Future Stars Friday – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
When the Breeders’ Cup expanded from a single day to a two-day event in 2007, day 1 was devoted to female horses and the overall purses increased to over $25 million for both days. In 2018 all 2-year-old races were moved to the Friday card and the day was dubbed “Future Stars Friday.”
The total purses for the 14 Breeders’ Cup races, as well as eight undercard races, this year will be worth $31 million. In 2008, the Breeders’ Cup Marathon was added but was dropped by April 2014. Also in 2011 the Juvenile Sprint was added, only to be dropped after the 2012 running. And in 2008 the main track races were contested over a synthetic surface instead of traditional dirt.
The races added in 2007 were Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for 3-year-olds and up, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up; and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, a one-mile event open to 2-year-old males and females.
That year the Dirt Mile was contested at a mile and 70 yards as the Monmouth Park main track doesn’t typically offer one-mile dirt races due to the track’s configuration, and the Filly & Mare Sprint, now at seven furlongs, was set at six furlongs for the same reason.In 2009, the Breeders’ Cup announced that it would switch from the traditional purple saddle towels and instead use the standard colored saddle towels. Before then, the only time purple saddle towels weren’t used were in the inaugural event when all runners wore gold towels.
Breeders’ Cup also introduced the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” qualifying system in 2007, a policy wherein winners of major races throughout the year from around the world and North America would gain an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Championships starting gate. This year despite the Covid-19 pandemic a total of 81 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races were offered throughout the year.
2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Odds
| 1 | Camp Hope | 30-1 | Kenneth G. McPeek | Robby Albarado |
| 2 | King Fury | 15-1 | Kenneth G. McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr |
| 3 | Reinvestment Risk | 9-2 | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| 4 | Likeable | 15-1 | Todd A. Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 5 | Essential Quality | 4-1 | Brad Cox | Luis Saez |
| 6 | Keepmeinmind | 30-1 | Robertino Diodoro | Jose Ortiz |
| 7 | Jackie’s Warrior | 7-5 | Steven M. Asmussen | Joel Rosario |
| 8 | Classier | 15-1 | Bob Baffert | Florent Geroux |
| 9 | Sittin On Go | 12-1 | Dale L. Romans | Corey Lanerie |
| 10 | Dreamer’s Disease | 30-1 | Robertino Diodoro | David Cohen |
| 11 | Next | 15-1 | Wesley A. Ward | Gerardo Corrales |
| 12 | Hot Rod Charlie | 30-1 | Doug O’Neill | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 13 | Rombauer | 15-1 | Michael W. McCarthy | Javier Castellano |
| 14 | Calibrate | 20-1 | Steven M. Asmussen | Ricardo Santana Jr |
Miriam Lee has always been a horse racing fan thanks to trips to the tracks in her home state of Maryland with her father as kid. She owns an OTTB and is an advocate for promoting the sport among her peers. Miriam studies communication arts at Hood College and will receive her master’s degree in 2021, which she plans to use for a career in screenwriting. Her all-time favorite racehorse is Man O War.