Breeders’ Cup Friday: Fields, posts, riders for 2-year-old races

Ted Noffey already has been made the Kentucky Derby 2026 futures favorite in Las Vegas and was the top choice on the morning line for the Churchill Downs national pari-mutuel wager this week. But before all that, he is expected to carry the shortest price Friday in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the feature at Del Mar on the first day of the annual championships.

The colt whose name is a spoonerized version of Spendthrift Farm boss Ned Toffey drew outermost Monday into his eight-horse field. Entries for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races were taken, when the pill pull took place in the Del Mar paddock.

Breeders’ Cup Saturday: Fields for 9 championship races.

All five Breeders’ Cup races Friday feature 2-year-olds. They are listed in the order they will be run with best Horse Racing Nation speed figures in parentheses.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, 5 furlongs, turf, 2-year-olds, 5:45 p.m. EDT

True Love, who won the Cheveley Park (G1) on Sept. 27 at Newmarket, England, opens the Coolmore parade for trainer Aidan O’Brien. The No Nay Never filly brings a record of 6: 3-3-0 from Europe as O’Brien tries to get his 21st Breeders’ Cup win and break his tie with the late D. Wayne Lukas for career record.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, 1 1/16 mile, 2-year-old fillies, 6:25 p.m. EDT

Bottle of Rouge, a Vino Rosso filly, and Explora, a Blame filly, finished one-two in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) for trainer Bob Baffert. They may end up that way at the top of the betting for this rematch over the same course. Baffert’s 19 wins are tied with Chad Brown for third on the Breeders’ Cup trainers’ list.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, 1 mile, turf, 2-year-old fillies, 7:05 p.m. EDT

Precise, who has won four in a row for O’Brien, figures to be the heavy favorite. The Starspangledbanner filly paired Group 1 wins last month in the seven-furlong Moyglare Stud and the Fillies’ Mile.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, 1 1/16 miles, 2-year-olds, 7:45 p.m. EDT

Todd Pletcher trains Ned Toffey, who has roared out of his stable to win all three of his races. He won his debut and the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga and then the Oct. 4 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) around two turns going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, 1 mile, turf, 2-year-olds, 8:25 p.m. EDT

Even if O’Brien does not sweep the Friday turf championships, he might have the favorite in all three. Gstaad, also by Starspangledbanner, is a colt who has finished second in three straight races, most recently Oct. 11 in the seven-furlong Dewhurst (G1). He stretches to a mile for the first time.