My principal rooting interests in Breeders’ Cup 2016

This should come with a reader warning label, since I haven’t looked clever at the Breeders’ Cup in a few years. An optimist would say that my luck is due to change, while a pessimist would feel safe in discounting my opinions until I show evidence of a form turnaround. Take your pick. With that cautionary preamble, and for whatever it’s worth, here are my principals in each Breeders’ Cup race. The phrasing of “principals” and “rooting interests” is deliberate. Since you can make cases for so many contenders, this is a list of the ones I feel more favorable toward, not so much a stand against other logical types who didn’t make the cut. BC FRIDAY  Juvenile Turf: Oscar Performance, Made You Look, Ticonderoga Dirt Mile: Dortmund, Gun Runner, Vyjack Juvenile Fillies Turf: Roly Poly, La Coronel, Spain Burg Distaff: Songbird, Stellar Wind, Beholder BC SATURDAY Juvenile Fillies: Yellow Agate, Valadorna, Noted and Quoted Filly & Mare Turf: Lady Eli, Nuovo Record, Queen's Trust Sprint: Lord Nelson, Drefong, Masochistic, A.P. Indian Turf Sprint: Undrafted, Washington DC, Obviously – plus Green Mask now! Juvenile: Not This Time, Klimt, Classic Empire Turf: Highland Reel, Flintshire, Found Filly & Mare Sprint: Tara's Tango, Carina Mia, By the Moon Mile: Limato, Alice Springs, Tepin Classic: Arrogate, California Chrome, Frosted My thoughts on higher-priced selections Yellow Agate, Undrafted, and Tara’s Tango are on BreedersCup.com, where I also mention Nuovo Record and Queen’s Trust as offering value in the Filly & Mare Turf. And in case you’re cramming on the foreign contenders, see my in-depth profiles of all of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup internationals (including race replays). Good luck and happy Breeders’ Cup! Limato photo by Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com