Breeders' Cup Championship: All Bets Are Off Friday, Upsets Possible

Churchill Downs is upon us this weekend as the Breeder's Cup Classic highlights 15 total Breeders' Cup Championship races. The $5 million Breeders' Classic pits the filly Havre de Grace against last year's 2-year-old champion Uncle Mo and many other horses that could upset.

Six of the 15 races will be on Friday, beginning with the fifth race on the card - the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint.

Here's part one of a two-part Breeder's Cup installment that covers the first set of Breeder's Cup races on Friday:

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint

1. Seeker - 4/1

2. Sum of the Parts - 15/1

3. Blacky the Bull - 20/1

4. Trinniberg - 9/2

5. Shumoos - 15/1

6. Secret Circle - 6/5 (morning-line favorite)

7. Holdin Bullets - 15/1

8. Jake Mo - 20/1

9. Vexor - 5/1

Secret Circle has two straight wins by a combined 12 ½ lengths. Vexor, Trinniberg and Seeker finished one-two-three in the Nashua Stakes on Oct. 2, so look for them to be in contention with Secret Circle.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

1. My Gi Gi - 20/1

2. Dayatthespa - 12/1

3. Up - 20/1

4. Stopshoppingmaria - 8/1

5. Stephanie's Kitten - 12/1

6. Sweet Cat - 10/1

7. Royal Bonnie - 30/1

8. Hard Not to Like - 15/1

9. Pure Gossip - 12/1

10. Elusive Kate - 2/1 (morning-line favorite)

11. Anne of the Dance - 30/1

12. Dear Lavinia - 30/1

13. Customer Base - 12/1

14. Samoli Lemonade - 3/1

This event is filled with so many longshots that an upset might be no surprise here. However, expect either Elusive Kate or Somali Lemonade, who both have lost just one race between them, to win.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

1. Irish Gypsy - 20/1

2. Great Hot - 20/1

3. Turbulent Descent - 6/5 (morning-line favorite)

4. Champagne d'Oro - 30/1

5. Musical Romance - 20/1

6. Switch - 3/1

7. Tar Heel Mom - 12/1

8. Tanda - 20/1

9. Golden Mystery - 20/1

10. Tamarind Hall - 20/1

11. Her Smile - 15/1

12. Pomeroys Pistol - 6/1

13. Shotgun Gulch - 30/1

Turbulent Descent is 3-for-3 at seven furlongs and won easily in the G1 test at Saratoga in August. Switch, last year's runner-up to this race, will fight for the top spot and may redeem. Tanda, even at 20-1, has a good shot, too. She, like Switch, finished in the money in her last four starts and has one winner's circle appearance. Trainer Mike Mitchell even prepped her for this race in a downhill turf sprint at Santa Anita.

The Juvenile Fillies

1. Questing - 20/1

2. Candrea - 6/1

3. Rocket Twentyone - 20/1

4. Miss Netta - 15/1

5. Grace Hall - 4/1

6. Self Preservation - 15/1

7. Putthebabiesdown - 30/1

8. Homecoming Queen - 15/1

9. My Miss Aurelia - 5/2 (morning-line favorite)

10.Northern Passion - 12/1

11.Weemissfrankie - 4/1

12. Frolic's Revenge - 30/1

13. Say a Novena- 30/1

14. Awesome Belle - 20/1

The Juvenile Fillies is another wide-open race, but here too the favorites should have the edge. Weemissfrankie, Grace Hall and the favorite, My Miss Aurelia, are all undefeated. Could there be a one-two-three finish among them?

The Filly and Mare Turf

1. Dubawi Heights - 8/1

2. Stacelita - 4/1 (morning-line favorite)

3. Harmonious - 30/1

4. Cambina - 30/1

5. Nahrain - 6/1

6. Announce - 9/2

7. Aruna - 6/1

8. Perfect Shirl - 30/1

9. Shared Account - 30/1

10. Distorted Legacy - 30/1

11. Dynaslew - 30/1

12. Misty For Me - 12/1

Stacelita will more than likely win after back-to-back victories in the Flower Bowl and Beverly D. But a pair of undefeated, foreign fillies, Nahrain and Announce, will challenge Stacelita. Look out for Dubawi Heights, though. She has lost only once this year, a second-place finish to none other than the favorite, Stacelita, on turf at Arlington Park.

Ladies' Classic

1. Miss Match at 10/1

2. Pachattack at 12/1

3. It's Tricky at 5/1

4. Satan's Quick Chick at 30/1

5. Ask the Moon at 6/1

6. Royal Delta at 5/2

7. Ultra Blend at 8/1

8. Plum Pretty at 2/1 (morning-line favorite)

9. Medaglia d'Amour at 30/1 scr'd with fever

10. Super Espresso at 20/1

Havre de Grace is running in the Classic so there isn't a single standout in the field. Looks like Plum Pretty did enough to be convincing: she had first-place finishes in the G2 Cotillion Stakes at Parx on Oct. 1 and the G1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 6. The next best pick would be Ultra Blend, who has been ultra-consistent with six straight first or second-place finishes.