifecta: $200.55
Winner final prep: Won Frizette (G1)
Runner up: Jody’s Pride (17-1)
Runner up final prep: Won Matron
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Last year Fierceness came into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile off a dud, a seventh-place finish in the Champagne (G1). He bounced back and his backers were rewarded with a $35 payoff for a $2 wager. He is trained by Todd Pletcher and is headed to the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year.
Four of the previous five winners of the race came into the Juvenile off victories. Pletcher saddled the 2022 winner Forte ($12.04) who came into the race off a game win by a neck in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Speed horses have fared well recently, with six of the last 13 winners taking the field gate to wire. Among those was the 2021 winner at Del Mar, Bob Baffert trained Corniche ($4.80).
The betting favorite has fared pretty well in this race, at least being competitive, taking 13 of the 40 editions with eight more running second and six landing third.
The three key races to look for contenders are the American Pharoah, Breeders’ Futurity and the Champagne.
Juvenile by the Digits: (last 12 years)
Avg. Win payoff: $21.98
Avg. Exacta payoff: $219.62
Avg. Beyer Speed Figure: 94.6
Betting Favorites All time: 13 for 40
2023 Winner: Fierceness ($35.00)
$2 Exacta: $202.60 $0.50 Trifecta: $171.80
Winner final prep: 7th Champagne (G1)
Runner up: Muth (5-2)
Runner up final prep: Won American Pharoah (G1)
Check out the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Betting Trends.
