Ferocious looks tough but competition is deep in Breeders' Futurity

Maybe Ferocious simply is too much horse for the 10 entered against him in the Breeders’ Futurity on Saturday at Keeneland. He cost the most money. He comes out of the best race. He has the highest Beyer Speed Figures.

Maybe, but not necessarily. And if Ferocious doesn’t deliver, a host of talented colts stand ready to step forward in the Grade 1, $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity, a key early-autumn dirt route test for 2-year-olds that offers a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Surely the top pick in the betting markets, Ferocious breaks from post 1 on Saturday under Luis Saez, his third jockey in as many races. Javier Castellano, sidelined with an injury, rode the colt in his winning debut, while Irad Ortiz Jr. had the mount when Ferocious finished second Sept. 1 in the Grade 1 Hopeful over seven furlongs at Saratoga.

Odd race, Ferocious’s Hopeful, a half-length defeat to late-running Chancer McPatrick.

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By the late stallion Flatter and out of the Midnight Lute mare Napier, Ferocious didn’t go to auction until this past March, when he fetched $1.4 million at an Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. breeze-up sale. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, who guided Mage to a Kentucky Derby victory for many of Ferocious’s owners, Ferocious scorched his debut, winning a seven-furlong Saratoga maiden by almost eight lengths, a performance that yielded a standout 96 Beyer.

“He’s a big, long-striding colt, which is more how Gustavo trains anyway,” said Ramiro Restrepo, instrumental in acquiring Ferocious and part of the ownership group. “We were all surprised he was on the engine going 22 and 45 [seconds]. He’s a two-turn colt.”

At 3-5 in the Hopeful, Ferocious came to the quarter pole basically going nowhere. Stalking the pace from third, Ferocious went one-paced as the battle began. Only when Chancer McPatrick surged alongside him in midstretch did the colt awaken, jumping into the bridle, going his last half-furlong as fast as the winner and galloping out in front.

Restrepo pointed out that Ferocious felt a left-handed crop for the first time in the Hopeful and that he lost a shoe. Restrepo also hit on a more likely reason for defeat.

“These are babies. Sometimes when they run a maiden in the fashion he did, you can be fooled into thinking they have it all figured out. There was just a little confusion on the horse’s end trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. He got a little lost on the turn, kind of spinning his wheels,” Restrepo said.

Ferocious worked three times, all in company, Restrepo said, since the Hopeful, his final breeze before leaving Saratoga in 59.20 seconds, faster than connections expected. He arrived at Keeneland on Monday, and if he brings his best race to the Breeders’ Futurity, they won’t beat him.

Many are willing to try, and many others have shown enough to merit at least mild consideration.

Start with East Avenue, a Brendan Walsh-trained Godolphin homebred who whistled in his debut and lone start, a six-furlong maiden Aug. 24 at Ellis Park. Quickly making the lead, East Avenue, under the mildest pressure, drew clear to win by eight lengths. He crossed the wire with his ears up and earned an 86 Beyer. Walsh aimed at this race shortly thereafter.

“He acts like he’ll have no trouble going two turns. He’ll be fine. He can do anything. First time out, he just had that natural speed, and hopefully he’ll be able to carry it. He’ll be fine if he doesn’t get to the front, too,” Walsh said.

East Avenue is by Medaglia d’Oro and out of the unraced mare Dance Music, a sister to champion Cody’s Wish and a lesser graded stakes winner, Endorsed, both better at one turn than two.

Handsome Pants has already proven his two-turn mettle – and courage. Debuting in a 1 1/16-mile maiden Sept. 14 at Churchill, Handsome Pants, by Daredevil, split horses on multiple occasions, came through a tight opening at the head of the homestretch, turned back the odds-on favorite, won by 1 1/2 lengths going away, and galloped out strongly. Trainer Kenny McPeek worked him back in company Sept. 30 with a 2-year-old who has talent – Handsome Pants dusted him.

“What he did first time out, he just showed a level of professionalism and bravery you don’t see very often. We knew he was good, but he showed some sort of seasoning, a natural, ‘Hey, I know what I’m supposed to do here,’ ” McPeek said.

Big Boat debuted with a six-furlong maiden win Sept. 12 at Churchill looking like a route horse in a sprint race. By Nyquist, Big Boat finished strong and galloped out a mile in front. A $460,000 2-year-old, he trains – at Hawthorne – like a colt meant to run long.

“If you sit on him, he’ll just cruise along. Ask him to pick it up, he’ll pick it up,” trainer Jimmy DiVito said.

Optical, racing for the second time on dirt, beat restricted maidens in a one-turn Churchill mile by 14 lengths. On the lead, he ran his penultimate furlong in 11.83, getting his final quarter – eased up late – in 23.95, eye-catching splits for a 2-year-old with speed.

“It was his fourth race in 60 days, but he seems mentally good and physically in great shape,” trainer Keith Desormeaux said.

Louisiana-bred Dapper Moon scored a second-out Saratoga maiden win by four lengths with an 87 Beyer and has since breezed strongly at Churchill. Todd Pletcher, who has won this race the last two years, switches Tenacious Leader from a near miss in the With Anticipation on turf back to dirt, where he cleared the maiden ranks.

“We just figured there was so much upside to a well-bred, good-looking colt running in a Grade 1 on the dirt,” Pletcher said. “He could always go back to turf.”

Pletcher trains 3-year-old Fierceness, leading American contender for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The name sounds a lot like a horse trying to follow in his hoofprints – Ferocious.

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