The second Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race Saturday at Keeneland is the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds. The winner gets an automatic bid in the BC Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
The Breeders’ Futurity, first run in 1910 at the Kentucky Association track in Lexington, has showcased many future champions. In recent years Forte (2023), Essential Quality (2020) and Classic Empire (2016) swept the Futurity and Juvenile and earned the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male.
Ferocious. NYRA/Coglianese Photo.
The Breeders’ Futurity winner could decide who the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile will be
Here are a few handicapping tips for the $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity:
The 1 1/16-mile distance and going two turns on dirt is uncharted territory for 10 of the 11 entries. Handsome Pants won his debut going that far, while Tenacious Leader ran second in an 8½-furlong grass race.
Ferocious, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, just missed last time out in the 7-furlong Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. After seeming to lose focus in the stretch, he rallied to fall short of 2-for-2 Chancer McPatrick by a half-length. Ferocious had a legitimate excuse because he lost his left front shoe during the race.
He’s by far the most logical winner and likely to go off at odds-on. Luis Saez replaces Irad Ortiz, Jr., who will be riding stakes at Aqueduct. From post 1 Saez will try to get a stalking position and work out a trouble-free trip.
Tenacious Leader broke his maiden by 4¼ lengths in a one-turn mile at Saratoga. Play an exacta with Ferocious on top of Tenacious Leader, and a smaller one with Ferocious above promising debut winner East Avenue.
The Breeders’ Futurity is race 9 with a post time of 5:16 p.m. ET.
For those who bet horse racing …
The picks: 1 Ferocious 2 Tenacious Leader 3 East Avenue
The field for the $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Ferocious (Luis Saez, Gustavo Delgado), 8-5
2 Saratoga Cruiser (Deshawn Parker, Jeff Engler), 50-1
3 Optical (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux), 30-1
4 Handsome Pants (Brian Hernandez, Jr. Kenny McPeek), 10-1
5 East Avenue (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh), 3-1
6 Filoso (John Velazquez, Chad Summers), 12-1
7 Mesero (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans), 15-1
8 Big Boat (Cristian Torres, James DiVito), 20-1
9 Tenacious Leader (Florent Geroux, Todd Pletcher), 8-1
10 Dapper Moon (Ricardo Santana, Jr. Dallas Stewart), 9-2
11 Ready for Peace (Jose Ortiz, Ignacio Correas), 30-1