Coral preview Friday’s Breeders’ Cup action
Published:Del Mar meeting gets underway
The Breeders’ Cup gets underway at Del Mar on Friday with four exciting Grade 1 contests.
Starting with the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at 9:25pm, the top-quality action will continue until 11:35pm where Stellar Wind is the favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The Coral News Team are on hand to guide you through all of Friday’s Breeders’ Cup action, including runners from the UK and Ireland.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (9:25pm UK Time)
Aidan O’Brien’s filly Happily has emerged as the joint-7/2 favourite alongside the American-bred Rushing Fall. The former is a dual-Group 1 winner at the Curragh, while the Chad-Brown trained Rushing Fall is two from two so far. And that includes a 3l distance win in a Grade 1 contest at Keeneland last time out.
She holds the advantage on trends too. North-American based runners have won seven of the last nine runnings of the Juvenile Fillies Turf. That’s bad news for fellow O’Brien runner September, who is 9/2, as well as John Gosden’s mount – Juliet Capulet – at 9/1. The latter will have Frankie Dettori on board and is in good form after landing the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in September.
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (10:05pm UK Time)
This is an American led-contest with 2/1 shot Mor Spirit heading Sharp Azteca at 4/1 and Accelerate at 5/1 in the betting.
It’s Mor Spirit that gets the nod after an impressive 6l distance win over the second-favourite in their last clash at Belmont Park in June. In what looks to be a tight field of runners, the Coral News Team like the look of progressive four-year-old Awesome Slew at 25/1, who can grab a place.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (10:50pm UK Time)
It’s a British and Irish battle in this one as Masar, Mendelssohn and James Garfield go to war over 1m. And despite being one of O’Brien’s second-string, it’s 4/1 shot Mendelssohn who looks most likely to come out on top. He’s an inconsistent runner, but a narrow second to US Navy Flag in the Dewhurst Stakes suggests that the son of Scat Daddy has turned a corner.
O’Brien will combine with top jockey Ryan Moore as he attempts to land this renewal for the fourth time in seven years. Competition comes from Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third place and 9/2 shot, Masar. The George Scott-trained James Garfield is 11/2 ahead of unbeaten US runner Catholic Boy at 9/1.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff (11:35pm UK Time)
If the form is anything to go by, then 5/2 chance Stellar Wind should hack up over 9f. The mare has won her last three contests, with her only defeat in her last six outings when fourth behind Beholder at Santa Anita in November 2016.
Forever Unbridled has won six black-type contests and provides the main opposition at odds of 3/1. Elate is next at the same-price before Paradise Woods and Abel Tasman at 6/1 and 7/1 respectively.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing