We asked our experts to handicap the Breeders’ Cup races. Here’s what they came up with:

[table id=105 /]

Consensus Picks

Juvenile Turf

  1. Luck of the Kitten — Homebred speedster will likely try to take them all the way for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
  2. Startup Nation — G2 With Anticipation winner — defeating International Star, among today’s rivals — will hope for a lively pace to close into.
  3. Imperia — Avenged tough-trip debut second with good-looking G3 Pilgrim score but is another who’ll need pace assistance.

Of note: Our ‘cappers are tossing the major European shippers and ignoring the favorite, Wesley Ward trainee Hootenanny, who is G1-placed in France.

Dirt Mile

  1. Fed Biz — Gave Classic chalk Shared Belief, who is undefeated, everything he wanted in near-miss second in G1 Awesome Again, shortens up to a distance where he’s three-for-six.
  2. Goldencents — As he did last year, defending champ prepped for this with good second in six furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship, but 6-5 odds not too enticing.
  3. Vicar’s in Trouble — Last-place finisher from ’14 Kentucky Derby owns four career wins — none outside of Louisiana — and regular pilot Rosie Napravnik jumps ship.

Of note: In the year of three-year-olds, just two — Vicar’s in Trouble and Tapiture — are here… Chilean invader Bronzo has won 11 of 19 career races, most recently against G1 and G2 company.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

  1. Isabella Sings — Swept to the lead over yielding ground in the G2 Natalma at Woodbine but just failed and settled for second.  Not every day you get a Pletcher trainee at 12-1.
  2. Qualify — Irish invader trained by Aidan O’Brien has a G3 win to her credit but must overcome extreme outside post.
  3. Rainha Da Bateria — Needs a pace to run at, but G3 winner trained by Graham Motion could be a handful late if she gets one.

Of note: Qualify is one of three Irish-bred runners here.  Wesley Ward’s Sunset Glow is the lukewarm 7-2 morning line fave.

Distaff

  1. Untapable — Favorite’s only defeat in ’14 came against the boys in the G1 Haskell; she owns three G1 wins this year but has yet to face her elders.
  2. Don’t Tell Sophia — Winner of four of her last five found Grade 1 glory in the Spinster last out at today’s distance.
  3. Belle Gallantey — $35k claim last December posted two front-running G1 scores this year, most recently by eight in the Beldame.

Of note: Three three-year-olds are in the field, as is last year’s runner-up, Close Hatches.