Total handle for the five Breeders’ Cup races run on Friday was $42.31 million, according to charts of the races, up 12.7 percent over the five Breeders’ Cup races held at Keeneland Racecourse in Kentucky last year, despite a last-race incident that will potentially cost the game far more than the $5 million bump in wagering.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Well, that was interesting.

Modern Games delivered an explosive kick and won the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf as a dusk chill fell over Del Mar late Friday afternoon.

That was the simple part of the race.

Modern Games won for his owner and breeder, Godolphin, for trainer Charlie Appleby and for jockey William Buick, but he did not win for the bettors that had made him favored in this one-mile grass contest.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Bob Baffert and his owners are living in the moment. The future can wait.

On what was billed as “Future Stars Friday” at Del Mar, it was the Baffert-trained Corniche who dominated the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, scoring a 1 3/4-length, gate-to-wire victory under Mike Smith to complete an undefeated 2-year-old campaign that is likely to culminate in a championship.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Pizza Bianca was last with a quarter-mile remaining in Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, and that seemingly insurmountable position was just fine with top-class rider Jose Ortiz.

Pizza Bianca had closed well in her first two starts when ridden by Joel Rosario – a win and a second – and Ortiz liked what he saw in front of him. Pizza Bianca quickly passed several rivals before Ortiz moved his mount between Malavath and Consumer Spending.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Like father, like daughter.

Echo Zulu, whose sire, Gun Runner, clinched Horse of the Year when winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic four years ago at Del Mar, secured her own title on Friday with a dominating victory in the $1,760,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Echo Zulu ($3.60), the favorite, rocketed to the lead in the opening strides and never looked back, pulling clear down the lane for a 5 1/4-length victory to complete a perfect season with four wins, three in Grade 1 races. She will be the champion 2-year-old filly.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Wesley Ward continued his domination of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, winning the race for the third consecutive year when Twilight Gleaming registered a wire-to-wire half-length victory over the late-running Go Bears Go to kick off the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Friday.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Friday’s $176,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies could have been called George Krikorian’s Golden State Juvenile Fillies.

Big Switch and 8-5 favorite Big Novel – both bred and owned by Krikorian - finished first and second in the seven-furlong race for statebreds. Yes, Krikorian said he had the exacta, which paid $10.70 for $1.

The fillies are by Mr. Big, owned by Krikorian.

“It makes me feel proud,” Krikiorian said. “They were 1-2 against some pretty good competition. It’s exciting.

“They both look to have good futures.”

DEL MAR, Calif. – Less has been more for A G Indy.

Trainer Doug O’Neill and owner R3 Racing plunked down a $35,000 claim on A G Indy this past Jan. 3, and immediately cut her back from two-turn turf races to turf sprints.

Back from a February to August layoff, A G Indy won a pair of Del Mar turf-sprint allowance races over the summer and on Friday added a Grade 3 to her resume with a smart score in the $200,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Astronomer rode the rail the entire way under Ryan Moore and outfinished Optimising by a half-length to pull off a 30-1 upset in Friday’s $150,000 Qatar Golden Mile for 2-year-olds on turf at Del Mar.

Optimising won a three-way photo for second by a nose over Degree of Risk, who was a nose better than Boise. Nobals was fifth, followed by Birth of Cool, 6-5 favorite Ready to Purrform, Detroit City and Thirty Four Coupe. Aquitania Arrival was scratched

DEL MAR, Calif. – Hit the Road will be scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Saturday after spiking a temperature, his trainer, Dan Blacker, said Friday morning.

Hit the Road, 15-1 on the Mile morning line, was discovered to have an elevated temperature at a most inopportune moment.