BC Juvenile Video Picks

The 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile features a 10-horse field after the defection of Ecoro Neo. Locked is the tepid 7-2 morning line favorite and is one of four Grade 1 winners in the field. This article includes BC Juvenile video picks.

Locked is one of the more likely winners of this race. The Gun Runner colt showed nice late interest after an uncomfortable start in his sprint bow. He got more ground and a better start at one mile on Sept. 1, and he pressed the pace and dusted next-out winner Drum Roll Please. In the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 7, he raced wide throughout from the outside post and gamely wore down inside stalker The Wine Steward. Todd Pletcher won this race in 2022 with Breeders’ Futurity hero Forte. 

Muth is a $2 million Good Magic colt and his sire won the BC Juvenile in 2017. He romped in his sprint bow and was too eager chasing strong fractions second time out. He stretched out in the Grade 1 American Pharaoh and everyone was wondering if he could ration his 21 and change speed. The answer was a resounding yes. He stalked kindly from an inner post, took over, and kicked away from his front running stablemate Wine Me Up. His dam sire Uncle Mo also won this race, and he could easily become Bob Baffert’s sixth winner of the BC Juvenile.  

Prince of Monaco has done nothing wrong for Bob Baffert. The $950k Speightstown colt dueled early and won for fun in his Los Al bow. He sat behind strong fractions and went right on by his stablemate Muth in the Grade 3 Best Pal, and he clicked right back in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Most of the recent winners of this race had two turn experience so he has that to overcome, but he is clearly talented enough to win this.

Timberlake is the final Grade 1 winner in this race. The $340k Into Mischief colt broke slow and flopped as the chalk in his bow and that was a productive race. He added blinkers and crushed a pair of next-out winners second time out. I made him my top choice in the Grade 1 Hopeful, and the pace was strong and he was running up on heels, and he had to settle for the place behind shocking late runner Nutella Fella. He was almost 5-1 in the Grade 1 Champagne on Oct. 7, and he removed blinkers, rated behind the pace, and pulled well clear to score by 4 1/4 lengths in the slop. He has yet to go two turns but sure acts like he will handle added ground.  

The 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is a Kentucky Derby 2024 points race, and it is the 8th race at Santa Anita Park on Friday, November 3, 2023. 

BC Juvenile Video Picks