NKyTribune staff
Arcadia, CA – The final race of Future Stars Friday ended in fireworks when the 45/1 longshot Storm the Court re-rallied late to defeat Anneau d’Or and typhoon Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
Storm the Court (inside) and Anneau d’Or (#7) locked up in furious stretch duel in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Future Stars Friday at Santa Anita. Storm the court held of the charge of Anneau d’Or to prevail and capture the winner’s share of the $2 million purse (photos by Mark Hansel).
Dennis’ Moment, the 4/5 favorite who was expected to contest the pace, fell to his knees out of the gate and spotted the field several lengths before recovering. That opened the door for Storm the Court and jockey Flavien Prat to take the lead heading into the clubhouse turn.
The 3/2 second choice Eight Rings tracked early but was unable to sustain his pressure.
Anneau d’Or made a strong bid through the far turn and looked like a winner at the top of the stretch at 25/1, but Storm the Court fought back along the inside before prevailing by a neck. Continuing the upset trend, Wrecking Crew took third at 35/1.
Trained by Peter Eurton, Storm the Court is co-owned by Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson, and Dan Hudock. The son of Court Vision – who upset the 2011 TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile at 64/1 – now carries a record of 4-2-0-1 with $1,172,951 earned.
Odds of 45-1 didn’t deter this lucky patron from betting Storm the Court to win. She was rewarded with $93.80 for a $2 bet.
Storm the Court returned $93.80 to win, $24.80 to place, and $12 to show. Anneau d’Or brought back $17.60 to place and $10.40 to show, while Wrecking Crew paid $12.20 to show.
Juvenile fillies
A pair of favored fillies put on a show for the ages as British Idiom outdueled a very tough Donna Veloce in the stretch run to take Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
British Idiom, a daughter of Flashback, is co-owned by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables.
https://www.facebook.com/mark.hansel.10/videos/10214678650856327/
Breeders’ Cup Future Stars Friday at Santa Anita. The Northern Kentucky Tribune was there live to bring readers the day in pictures.
Breaking from post 4 under Javier Castellano as the 5/2 second choice, British Idiom sat off the pace early while a three-wide trio of Two Sixty, Bast, and Wicked Whisper posted opening fractions of :22.71 and :46.02.
The 2/1 favorite Donna Veloce launched an outside bid off of the far turn and swept to the lead, but British Idiom was hot on her heels and soon put her nose in front near the 1/16 pole.
The two fought side by side the length of the stretch, but the Brad Cox-trained British Idiom prevailed by a neck at the wire.
Bast faded to third, 1 3/4 lengths behind the top duo and the same distance ahead of Perfect Alibi in fourth.
British Idiom returned $7.40 to win, $3.80 to place, and $2.80 to show. Donna Veloce brought back $4 to place and $3 to show, while Bast paid $3.40 to show.
Juvenile Turf
Jockey Jose Ortiz gives a thumbs up as Structor is led into the winner’s circle rolling his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Future Starts Friday at Santa Anita.
Structor soared to victory in Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1).
This was the third consecutive win for the undefeated two-year-old son of Palace Malice who won last time out in the G3 Pilgrim at Keeneland.
Structor broke from the second position at odds of 5-1 and sat midpack behind the early pace setter Graceful Kitten. Proven Strategies sat just off the leaders while the 2-1 post-time favorite Arizona got stuck back behind horses and was force to make a fruitless late run.
Structor, who is trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, shot down the stretch late to win by an easy ¾-length victory over Billy Batts who came on late a neck ahead of Gear Jockey in a photo for third. Structor was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and is owned by Jeff Drown & Don Rachel.
Structor returned $12.60 to win, $7.20 to place, and $5.20 to show. Billy Batts brought back $33.40 to place and $18.20 to show, while Gear Jockey paid $20.20 to show.
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Sharing sped to victory in Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
The Graham Motion trainee was bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm and is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable. This was the third consecutive win for the two-year-old daughter of Speightstown.
Abscond and Sweet Melania shot to the lead and controlled the pace in the early going. Sharing broke at odds of 13-1 and sat off the leaders early.
Into the final turn, Jockey Manuel Franco guided Sharing straight to the front where she exploded to win with an easy 1 ¼ length victory over the 7-2 post time favorite Daahyeh. Daahyeh dealt with traffic early but was able to finish well late ahead of Sweet Melania finished third and Albigna was fourth.
Sharing returned $29.60 to win, $10.60 to place, and $8.40 to show. Daahyeh brought back $5.60 to place and $3.80 to show, while Sweet Melania paid $4.60 to show.
Juvenile Turf Sprint
Breeze Easy’s Four Wheel Drive broke sharply from the gate and never looked back en route to wiring Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
Breaking from post 9 as the 3/2 favorite under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Four Wheel Drive posted opening fractions of :21.55 and :44.03 before completing the 5-furlong event over the firm turf course in a final time of :55.66.
The Wesley Ward trainee, a first-crop son of the 2015 Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic champion American Pharoah, was 3/4 of a length ahead of Chimney Rock in second. Another 2 1/4 lengths back, a tight photo finish for third went the way of Another Miracle over the winner’s stablemate, Kimari.
Four Wheel Drive returned $5 to win, $3.40 to place, and $3 to show. Chimney Rock brought back $8.20 to place and $5.40 to show, while Another Miracle paid $7.80 to show.
Record handle for Future Stars Friday
Fans came out in force for Breeders’ Cup Future Stars Friday. The crowd of 41, 243 helped set a record for Friday Breeders’ Cup all-sources handle.
All-sources handle for the 10-race program of the first day of the 36th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park was $56,517,228, a record for Breeders’ Cup Friday and a 5.4% increase over last year’s 10-race Breeders’ Cup Future Stars Friday card at Churchill Downs.
The Future Stars Friday card featured five Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-old horses, the second consecutive year of grouping all of the juvenile races on the same day since the event expanded to its current two-day format in 2007.
Friday’s attendance was 41,243 and Friday’s on-track handle for the 10-race card was $6,340,351.
Breeders’ Cup Friday attendance and handle history for the previous five years:
2018, Churchill Downs – 42,249; $53,636,272
2017, Del Mar — 32,728; $52,273,883
2016, Santa Anita — 45,673; $49,651,600
2015, Keeneland – 44,497; $46,251,965
2014, Santa Anita – 37,205; $47,666,982
