Breeder's Cup 2018 Photo Highlights
Day One, Juveniles, 11-2-2018
Improbable
$100,000 Street Sense Stakes
Though not a Breeder's Cup stake, nor even a graded stakes, the winner of this race was so impressive it was impossible to exclude him from the photo gallery of this day's racing. Indeed, his performance in many ways was more impressive than than that of Game Winner in his victory later in the afternoon in the G1 BC Juvenile. Another star in the already star-studded barn of Bob Baffert, this beautiful chestnut son of City Zip -Rare Event (A.P. Indy) may prove the most special gem of all when this juvenile class has completed their sophomore year of racing, and serves as yet another reminder of how great a loss it was when his sire, City Zip, died so young.
Bulletin
Listed BC Juvenile Turf Sprint
In the next race we were immediately again reminded of the void left by the premature loss of City Zip. With only a single race prior to the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint, albeit a highly impressive win at Gulfstream Park in September, this flashy chestnut colt out of the Woodman mare Good News demonstrated numerous highly desirable qualities in this race. Breaking extremely alertly and showing excellent early turn-of-foot, he was challenged throughout by the very talented filly Chelsea Cloisters (First Samurai-Postulant by Pulpit). Indeed, that filly in fact headed Bulletin turning into the stretch and gained a short lead before Bulletin dug deep, found another gear, and pulled away to an eventual widening 2 3/4 length victory, with Kentucky-bred (Machmer Hall, Bourbon County) but European-raced group stake winner So Perfect (Scat Daddy-Hopeoverexperience by Songandaprayer) working her way through significant traffic and a seven-wide turn for home to close well for third place. Clearly, all three of these youngsters have promising futures before them. Notably, both Improbable and Bulletin share the same ownership of Winstar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, while the former is trained by Bob Baffert and the latter by Todd Pletcher.
Newspaperofrecord (IRE)
G1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf
The perceived magnificence of any athletic performance, while influenced by innumerable variables, is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. In the eye of this beholder, no performance on either day of the Breeder's Cup was as totally dominating, so overwhelming, as that of Newspaperofrecord (IRE) as she won with devastating ease against an excellent field of fillies in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. The very heavy favorite for this one mile trip on the turf, the Irish-bred daughter of Lope de Vega (IRE)-Sunday Times (GB) by Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) had raced exclusively in America leading up to this race, her spotless record highlighted by a 6 1/2 length facile win in the G2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont some five weeks earlier. Under the masterful tutelage of Chad Brown and ridden by Irad Ortiz, this beautiful moving youngster broke alertly, immediately assumed the lead, allowed the field to close slightly near the top of the stretch, then found another gear to open quickly and seemingly effortlessly while winning geared down by 6 3/4 lengths, her only encouragement from Ortiz being a quick cross, a short whistle and the promise of carrots back at the barn! Her running time of 1:39.00, accomplished with ridiculous ease on the yielding lawn, appears particularly outstanding when compared to the corresponding race for colts run two races later in 1:40.06 while winning under a hard drive. This could be a very special filly, indeed!
Jaywalk
G1 BC Juvenile Fillies
One would normally expect that a filly who was entering the G1 BC Juvenile Fillies off an over-powering, near six length, victory in the historic G1 Frizette at Belmont would receive more respect than to be let go by the betting public as fourth choice at $5.50:1, but such was the case with the roan filly Jaywalk. Clearly her opposition was felt to be formidable but, on this day, proved no match for the daughter of Cross Traffic-Lady Pewitt by Orientate. Breaking sharply from the seven hole, jockey Joel Rosario hustled her from the gate, crossed over while easily clearing those to her inside, and held a 1/2 length lead bending into the first turn of the 1 1/16th mile dirt race. Straightening away down the backside, Rosario let her run and she easily maintained a comfortable lead without undo pressure. Leading by one length at the quarter pole, here she quickly accelerated and opened a daylight lead, widening at will to win by a comfortable 6 1/2 lengths, a margin which could likely have been greater if asked. She was followed in order by Restless Rider, Vibrance, and the race favorite, Bellafina. Of note, the final time for the race was 1:43.62, actually 0.05 seconds faster than the juvenile colts ran two races later. Girl power!
Line Of Duty (IRE)
G1 BC Juvenile Turf
A $3.50:1 favorite in Anthony Van Dyke (IRE) spoke volumes about the wide open nature of the G1 BC Juvenile Turf, and the anticipated highly competitive race lived up to expectations, as a tremendous stretch drive resulted in Line Of Duty (IRE) gaining the victory over the gallant Uncle Benny. With a clever piece of race riding, William Buick kept the chestnut son of Galileo (IRE)-Jacqueline Quest (IRE) by Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) covered up and settled off the pace early, swung him off the rail to the four path entering the stretch, found the best ground on the yielding surface and out-finished Uncle Benny. The latter tracked the winner on the rail some eight lengths off the pace, mounted a charge and was moving inside that one around the 3/8th pole when he appeared to make contact with Line Of Duty (IRE) causing Uncle Benny to lose at least two lengths as they approached the quarter pole. Finally getting free of traffic, he made a bold charge between horses to challenge for the lead approaching the wire only to have Line Of Duty (IRE) brush him as the latter drove for the wire. Bad racing luck for certain, and Uncle Benny may possibly have been the best horse on this day. A claim of foul lodged by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. on Uncle Benny was disallowed by the stewards. Final time for the mile on the yielding turf was 1:40.06
Game Winner
G1 BC Juvenile
The marquee race of the juvenile Breeder's Cup card is traditionally the G1 BC Juvenile going 1 1/16th miles on the dirt. The even money favorite for the 2018 edition of this race was the undefeated, two-time grade 1 winning, Game Winner from the barn of Bob Baffert and racing under the familiar pink silks of Gary and Mary West. Based upon past performance, including an analysis of speed figures, the handsome bay son of Candy Ride (ARG)-Indyan Giving by A.P. Indy was well deserving of his favoritism. Complexity, second choice at $2.60:1 looked to be the speed in the race and was the only competitor to sport speed figures to challenge the favorite. As anticipated, Complexity fired from the gate and quickly assumed the lead, a margin of one length going into the first turn, followed closely by G1 Breeder's Futurity victor, Knicks Go. For his part, Game Winner stalked about 4-5 lengths off the pace of 23.24, 46.87, with 3/4 mile in 1:11.23. Turning into the stretch, Complexity relinquished the lead to Knicks Go who appeared full of run but Game Winner, having made a sweeping run around the final turn, here quickly grasped the lead and under strong urging from jockey Joel Rosario proved too strong as he slowly widened to a 2 1/2 length victory, with Knicks Go running on well to hold second by a diminishing one length over a fast closing Signalman. The final time for the race was 1:43.67 again, as in the turf races, slower than the comparable filly race run two races earlier.
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