Johnny Love's Day 1 Breeders' Cup picks

The Breeders' Cup is being contested over two days with the fuirst four races scheduled for Friday. Here's a look at what to expect ... and come back later for the picks for Saturday, the biggest day of horse racing in the United States.

Breeders' Cup picks

At Santa Anita • Arcadia, Calif.

Best bet: Dortmund (7th Race). Best play: 50 cent-Pick 4, Race 6, (1,2,3,4,5,6,8,11,12,13/3/All/5), $70.

JUVENILE TURF • 6th Race

Post Time: 4:25 pm • 1 mile, 2-year-old colts & geldings • Purse: $1 million

PP Horse, JockeyOdds

2. Keep Quiet, Florent Geroux12-1

3. Channel Maker, John Velazquez30-1

4. Favorable Outcome, Irad Ortiz Jr.15-1

5. Made You Look, Javier Castellano12-1

6. Big Score, Flavien Prat8-1

8. Intelligence Cross, Ryan Moore6-1

9. Wellabled, ET Baird15-1

10. Bowies Hero, Julien Leparoux15-1

11. Good Samaritan, Joel Rosario9-2

12. Rodaini, Frankie Dettori15-1

14. Ticonderoga, Rafael Bejarano15-1

AE-15 Kitten's Cat, Luis Saez20-1

AE-16 Harbour Master, Mike Smith20-1

Six of the nine Juvenile Turf winners have been European runners and three of them were trained by Aidan O'Brien. O'Brien has INTELLIGENCE CROSS and LANCASTER BOMBER entered today and will be healthy prices walking into the gate. Intelligence Cross is my top pick, which should be the better price of the two. Jockey Ryan Moore will be the pilot, winner of three titles in this race. The favorite is OSCAR PERFORMANCE, who appears to be the best of the American contingents. I'm just not digging him drawing post 13 to start the journey on the Santa Anita turf course. BIG SCORE will be my top pick for the American team with hot young jock Flavien Prat aboard. CHANNEL MAKER is my price play with his 30-1 M/L odds.

DIRT MILE • 7th Race

PP Horse, JockeyOdds

1. Vyjack, Flavian Prat10-1

2. Tom's Ready, Joel Rosario12-1

3. Dortmund, Marcia Garcia6-5

4. Point Piper, Mario Gutierrez20-1

6. Texas Chrome, CJ McMahon20-1

7. Runhappy, Gary Stevens3-1

8. Tamarkuz, Mike Smith8-1

9. Gun Runner, Florent Geroux9-2

DORTMUND will be my single on my Pick 4 ticket and my Best Bet today. The only races he has been defeated in were against American Pharaoh and California Chrome. Dortmund always gives his best and has never finished off the board on a fast track. A decent long shot play to hit the board is TEXAS CHROME. He has yet to face this competition of this caliber but comes in with a three-game winning streak. TAMARKUZ has been second last two efforts but his form fits well with this field. RUNHAPPY is strictly the one to catch but his return race off the 10-month layoff was not his best. Bet at your own risk with the listed second choice.

Post Time: 5:50 pm • 1 mile, 2-year-old fillies • Purse: $1 million

PP Horse, JockeyOdds

1. Hydrangea, Seamus Heffernan6-1

2. Lull, Joel Rosario15-1

3. New Money Honey, Javier Castellano10-1

5. Victory to Victory, Julien Leparoux12-1

6. Coasted, Mike Smith20-1

7. Intricately, Donnacha O'Brien6-1

8. Madam Dancealot, John Velazquez30-1

9. Cavale Doree, Flavien Prat15-1

11. Rymska, Irad Ortiz Jr.20-1

12. La Force, Rafael Bejarano30-1

13. Roly Poly, Ryan Moore4-1

14. La Coronel, Florent Geroux9-2

AE-15. Con Te Partiro, John Velazquez30-1

The most wide-open race today. North American runners have won six of eight trophies at this mile distance. VICTORY TO VICTORY has only three races under belt but keeps improving each effort, including a impressive win while drawing away from the field in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine Racetrack. Stablemate LA CORONEL, should be your lukewarm favorite at post time. Undefeated in both turf races with four-length margin victories, but tough to put on top with the far outside draw with the tight Santa Anita turns. NEW MONEY HONEY is lightly raced but appears to be enhancing each achievement for top trainer Chad Brown. ROLY POLY is the biggest European threat and the M/L favorite at 4-1.

DISTAFF • 9th Race

Post Time: 6:35 pm • 1⅛ miles (Dirt), 3-year-olds and up, fillies & mares • Purse: $2 million

PP Horse, JockeyOdds

1. Songbird, Mike Smith6-5

3. Curalina, John Velazquez12-1

4. Corona Del Inca, Pablo Falero30-1

5. Stellar Wind, Victor Espinoza5-2

6. Forever Unbridled, Joel Rosario12-1

7. I'm a Chatterbox, Florent Geroux12-1