How to bet the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Among the 14 Breeders’ Cup races taking place at Del Mar on Friday and Saturday, one of the trickiest to handicap is the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and not because the field is difficult to decipher.

To the contrary, just six horses have been entered in the 1 1/16-mile event for two-year-old fillies. The tricky part will be making a meaningful profit betting the race, because on paper, the favorites appear formidable.

Take #6 Echo Zulu (4-5) as an example. The daughter of Gun Runner is an odds-on favorite for a reason: she’s sensational. The Steve Asmussen trainee has won her first three starts by a combined 16 3/4 lengths, including a four-length romp in the Spinaway S. (G1) and a blowout 7 1/4-length score in the Frizette S. (G1).

Echo Zulu owns the three fastest Brisnet Speed ratings in the Juvenile Fillies field. She’s the purest front runner in the entries and figures to secure the early advantage under hot jockey Joel Rosario. She’s bred to stretch out over 1 1/16 miles. And—oh yes—the Frizette has produced five Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winners since 2011. What’s not to like about Echo Zulu? On paper, she looms as the most likely winner of the entire Breeders’ Cup.

There won’t be much value in betting Echo Zulu to win, but if we key her on top of exotic wagers like the trifecta and superfecta, perhaps we can catch a bigger score. But we’ll have to keep our tickets narrow, because there’s a strong chance the minor awards will produce chalky results.

For second place, we’ll count on #5 Juju’s Map (5-2). The flashy Brad Cox trainee chased a fast pace to win the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades S. (G1) at Keeneland by 4 1/4 lengths. She enters as the second-fastest filly on paper and might just follow Echo Zulu all the way around Del Mar to secure runner-up honors.

Undefeated Pocahontas S. (G3) winner #2 Hidden Connection (5-2) is a logical choice to complete the trifecta, though the Pocahontas did unfold at a slow pace favorable to Hidden Connection’s pace-tracking style. If Hidden Connection gets caught up in a quicker pace on Friday, it’s possible a late runner like Spinaway runner-up #4 Tarabi (12-1) or Chandelier S. (G2) third-place finisher #1 Desert Dawn (20-1) can come running to snatch third place.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies:

• $16 Trifecta: 6 with 5 with 2
• $8 Trifecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4 ($16)
• $6 Superfecta: 6 with 5 with 2 with 1,4 ($12)
• $3 Superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4 with 2 ($6)
• Total: $50

Good luck!

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The video below contains all available race replays for Breeders' Cup contenders' last racing effort, for your handicapping ease. TwinSpires has your back!

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