The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies is the crowning race in the 2-year-old filly division with every winner since Take Charge Brandi in 2014 through Super Corredora last year subsequently taking home the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly.

The 2026 edition Oct. 30 at Keeneland is headlined by unbeaten Grade 1 winners #5 Miss Monica (5-2 morning-line odds) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and #10 Emphatic (9-5) for trainer Brendan Walsh. Baffert has two wins, six seconds, and four thirds from 28 starters in the race, winning with Silverbulletday in 1998 and Indian Blessing in 2007. This will be Walsh’s first starter in the race and he is winless with 13 previous Breeders’ Cup starters, but I believe Emphatic can deliver a breakthrough win for her trainer in this year’s World Championships.

Emphatic is 3-for-3 by a combined margin of 13 ¼ lengths, boasts tactical speed that she can use to set or press the pace, and enters off a Grade 1 win in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes at this distance of 1 1/16 miles at Breeders’ Cup host track Keeneland. Her jockey is Tyler Gaffalione, the leading rider at the Keeneland meet that concluded Oct. 24 with 22 winners. Gaffalione can use Emphatic’s early speed to gain good early position in a race that will end at the sixteenth pole, Keeneland’s short-stretch finish line for races at 1 1/16 miles.

I’ll bank on her finishing first or second and try to structure exacta and trifecta tickets around her with other contenders that offer more appealing odds.

I loved #3 Foxiest’s recent 3 ¾-length win in a 7 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs. She was trapped in traffic and bullied her way through to prevail. The Gun Runner filly out of champion sprinter Covfefe could be a rising star and 15-1 odds on the morning would be a gift. #2 Domain Expansion (6-1) was a dominant winner of the Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes Presented by Oak Tree Racing Association Oct. 3 at Santa Anita Park. #1 Scarlett Begonia (20-1) faded a bit late when stretching out to a mile for the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes Sept. 12 at Churchill, but she could improve with additional foundation for a top jockey-trainer tandem in Brad Cox (also the trainer of Foxiest) and Manny Franco. I’ll also use #6 Revenge of the Sis (20-1), who rallied for third in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, to round out this group with a closer who might pick up the pieces if the pace is especially fast.

I’ll focus on exacta and trifecta betting strategies here but I’ll definitely keep an eye on Foxiest on the tote board and consider a win-place bet at anything 15-1 or above.

Betting strategy on a $20 budget

$3 exacta: 10 with 1,2,3,6 ($12)

What to say at the betting window: Keeneland, Race 7, $3 exacta 10 with 1,2,3,6

$2 exacta: 1,2,3,6 with 10 ($8)

What to say at the betting window: Keeneland, Race 7, $2 exacta 1,2,3,6 with 10

Wagering Strategy on a $50 Budget

$3 exacta: 10 with 1,2,3,6 ($12)

What to say at the betting window: Keeneland, Race 7, $3 exacta 10 over 1,2,3,6

$2 exacta: 1,2,3,6 with 10 ($8)

What to say at the betting window: Keeneland, Race 7, $2 exacta 1,2,3,6 over 10

$2 trifecta: 10 with 1,2,3,6 with 1,2,3,6 (total cost: $24)

What to say at the betting window: Keeneland, Race 7, $2 trifecta 10 with 1,2,3,6 with 1,2,3,6

$50-cent trifecta: 1,2,3,6 with 10 with 1,2,3,6 (total cost: $6)

What to say at the betting window: Keeneland, Race 7, $1 trifecta 1,2,3,6 with 10 with 1,2,3,6