Breeders' Cup Juvenile 2021 Entries: Baffert has three but not the favorite

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile was a fantastic indicator of what was to come last year when Essential Quality won and became one of the best three-year-olds for several years winning the Belmont Stakes. This year 12 horses will battle it out for the race following the Post Position draw at Del Mar on Monday.

All the Morning Line Odds are listed below along with their Post Positions. We'll have a fuller look at the race later in the week.

On Sunday it emerged that the Kenny McPeek trained Rattle N Roll was out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile following a foot bruise. The son of Grade I winner Connect was a strong contender to take it to the Baffert horses and Jack Christopher. That meant that 12 two-year-olds were entered for the race at Del Mar.

A lot of the column inches heading into the week were about the two impressive winners on either side of the country. The Bob Baffert trained Corniche and Chad Brown’s Jack Christopher. The former won the Grade I American Pharoah at Santa Anita in October whilst the latter beat a good crop of horses at Belmont in the Grade I Champagne. It won’t be much of a surprise to many that they have been installed as the two favorites on the Morning Line for Friday’s race.

Corniche has a M/L price of 5-2 with Jack Christopher a 9-5 shot and being allocated favorite status in the betting market.

Todd Pletcher will send over Union Rags colt Commandperformance. He was a runner-up to Jack Christopher at the aforementioned Champagne at Belmont and he opened at 5-1.

Bob Baffert won’t just have Corniche as Del Mar Futurity winner Pinehurst along with Barossa - who broke his maiden last time out at Santa Anita are part of a three-pronged attack for the Hall of Fame trainer.

Our selections for the race will come later in the week but I have to say I have my eye on a bit of an outsider to cause a bit of a shock wave.

Our racecard is at the top of the page with all the M/L odds and check back on Thursday for J.N. Campbell’s preview along with my thoughts for the race.