Future Stars Friday got the two day Breeders’ Cup off to a rousing start. Five races for juveniles highlighted by the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Here is a 2024 Breeders’ Cup Friday recap.
All-sources handle for the 10-race program on the first day of the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was $63,679,944, the second-highest handle for a Breeders’ Cup Friday and the fourth consecutive year the Friday handle has topped $60 million.
The Future Stars Friday card featured five Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-old horses, the seventh straight year the Breeders’ Cup has carded all its juvenile races on the same day since the event expanded to its two-day format in 2007.
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2024 Breeders’ Cup Friday Recap
Magnum Force Takes Juvenile Turf Sprint
Abdulla Al Khalifa’s Magnum Force (IRE) ($27), benefiting from a ground-saving trip under Colin Keane, overhauled longtime leader Governor Sam in deep stretch and then held off Arizona Blaze (GB) by a half-length to win the seventh running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) and kick off Future Stars Friday at the World Championships at Del Mar.
Trained by Ger Lyons, Magnum Force completed the 5 furlongs on a firm turf course in :56.36. It is the first victory in the World Championships for Lyons and the second for Keane, who won the 2020 Turf (G1) on Tarnawa (IRE).
Governor Sam, under Paco Lopez, shot to the lead out of the gate and opened a daylight margin that he carried into the stretch. Magnum Force raced against the rail and in the stretch found clear sailing along the inside to collar Governor Sam inside the sixteenth pole and holding off Arizona Blaze, who was rallying three wide and taking second by a half-length over Governor Sam.
The victory was worth $520,000 and increased Magnum Force’s earnings to $579,672 with a record of 5-2-2-1. It is the first graded stakes victory for the son of Mehmas (IRE) out of the Fastnet Rock mare Tropical Rock (GB).
2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Replay
Juvenile Fillies Goes to Immersive
Godolphin’s favored Immersive ($6) swept past Vodka With a Twist and Scottish Lassie at mid-stretch and drew off to a 4 ½-length victory in the 41st running of the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Friday afternoon at Del Mar.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Manny Franco, Immersive completed the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.36. It is the 11th Breeders’ Cup victory for Cox and second in this race with his previous victory coming with British Idiom in 2019. It is Franco’s second World Championships victory and first in the Juvenile Fillies.
Nooni set off on an uncontested lead that lasted until the far turn when Vodka With a Twist and Scottish Lassie closed in and surged past. Meanwhile, Immersive was angled off the rail to launch a three-wide move that carried her past the dueling leaders and to a clear victory. Vodka With a Twist saved second by 1 ½ lengths over Quickick, who rallied from last to be third.
A homebred daughter of Nyquist out of the Bernardini mare Gap Year, Immersive has won all four of her starts and increased her bankroll to $1,632,700 with Friday’s check of $1,040,000.
2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Replay
Lake Victoria Stays Perfect in Juvenile Fillies Turf
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier’s undefeated Lake Victoria (IRE) ($3.40) swooped past longtime leader Thought Process at the eighth pole en route to a 1 ½-length victory over May Day Ready to win the 17th running of the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Friday.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Lake Victoria completed the mile on a firm turf course in 1:34.28. It is the 19th victory in the World Championships for O’Brien and 15th for Moore. It is their second win together in this race, having scored with Meditate (IRE) at Keeneland in 2022.
Thought Process opened an uncontested lead and continued unopposed while Lake Victoria was getting a ground-saving trip from Moore. At the top of the stretch, Lake Victoria swung three-wide for clear sailing, passed Thought Process at the eighth pole and had more than enough to hold off May Day Ready. Nitrogen rallied for third, a length in back of May Day Ready.
Now undefeated in five starts, Lake Victoria is a 2-year-old daughter of Frankel (GB) out of the Showcasing mare Quiet Reflection (GB). The victory, her third Grade or Group 1 tally, was worth $520,000 and increased her earnings to $1,043,427.
2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Baffert Wins Sixth Juvenile With Citizen Bull
SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et al’s Citizen Bull led stablemate Gaming all the way around to post a 1 ½-length victory in the 41st running of the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Del Mar on Friday afternoon.
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia, Citizen Bull covered the 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:43.07. The victory is the 19th for Baffert in the World Championships and sixth in the Juvenile. It is Garcia’s fifth Breeders’ Cup victory and second in the Juvenile with the initial victory coming in 2013 for Baffert aboard New Year’s Day.
The complexion of the race changed right at the start as favored East Avenue stumbled at the break and was last the first time past the wire. Meanwhile up front, Citizen Bull, Gaming and a third Baffert runner, Getaway Car led the procession.
The running order of the top three did not change until late when Hill Road rallied from last to get third by a neck over Getaway Car but 3 ¼ lengths behind Gaming for the runner-up spot. East Avenue finished ninth of 10.
Citizen Bull is a 2-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief out of the Distorted Humor mare No Joke. The victory, the third in four starts and second Grade 1 for Citizen Bull, was worth $1,040,000 and increased his earnings to $1,301,000.
2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Replay
Henri Matisse Rallies to Win Juvenile Turf
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith et al’s Henri Matisse (IRE) ($9.80) rallied from far off the pace to post a neck victory over Iron Man Cal to win the 18th running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on Friday at Del Mar.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Henri Matisse completed the mile over a firm turf course in 1:34.48. It was the second victory of the afternoon for O’Brien and Moore, who teamed to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) with Lake Victoria (IRE).
O’Brien now has 20 victories in the World Championships to tie D. Wayne Lukas for the most all time. Moore has 16.
Dream On set a pressured pace while being hounded by Zulu Kingdom (IRE) and Mentee as Henri Matisse raced 10th of 12 down the backside. On the far turn, Henri Matisse began picking off horses and swung wide into the stretch. He hit the front at mid-stretch and held off the late bid from Iron Man Cal who held second by a half-length over Aomori City (FR) who rallied from last to get third.
The victory was worth $520,000 and improved Henri Matisse’s earnings to $783,148 with a record of 6-4-1-0. Henri Matisse is a 2-year-old son of Wootton Bassett (GB) out of the Pivotal mare Immortal Verse (IRE).
