Breeders’ Cup Friday Exotics Plays

A handful of Breeders’ Cup tilts for the juveniles will highlight a superb Friday of racing at Santa Anita. There are countless attractive wagers to be made over the weekend at The Great Race Place, but I have tabbed two particular events that are of great interest to me on day one of the Championships below.

Race 5

Since my top pick in the well-matched grassy Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) is #5 Givemethebeatboys (15-1) at a big price, I feel compelled to take some swings at the vertical exotics in the affair centered around the Jessica Harrington trainee.

Conditioner George Weaver has multiple live ones in the field, including #2 No Nay Mets (4-1), who will have Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the controls. The fleet Irish-bred has dominated in each of his trio of runs on U.S. soil leading up to Friday.

Weaver’s #9 Amidst Waves (8-1) just missed against the boys in the Indian Summer S. at Keeneland last time out, and the Midshipman filly has improved her Brisnet Speed figure with each career run to date.

Aidan O’Brien’s #8 Cherry Blossom (12-1) was a respectable fourth in the Cheveley Park (G1) at Newmarket in his latest venture and will not need much improvement to make the frame in his U.S. bow with go-to pilot Ryan Moore in the controls.

Potential pace setter #4 Big Evs (3-1) and recent Group 3 heroine #3 Tiger Belle (15-1) will also be used in the lower rungs of the play.

Wagers:

• $5 exacta key box: 5 with 2,8,9 ($30)
• $1 trifecta: 5 with 2,8,9 with all ($30)
  $.20-cent superfecta: 5 with 2,8,9 with 2,3,4,8,9 with all ($21.60)

Race 6

Del Mar Debutante (G1) queen #7 Tamara (4-5) is the obvious one to beat and couldn’t have looked much better from her pair of races to date. Produced from the exquisite Beholder, the daughter of Bolt d’Oro could easily run this cast off of their proverbial feet with any kind of improvement on Friday.

I don’t believe that this field is very deep, and I will use just a pair of runners from the Todd Pletcher shedrow with the morning-line choice. #11 Life Talk (20-1) is my favorite value play on the card. The recent Frizette S. (G1) third gives the impression of a filly who will thrive trying two turns for the initial time.

And Alcibiades S. (G1) heroine #1 Candied (4-1) is 2-for-2 lifetime with a perfect draw on the rail. The Candy Ride juvenile will save ground throughout with Luis Saez in the controls.

Wagers:

• $20 exacta: 7 with 1,11 ($40)
• $4 exacta box: 1,7,11 ($24)
• $1 trifecta: 7 with 1,11 with all ($22)
• $.50-cent superfecta: 7 with 1,11 with 1,11 with all ($10)