Breeders' Cup Friday: Full fields except for Juvenile Fillies
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With one notable exception, capacity fields were the rule when entries for the five races for 2-year-olds were drawn for the Breeders’ Cup Friday card at Keeneland. The $2 million Juvenile Fillies got just seven starters when entries were drawn here late Monday afternoon, but four of those enter undefeated in what figures to be a championship-defining race. Its colt-and-gelding counterpart, the $2 million Juvenile, drew a full gate of 14, led by the brilliant Jackie’s Warrior.
The other three races all will be run over a grass course that should be firm by Friday – the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint, the $1 million Juvenile Turf, and the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf. All three were oversubscribed beyond the 14-horse limit.
Lasix treatment is banned for all 2-year-old Breeders’ Cup races under guidelines mandated by the state of Kentucky.
First post Friday is 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Here’s a quick look at each:
Juvenile Turf Sprint (race 6, 2:30 p.m. Eastern)
Wesley Ward, who teamed with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to win this race last year at Santa Anita with Four Wheel Drive, trains seven of the 17 entered (including all three also-eligibles) in this 5 1/2-furlong race, led by the 8-5 morning-line favorite, Golden Pal, who was assigned the far outside gate (post 14) with Ortiz riding.
“That’s fine,” said Ward. “The colt has plenty of speed and should have time to get over by the turn.”
In the main body, Ward also has After Five (post 5, 6-1) Amanzi Yimpilo (post 8, 15-1), and Into the Sunrise (post 11, 15-1).
This is the third year for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Juvenile Turf (race 7, 3:10)
In what promises to be one of the most wide-open wagering races of the two-day series, Mutasaabeq is the 5-1 morning-line choice for trainer Todd Pletcher in another packed gate. Sixteen were entered in the one-mile race, with 14 allowed to start.
Two European colts, Cadillac and Battleground, are listed as 6-1 co-second choices, followed by four more pegged at 8-1 – Sealiway, Public Sector, Outadore, and Gretzky the Great.
Juvenile Fillies (race 8, 3:50)
Princess Noor, one of a number of top contenders this weekend for trainer Bob Baffert, was assigned the outside post as the 9-5 program choice for this 1 1/16-mile race. The Not This Time filly is 3 for 3, as are two of her top rivals, Simply Ravishing (post 1, 5-2) and Dayoutoftheoffice (post 3, 5-2). Girl Daddy (post 5, 6-1) is the other unbeaten with a 2-for-2 mark.
Princess Noor will have Victor Espinoza back aboard after having won her three starts by a combined 17 1/2 lengths.
Completing the compact field are Vequist, Thoughtfully, and Crazy Beautiful.
Juvenile Fillies Turf (race 9, 4:30)
Aunt Pearl is the 3-1 morning-line favorite after dominating the local prep, the Jessamine, in staying perfect in two starts for trainer Brad Cox. Florent Geroux will be aboard from post 5 in this one-mile race.
Campanelle, a Stonestreet Stables filly trained by Ward, is the co-second choice at 4-1, along with Plum Ali, in from New York for Christophe Clement. Both fillies are unbeaten in three starts.
Five more fillies are listed at 10-1 to 15-1 in another deep cast, those being Madone, Royal Approval, Alda, Editor At Large, and Spanish Loveaffair.
Juvenile (race 10, 5:10)
Jackie’s Warrior, who at 7-5 is the heaviest program favorite of the Friday BC races, was assigned post 7 in a 1 1/16-mile that more often than not decides the 2-year-old Eclipse champion. The Steve Asmussen-trained colt will have Joel Rosario back aboard when looking to extend his undefeated record to five.
Essential Quality (post 5, Luis Saez), winner of the Breeders’ Futurity here last month, is the 4-1 second choice for Cox, followed closely at 9-2 by Reinvestment Risk (post 3, Irad Ortiz Jr.), the runner-up behind Jackie’s Warrior in the Champagne at Belmont Park. All others are listed at 12-1 or higher.
Jackie’s Warrior, by Maclean’s Music, “is very speed-influenced in his pedigree,” said Asmussen, “but physically and mentally, he is doing exceptional.”