Breeders’ Cup 2012: Juvenile Fillies preview

Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
1 1/16 Miles, Dirt
Two-year-olds
$2,000,000

Day: Friday, Nov. 2^nd
Post Time: 3:08pm Pacific
TV: NBCSN

If we’re taking bets on which horse is most likely to be the heaviest favorite at the 2012 Breeders’ Cup, Executiveprivilege might be the leader in the clubhouse. A winner of all five of her career starts, Executiveprivilege steamrolled the field in the G1-Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita by six lengths in her last start. She went to the lead that day at Santa Anita but she’s rated off the pace in prior races and appears to be versatile enough to sit behind a speed duel if one develops. She’s listed at a generous 2/1 on the morning line but it’s highly likely that Executiveprivilege odds will get pounded by the crowd on Friday afternoon.

Dreaming of Julia ships in from New York and is also sporting a perfect record (3-for-3). She won her first two races by a combined 26 ¾ lengths, but had to dig down for every ounce of energy she had to win the G1-Frizette at Belmont in her last start. While she was game to hold on for the win you’ve got to wonder if that race may have taken a bit too much out of her heading into the Breeders’ Cup.

The speed of the speed of the speed in the Juvenile Fillies is the rail filly, Beholder. A winner by 11 lengths in her last start at Santa Anita, Beholder will be stretching out to two-turns for the first time in her career in this race. Her sire is Henny Hughes, a pure sprinter during his career, and her dam, Leslie’s Lady, was also limited to success in one-turn races. Beholder is the best bet to get the lead in this race but her pedigree suggests she won’t be able to hold on to it all the way around the track.

It’s never fun to land on the chalk in any Breeders’ Cup race but Executiveprivilege appears to be the clear choice in this year’s Juvenile Fillies.

Spring in the Air is an enticing long shot play at morning line odds of 15/1. She’s never raced over a dirt surface but her off-the-pace running style should play well in a race that appears to have plenty of speed to spare. If she can handle the dirt (and that’s a big “if”), she might be able to make a big late run at the leaders in the final furlongs. Two of her three siblings won on the dirt so at least there is some family history to suggest that she’ll handle the surface change.

2-Executiveprivilege (2/1)
3-Spring in the Air (15/1)
5-Dreaming of Julia (5/2)