Tommy Jo Leads Star-Studded Field in 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Showdown
Spendthrift Farm juvenile filly star Tommy Jo will attempt to string three consecutive Grade 1 wins together in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. At 7-2 on the morning line, she’ll be the horse to beat, though Percy’s Bar will have something to say about that.
Tommy Jo, trained by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, broke her maiden impressively over the summer in Saratoga. The daughter of top stallion Into Mischief ran back to that impressive effort and dominated the competition in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes under Jockey Kendrick Carmouche. Carmouche took the mount on Tommy Jo while John Velazquez who rode her on debut was scheduled to ride Fierceness in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar that same day.
Last month, Tommy Jo given a test to compete around two turns in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades. She ended up crossing the wire second behind a pacesetting Percy’s Bar, though the stewards determined the Percy’s Bar, guided under Luan Machado, interfered with Tommy Jo during the stretch run. Percy's Bar was then disqualified and placed second.
Prior to running into Tommy Jo in the Spinaway and again in the Alcibiades, Percy’s Bar was undefeated in her first two career starts. Her second victory for trainer Ben Colebrook came in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs back in June.
Iron Orchard is also undefeated through three career starts. The New York bred daughter of Authentic most recently hammered down at $2.5m in the Fasig-Tipton Mid-October 2025 Digital Sale last month.
The Danny Gargan trainee made the grade last out where she switched up running styles to come from off the pace and win the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont at the Big A. She won by a mere nose over Rileytole.
Favoritism on the morning line was given to Explora. Trained by Bob Baffert, the daughter of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame won going away last out in her two turn debut in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita.
Baffert also sends out Bottle of Rouge who was a last out winner in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes. Baffert trains this daughter of Vino Rosso for his wife, Natalie Baffert.
Other contenders in the race include Meaning and La Ville Lumiere (both trained by Michael McCarthy), Super Corredora (trained by John Sadler) and La Wally (trained by Mark Glatt).
Post time is 3:25pm PDT.
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Mary Rufo is a Saratoga Springs-based contributing writer in horse racing. When not at the races, she is likely watching races on her phone, refreshing the tote board on her wagering app, or scribbling down trip notes.