Breeders' Cup Tips from Timeform analysts Mark Milligan and Jake Price

Mark Milligan: Friday the day to strike gold

How’s Al Today (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, 21:35 Keeneland Friday)

European raiders have dominated the Juvenile Turf since its inception, with the locals getting very little look in, particularly where Aidan O’Brien is concerned, as he’s taken the race eight times in total, including the last four renewals.

However, I’m not convinced that the European contingent is the strongest this year, and it would be no surprise were they to be outpointed by the highly promising HOW'S AI TODAY.

Riley Mott’s juvenile broke his maiden on dirt before running third in Grade 2 company on his following start, but it’s since he’s been switched to turf that he’s looked a completely different proposition.

How’s Al Today has won both his turf starts at Kentucky Downs, and the turn of foot he showed last time marked him out as one who can hold his own at the top level.

That form also has a very solid look to it too, with as the pair that filled the places both winning since, including the third Agate, who took a Grade 2 contest and also runs here.

With the odd exception, the home team have largely struggled against their European counterparts in this race, but I suspect they’ve rarely had one in the mould of How’s Al Today and he looks an exciting prospect.

Jake Price: Feeling Young in the Classic

Fully Subscribed (Breeders’ Cup Distaff, 20:58 Keeneland Saturday)

Admittedly, from a Timeform ratings perspective, there may not be a great deal between the three runners that head the betting for this year’s Distaff, but there’s enough to believe that FULLY SUBSCRIBED is the answer to the puzzle.

She hasn’t looked back since finishing second to the reopposing Nitrogen when that one routed the field in the Ogden Phipps earlier in the summer, winning her last three races, including the Spinster against two other rivals over this course and distance at the beginning of last month.

The four-year-old has only raced ten times, with her trainer Chad Brown taking a patient approach with her, and there’s a feeling that she’s building up nicely to her biggest test yet.

Forever Young (Breeders’ Cup Classic, 22:16 Keeneland Saturday)

FOREVER YOUNG is no stranger to gaining air miles and, after finishing third on both his visits to the US as a three-year-old in the 2024 Kentucky Derby and the Classic, gained his just desserts in beating Sierra Leone and Fierceness in last year’s running of this in typically gritty style.

He’s had another light campaign, taking a second Saudi Cup earlier in the year and returning in September with a convincing win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, a race in which one of his main rivals, the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont hero Sovereignty, missed due to a setback.

Only Tiznow has his name on the Breeders’ Cup Classic role of honour as a dual winner, a back-to-back one at that, and now the reigning champ Forever Young can add his name to that list.

Published at 12:10 GMT on 29/10/26

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