Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf 2023: Ranking from 1st to last

The 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf might be the most wide-open event of the weekend at Santa Anita. It would not be a surprise to see the favorite go off at odds of 4-1 or higher.

Two of the five Europeans pre-entered, Johannes Brahms and Legend of Time, have been withdrawn, weakening Europe's chance of winning this race for a third year in a row. Despite the reduction, I still feel Aidan O'Brien will get the job done with his classy colt Unquestionable.

Below I analyze the entire field for this year's Juvenile Turf from first to last.

1. Unquestionable. He fits this race like a glove. He is proven going seven furlongs and ran well around a turn. He has more than held his own against elite competition. Throw out his debut on soft ground and his fourth in the Phoenix Stakes (G1) when losing a shoe, and his form really sparkles.

2. Carson's Run. His speed figures have risen steadily in three starts, and he will be a major threat to win this race if he continues his rising patten. Christophe Clement's colt was visually impressive when taking the Summer Stakes (G1) last out despite going extremely wide. 

3. My Boy Prince. The speed of this race could get brave on the front end if he is unchallenged. He is a quality colt who has an experience edge over most of his rivals. It is possible the the shoe repair he had before the Summer Stakes (G1) played a part in his defeat when facing Carson's Run.

4. River Tiber. His European form puts him squarely in the mix as he already has captured a Group 2 and placed in two Group 1's. Class is not the question, but distance is. He has never gone beyond six furlongs and has never gone around a turn. If he can handle the new obstacles, he could be a tough customer.

5. Noted. This colt has run well on the turf, but it is interesting that his best race thus far has come on dirt. Todd Pletcher seems convinced he is better on turf, and he is bred to have success over the surface. His win on the dirt did come going a mile and if the distance is the key, he could take a step forward.

6. Agate Road. Pletcher's other runner closed stoutly to win the Pilgrim Stakes (G2). The worry for this colt is his style. There is not much expected early speed in here to help set things up for this big closer, and things will have to break just right for him to avoid trouble.

7. Tok Tok. He would have to show massive improvement based on numbers to win, but I encourage handicappers to watch his last race. He encountered a terrible trip and might have been best in the Bourbon (G2). This colt will be huge odds and might be worth including underneath in exotic wagering.

8. Endlessly. He has been impressive, but I do not think much has finished behind him in the local preps. West Coast turf runners have fared poorly in juvenile turf races, and it is hard to trust local runners in this race no matter how good of form they are in.

9. Fulmineo. The son of Bolt d'Oro ran a decent second in the Pilgrim Stakes (G2) but was no match for Agate Road. Even if he was to turn the tables on that rival, others look more appealing.

10. Mountain Bear. He appears to be the weakest of O'Brien's three entrants. This colt was unable to compete with the second tier of Europeans and had to switch over to Dundalk's synthetic surface to pick up his first stakes win.

11. Stay Hot. He was sharp when breaking his maiden last out, but the step up straight from the maiden ranks to the Breeders' Cup likely will be too much for this runner to handle at this stage of his career.

12. Can Group. This colt is undefeated in two starts on the turf. But his win in the Bourbon was slow, and multiple runners experienced rough trips behind him. It is fair to question if he is even the best horse coming out of the race.

13. Grand Mo the First. The Florida product could manage only a third when shipped to Santa Anita for the Zuma Beach (G3), which historically has been a very poor prep for this race.

14. Air Recruit. The Laurel Futurity was a painfully slow prep, and this colt would have to improve significantly to make noise while taking a big class jump.