The Breeders’ Cup World Championships are set to get underway Oct. 30 at Keeneland Race Course when the two-day event crowns its first five Champions.
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Where Saturday, Oct. 31, is set to offer blockbuster action among the world’s best and proven equine athletes, the Future Stars Friday card offers great anticipation for what awaits these runners down the line.
It was not that long ago that the colts, fillies, and geldings of the 2024 crop were learning how to wear a saddle, carry a rider, and took their first steps onto a racetrack. For some, those lessons were truly taken to heart, and they now have separated themselves from the rest.
This year, several talented juveniles already enter the Breeders’ Cup as clear standouts toward the head of the class, but these young horses can change quickly. It would not be a surprise to see this be the day one of the longshots figures it out and pulls off the upset.
Unbeaten Hughes The One to Beat in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
With victory in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) comes the title of the early favorite for the following spring’s Kentucky Derby (G1), and that’s a profile Hughes would undoubtedly fill with a triumph.
The son of Into Mischief is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has won more FanDuel Juveniles than any trainer with six. He’s also won a co-record six times in the Kentucky Derby, causing any promising juvenile runner in his barn to immediately grab attention.
That attention has been easy for Hughes to receive as he’s dominated in California, going a perfect 4-for-4 with Grade 1 wins in the 7-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1) and 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and earning nearly half a million dollars for his large ownership group that includes Front Row Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Albaugh Family Stables, Robert Masterson, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
Already proven at the distance and the level, Hughes stands tall, but his competition is much fiercer this time.
Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher is right behind Baffert with five FanDuel Juvenile (G1) wins, and his trainee American History not only has a win at the 1 1/16-mile distance, but at that distance over the Keeneland track.
That win for WinStar Farm, First Go Racing, and CHC came in the Breeders’ Futurity, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win And You’re In, earlier this month when he ran down a game Coach Pope, who returns in the FanDuel Juvenile as well for trainer Kenny McPeek and owners Gainesway Stable, Shamrock Stables, and Michael Mackin.
Both Baffert and Pletcher have additional shots, with Baffert entering Zedan Racing Stables’ undefeated Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Salahudin and Pletcher entering Amo Racing’s last-out maiden winner Damavand.
Undefeated Fillies Battle in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
Baffert also has a strong opportunity to sweep the dirt races on Future Stars Friday as he saddles Miss Monica, a perfect 2-for-2 and winner of the Del Mar Debutante (G1), in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) for Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.
However, this time he is not the favorite on the morning line, an honor that goes to Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen’s Emphatic. A daughter of 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Nyquist, Emphatic has gone for 3-for-3 to open her career at three different tracks. Friday marks the first time she repeats a surface after having won the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) with a strong frontunning performance at Keeneland four weeks prior.
Other top runners in the field of 12 include Lisa Lee, Jason Sciortino, William Lynch, Brian Howe, and Terry Hamilton’s Manuka Honey, who herself is 3-for-3 after winning the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in September; California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing, Allen Keith, and Kevin O’Donnell’s Domain Expansion, who dominated Santa Anita Park’s Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) by 7 lengths; and D. J. Stable’s Voyager, who switches back to dirt after winning the Natalma Stakes (G1) on turf at Woodbine.
O’Brien Seeks Fifth-Straight Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Win
As is the usual, the Europeans have sent over a strong group of contenders to compete on grass, and it looks like the Aidan O’Brien will again be a major player.
O’Brien is tied with Baffert for the most Breeders’ Cup wins by a trainer at 21, and eight of those wins have come in the $1 million Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). Seeking a fifth-straight victory in the 1-mile race, he enters four runners for the Coolmore team.
Great Barrier Reef (IRE) is the most fancied of those runners at 4-1 on the morning line while breaking from the widest post 14. Third in his last start, the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket, the son of No Nay Never gets the riding service of Ryan Moore, who has ridden seven of O’Brien’s eight winners in this race—missing the ride on Gstaad (IRE) last year with an injury.
Of the eight European-based runners, O’Brien’s Haffner, a Kentucky-bred son of Justify, is the only one to sport a victory over a mile and only two others have even run that far. Meanwhile, all six of the American runners have not only raced at a mile or 1 1/16 miles, but have won.
The favorite is one of the Americans at 3-1: Gold Square’s How’s Al Today. He began his career on dirt for trainer Riley Mott, who then swapped him to turf for the lucrative Kentucky Downs meet where he won twice in an 11-day span by a combined 8 1/2 lengths, including a win in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes.
Another top challenger comes from O’Brien’s son, Joseph, who himself trains Al Shira’aa Racing’s Folsom Blues (IRE). A 6-length winner of the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (G1), he’s also earned two Group 1 placings behind a pair of star fillies.
Sun Goddess, Amusingly Set For Epic Matchup in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Those star fillies are two of the headliners in the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1): Sun Goddess (IRE) and Amusingly (GB).
O’Brien and Coolmore may have another star on their hands in Sun Goddess, who has been near unstoppable across Great Britain and Ireland. Already a six-time winner in eight starts, the daughter of Sioux Nation is a three-time Group 1 winner.
She defeated Folsom Blues in the Phoenix Stakes (G1) in the summer prior to that runner getting his Grade 1 victory. Then after Folsom Blues won that, he ran into Juddmonte Farms homebred Amusingly in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1).
The daughter of No Nay Never launched a smooth rally against her male foes that day and appears to be a real talent for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who picked up his first Breeders’ Cup win last year.
With Sun Goddess at 6-5 and Amusingly at 7-2, they are clear standouts in the field of 14 with Klaravich Stables’ third-choice Domestic Agenda up at 8-1. In fact, both fillies would likely be the favorite of the Brown Advisory Juvenile Turf if it were not restricted to males, which makes their showdown in the John Deere Juvenile Fillies Turf even more exciting.
Fillies Seek to Beat Males in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
The Breeders’ Cup will get off to a very fast start in its first race: the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) over 5 1/2 furlongs, and the fillies appear strong once again a year after Cy Fair beat the boys in this race.
Favored is Mr. V. I. Araci’s Libertango (IRE), who handed Sun Goddess her most recent defeat in the Albany Stakes (G3) in June at Royal Ascot. The daughter of No Nay Never would win a Group 2 later in the summer for trainer George Boughey before finishing second to Sun Goddess Sep. 26 in the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1).
At 3-1, Brickyard Belle carries the best hopes for America off her win in the Matron Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park for owners Brickyard Belle Racing, Beggs and Flowers, and Briles Family Stable. Trained by Miguel Clement, the daughter of Yaupon rallied from off the pace that day for a half-length win.
The Future Stars Friday card begins at 11:55 a.m. ET with the first two races on FanDuel TV. Then, at 1 p.m. ET, coverage expands to USA Network and Peacock. The Juvenile Turf Sprint kicks off Breeders’ Cup action at 2:55 p.m. ET.
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