Andrew Beyer and Brad Free discuss their best bets for this year's Breeders' Cup in this year's Breeders' Cup Webinar.

ARCADIA, Calif. — Two top-tier rivals had Hard to Justify under pressure in the stretch of Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. As quickly as Hard to Justify appeared in jeopardy of losing her lead, she was able to sustain her narrow advantage.

Hard to Justify, always close to the pace through the mile, repelled challenges from She Feels Pretty and Porta Fortuna to remain unbeaten after three starts.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The 2-year-old colt Stay Hot has made three starts during his short career. He lost two dirt sprints, then won a turf-route maiden here at Santa Anita on Oct. 7. He’ll be a longshot Friday in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and that might be a good thing since Peter Eurton trains Stay Hot. 

Eurton has two Breeders’ Cup wins. In the 2016 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, Champagne Room captured the Juvenile Fillies at 33-1. In the 2019 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, Eurton won the Juvenile with Storm the Court, who was 45-1. 

ARCADIA, Calif. - There aren’t too many mountains in American racing that Bob Baffert hasn’t climbed. There’s one peak, however, he barely has bothered to begin scaling. Baffert has won 18 Breeders’ Cup races, none on turf.  

Not a surprise, in the end, as his barn revolves around dirt horses generally and Classic horses particularly. From 137 Breeders’ Cup starters, Baffert has run four on grass: Speed Boat Beach was ninth last year in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Baffert’s first Breeders’ Cup turf runner since Much Better ran 14th in the Juvenile Turf.  

ARCADIA, Calif. - Led by defending Breeders’ Cup race winners Cody’s Wish and Elite Power, trainer Bill Mott put five of his seven Breeders’ Cup runners through their final workouts Sunday at Santa Anita.

Cody’s Wish, working for a repeat bid in the $1 million Dirt Mile, put in his final tuneup, breezing a half-mile in 47.31 seconds after the 9 a.m. renovation break.

Cody’s Wish punctuated the work by galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.13 and six furlongs in 1:13.78.

“Smooth as glass, on the bridle,” Mott said. “I was just happy that he didn’t go faster.”

At five furlongs, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday is one of the shortest races of the two-day Breeders’ Cup series.

That may be an issue for Gear Jockey, who earned a spot in the field with a 23-1 upset in the Grade 2 Ainsworth Turf Sprint at six furlongs at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9.

“Five-eighths is not his preferred distance,” trainer Rusty Arnold said on Sunday. “We’re hoping that he can keep up.”

ARCADIA, Calif. - The filly will be ridden by the local leading jockey. She is a stakes winner and has a race over the course.

Those elements give trainer Peter Eurton hope that Flattery can produce a surprise performance in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile at Santa Anita against a tough field of international fillies and runners from other parts of the country.

“There are a lot of Europeans that haven’t been on this turf,” Eurton said. “It’s different for the Eastern horses. Hopefully, that gives us a little bit of an edge.”

ARCADIA, Calif. - With six consecutive victories including a victory in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March on his resume, the Japanese-based and bred Ushba Tesoro comes into Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita with strong credentials.

Those credentials aren’t limited to just paper.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, was withdrawn from consideration for next Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by his connections on Sunday, according to a posting on trainer Gustavo Delgado’s twitter page.

“He presented a feverish state this morning and we have noticed symptoms of lost appetite,” the post stated. “Given the proximity to the race we feel that it is best for the horse to skip the Classic.

ARCADIA, Calif. — A series of withdrawals from the Breeders’ Cup Mile and BC Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 will allow Masteroffoxhounds to gain a berth in one of the fields. Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Saturday that a race is unlikely to be selected until Monday’s entry deadline.

“I’ll have to talk to the owners and let them decide where they want to take a shot,” D’Amato said.

Masteroffoxhounds gained a berth in the BC Turf after the Irish stakes winner Piz Badile was not flown to California this weekend, according to Breeders’ Cup officials.