How to bet the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

It’s tempting to support one of the talented European raiders entered in Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland. But history suggests the home team will be formidable.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf has been contested 14 times, but only twice have Europeans taken home top honors, in 2012 and 2013. The other dozen editions of the one-mile turf test have gone the way of North American fillies.

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That may be in part because the North American fillies tend to bring speed to the table, and speed has been dangerous in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Aunt Pearl (2020) and Newspaperofrecord (2018) won in gate-to-wire fashion, Catch a Glimpse (2015) and Tapitsfly (2009) prevailed by tracking the pace from second place, and Sharing (2019), New Money Honey (2016), Lady Eli (2014), Stephanie’s Kitten (2011), and More Than Real (2010) won while racing no farther back than fifth place at the half-mile pole.

As a result, we’re going to throw our support behind the rapidly improving #9 Delight (6-1) in the 2022 Juvenile Fillies Turf. A daughter of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Mendelssohn, Delight was beaten in her first two starts, finishing third in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight during the spring at Keeneland before returning from a layoff to run third in a 1 1/16-mile event over the same class level at Saratoga.

But the third time was the charm for Delight. Favored at odds-on to win an about 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park, Delight tracked the pace from second place before taking command to beat a next-out winner by 2 1/4 lengths. Then in the 1 1/16-mile Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland, Delight led all the way and drew off powerfully down the homestretch to score by five lengths.

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Delight escaped with an easy lead in the Jessamine, but the pace of the Juvenile Fillies Turf might not be a whole lot faster. Her proven affinity for Keeneland is a positive, and racing on or near the lead should ensure she works out a clean trip. At 6-1, Delight is worth betting to win and keying on top in exotic wagers.

We’ll make our win bet a $10 variety to capitalize on the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup $10 Money Back promotion. Who wouldn’t want to receive a refund if Delight is beaten to second or third place? And we’ll make our exotic wager an exacta using Miss Grillo (G2) winner #5 Pleasant Passage (12-1) and the European raiders #7 Spirit Gal (20-1) and #10 Meditate (4-1) for second place.

• $10 to win on #9 Delight
• $5 Exacta: 9 with 5,7,10 ($15)
  Total: $25

Good luck!