Study Guide: 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Oct 29, 2025

Explora wins the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita. (Photo by Benoit Photo)

Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar has drawn a competitive field of nine two-year-old fillies, all vying for the 30-15-9-6-3 Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualification points awarded to the top five finishers.

The Juvenile Fillies typically determines the champion two-year-old filly of the year, and nine Juvenile Fillies participants have gone on to win the following year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Let’s take a horse-by-horse tour through the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies field:

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Iron Orchard

Start(s): 3
Wins: 3
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: KatieRich Stables
Breeder: Pine Ridge Stable
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Joel Rosario

Top Speed Rating: (89) when winning the Frizette (G1) at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $352,000

Sire: Authentic
Dam: Onebrethatatime
Color: Dark bay/brown

Iron Orchard is unbeaten in three starts. She overcame a wide trip to win the Frizette (G1), a pivotal prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She should be able to save ground this time while breaking from post 1 under three-time Juvenile Fillies-winning jockey Joel Rosario. Iron Orchard is a serious win contender.

Bottle of Rouge

Start(s): 3
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Natalie J. Baffert
Breeder: Kathie Maybee
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith

Top Speed Rating: (91) when winning a Del Mar maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $240,000

Sire: Vino Rosso
Dam: Blues Corner
Color: Gray/roan

Bottle of Rogue conquered Juvenile Fillies rivals Explora and La Wally in the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante (G1) two months ago, but she hasn’t raced since then, and it could be difficult to return from a break and simultaneously race 1 1/16 miles for the first time.

Meaning

Start(s): 1
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm
Breeder: Stonehaven Steadings
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Top Speed Rating: (84) when winning a Los Alamitos maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $27,000

Sire: Gun Runner
Dam: Figure of Speech
Color: Bay

Meaning has only run once, trouncing a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Los Alamitos by 3 1/2 lengths. Facing tougher foes over 1 1/16 miles in the Juvenile Fillies is a challenging assignment, but Meaning has posted fast workouts leading up to the Breeders’ Cup and may have the talent to factor as a longshot.

Percy’s Bar

Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 2
Show: 0

Owner: Hat Creek Racing
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Trainer: Ben Colebrook
Jockey: Luan Machado

Top Speed Rating: (94) when finishing second in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland
Total Earnings: $375,933

Sire: Upstart
Dam: Honestly Deb
Color: Bay

Percy’s Bar led all the way in the Alcibiades (G1), crossing the wire 2 3/4 lengths in front of Tommy Jo. But Percy’s Bar bumped Tommy Jo in the homestretch and was disqualified to second place. There’s a chance Percy’s Bar may have been the best filly anyway in the Alcibiades, and she must be respected as a speedy win threat in the Juvenile Fillies.

Tommy Jo

Start(s): 3
Wins: 3
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Spendthrift Farm
Breeder: Spendthrift Farm
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez

Top Speed Rating: (92) when winning the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga.
Total Earnings: $617,963

Sire: Into Mischief
Dam: Mother Mother
Color: Bay

Tommy Jo won her first two starts in decisive fashion, including the Spinaway (G1) by 6 1/2 lengths over Percy’s Bar. She also scored a technical victory in the Alcibiades when the stewards disqualified Percy’s Bar. However, Tommy Jo appeared to regress a bit while stretching out from sprint distances to 1 1/16 miles in the Alcibiades, so the Juvenile Fillies distance remains a small question mark.

La Ville Lumiere

Start(s): 4
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 1

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Sabby Racing, and Ken T. Reimer
Breeder: Corser Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura

Top Speed Rating: (90) when finishing third in the Oak Leaf (G2) at Santa Anita.
Total Earnings: $74,000

Sire: City of Light
Dam: Malibu Drive
Color: Bay

La Ville Lumiere exits a third-place finish in the Oak Leaf (G2), her best performance to date. But she finished 5 1/4 lengths behind Explora and 1 1/4 lengths behind La Wally, two fillies she’ll meet again in the Juvenile Fillies, so La Ville Lumiere needs improvement to turn the tables.

Explora

Start(s): 3
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman
Breeder: Mesingw Farm
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Juan Hernandez

Top Speed Rating: (98) when winning a Del Mar maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $228,000

Sire: Blame
Dam: Collections Choice
Color: Dark bay/brown

Explora is favored to win the Juvenile Fillies after pouncing from just off the pace to dominate the Oak Leaf by 4 1/4 lengths over La Wally and La Ville Lumiere. That runaway win yielded a strong 97 Brisnet Speed rating, one point lower than Explora’s career-best 98. Those are the two highest numbers in the Juvenile Fillies field, so a peak performance from Explora will make her tough to catch for the hot jockey/trainer duo of Juan Hernandez and Bob Baffert.

Super Corredora

Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Spartan Equine Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Robert C. Gardiner, and Michael W. Olszewski
Breeder: Woodford Thoroughbreds
Trainer: John Sadler
Jockey: Hector I. Berrios

Top Speed Rating: (93) when winning a Santa Anita maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $53,600

Sire: Gun Runner
Dam: Super Simple
Color: Bay

After finishing behind La Wally and Battle of Rouge in her first two starts sprinting, Super Corredora stretched out over one mile to crush a Santa Anita maiden special weight by 8 1/4 lengths. She earned a promising 93 Brisnet Speed rating and looms as an intriguing longshot while stepping up in class for the Juvenile Fillies.

La Wally

Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 1

Owner: Muir Hut Stables
Breeder: Gage Hill Stable II, W. S. Farish, and Ken Langone
Trainer: Mark Glatt
Jockey: Flavien Prat

Top Speed Rating: (92) when finishing second in the Oak Leaf (G2) at Santa Anita.
Total Earnings: $124,000

Sire: Constitution
Dam: Moonstone
Color: Bay

La Wally has finished third to Battle of Rouge and Explora in the Del Mar Debutante and second to Explora in the Oak Leaf. She’s consistent, but will need a better effort to reverse those outcomes and challenge for first prize in the Juvenile Fillies.