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At Santa Anita with the beautiful views where the babies will have a big day out on Friday.
The five Grade 1 races are for the 2yos with a strong foreign representation in those run on turf. The first of the graded races is the Juvenile Turf Sprint over 1000m with a full field of 12 and 3 emergencies. Big Evs is Mick Appleby's first BC runner and Tom Marquand's first time at Santa Anita with Marquand reporting that the horse is feeling great and allowing for the fact that he will have to run really well to win feels that he is capable of this. The son of Blue Point is on top both in the US and the UK at 3/1. American trainer George Weaver has 3 runners in the race and two of them follow – No Nay Mets on 9/2 with Irad Ortiz riding and Crimson Advocate 5/1 with John Velazquez on board. We are thinking to add Aidan O'Brien's Cherry Blossom here at 9/1.
The Juvenile Fillies over 1700m has 13 runners (as its on the dirt track) with Mandella's Tamara the odds-on favourite followed by Pletcher's daughter of Candy Ride Candied and the cleverly named Just FYI a daughter of Justify on 10/1. All three have won their two starts to date.
The Juvenile Fillies Turf Mile has 14 runners and two emergencies with the Crisfords Carla's Way on 3/1. We have a soft spot for Porta Fortuna who is by Caraveggio and having just seen a film about the original Caraveggio we may well go for the 9/2. She Feels Pretty 6/1 and Content 7/1 for O'Brien-Moore are also fancied.
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is over 1700m for the c&g with 11 runners. In he UK markets three horses share the top 7/2 quote which means it is a very open race. Those three are Pletcher's Gun Runner colt Locked with Irad Ortiz riding, Baffert's Good Magic colt Muth with J J Hernandez on board and Cox's Into Mischief colt Timberlake with Geroux riding.
Prince of Monaco is on 4/1 for Baffert. He's by Speightstown and will have Prat in the irons.
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf over the 1600m is also for c&g and there is a full field of 14 with 4 emergencies. The Europeans would appear to have the edge here with two Wooton Basset colts from Aidan O'Brien's yard – Unquestionable with Dettori up and 9/4 and River Tiber 5/2 with Moore on board. Pletcher's Agate Road, by Quality Road, looks to be the best of the Europeans.
