Kicking off two days of Breeders’ Cup action at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY., five juvenile races make up the US$7 million (AU$9,741,550) Future Star Friday starting at 6.30am AEDT.
Sepoy’s Mighty Gurkha among Juvenile Turf Sprint Runners
Sepoy will see his first Breeders’ Cup starter on Friday when Mighty Gurkha (Ire) breaks from the 1-hole in the G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The Grade 3-winning colt ridden by Hollie Doyle is out of a half-sister to Hong Kong Listed winner and Group 1-placed Rewarding Hero (GB) (Exceed And Excel).
G1 Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock) saw 2-year-old son Lipizzaner (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) win the Listed Vertem.co.uk Doncaster S. a few weeks ago and will be racing just a few miles from where he was born in the Breeders’ Cup. Lipizzaner is the second stakes winner for his dam after his Grade 2-winning half-sister Omei Sword (High Chapparal {Ire}), who brought the hammer down at $1.7 million as a broodmare prospect just a few months after her half-brother sold. Irish Lights also has a yearling full brother to Lipizzaner and visited Justify (USA) this year.
Plenty to root for in Juvenile Turf
Declaration Of War’s (USA) Grade 2 winner Fire At Will (USA) looks to go better than his three-quarter brother Decorated Invader (USA) (Declaration Of War {USA}) did last year in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Hailing from the family of US stakes winner and Australian resident Sweet Victory (USA) (Blame {USA}), the colt is the first foal from Decorated Invader’s half-sister Flirt (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}), who saw that Grade 1-winning sibling finish fourth in this race. Sweet Victory is a granddaughter of Flirt’s grandam’s half-sister and also comes from the family of Breeders’ Cup Turf runner Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
G2 Royal Lodge S. winner New Mandate (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is one of two runners for his dam, a half-sister to the dam of dual Group 1 winner Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and is out of a half-sister to two Australian runners. New Mandate’s third dam is also the dam of G1 Caulfield Cup fourth Blue Monday (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) and Australian stakes winner Rugged Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
Kingman’s (GB) Grade 2-placed Public Sector (GB) is the first stakes horse for Parle Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to three stakes horses. The Chad Brown-trained colt comes from a very international family, with his family members including Listed Premier’s Cup winner Less Is More (Fr) (Beat Hollow {GB}), who ended his career at Rosehill in 2016.
One of three Breeders’ Cup runners for Jessica Harrington, Group 2 winner Cadillac (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) shares a family with New Zealand Group 3 winner Lilikoi (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), whose dam Barbadine (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) spent most of the last decade in New Zealand before moving to Australia in July. That mare had a full sister to Lilikoi last year and is carrying to Almanzor (Fr).
One of two winners out of Allegrezza (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), the stakes-winning Ebeko (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) comes from the family of Coolmore’s new stallion Calyx (GB). Also from the family of Group 1 winners Distant Music (USA) (Distant View {USA}) and African Rose (GB) (Observatory {GB}), the Peter Miller-trained colt was the first stakes winner for his freshman sire after being purchased by American interests in July when he broke his maiden at Leopardstown.
Young Australian sires represented in Juvenile Fillies Turf
Sir Prancealot (Ire) sees his Group 2-winning daughter Miss Amulet (Ire) line up in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, his third Breeders’ Cup runner and third in this race. Miss Amulet comes from the family of G1 Arlington Million winner Mil Native (USA) (Exclusive Native) and Singapore champion Mexican Rose (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) among 12 stakes winners under the filly’s first three dams.
Vancouver’s undefeated Madone (USA) gives her sire a first Breeders’ Cup runner from his first Northern Hemisphere crop on Friday. Three-for-three, including two stakes wins, Madone is one of five winners from five runners out of Indian Love Call (USA) (Cherokee Run {USA}), a half-sister to stakes winner Allegre (USA) (Orientate {USA}). This is also the extended family of New Zealand stakes-placed Forever Dancing (USA) (Success Express {USA}), whose descendants include Group 3 winner Perast (Snitzel) and Listed winner Respin (NZ) (Power {GB}).
The first foal out of a full sister to G2 Zipping Classic winner Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Grade 2-placed Editor At Large (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) one of two runners in this race descending from Anna Edes (Fr) (Fabulous Dancer {USA}) along with Oodnadatta (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Also in the family is G2 Crystal Mile winner Rosina Lad (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}). While Rosina Lad hasn’t raced since 2006, Southern France is currently in training with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Frosted runner among Juvenile entries
Darley shuttle sire Frosted (USA) has made a bang in both hemispheres with his first runners and it’s set to get even more exciting with Likable (USA) running in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. A three-quarter brother to stakes winner Bronze Star (USA) (Tapit {USA}), Likable is also a half-brother to stakes winner and G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint third Dawn The Destroyer (USA) (Speightstown {USA}).
