Breeders' Cup Thoroughbred Racing Future Stars Friday Juvenile Races Results
I don't know whether people reading this will consider this a good thing, or a bad thing, but I'm back blogging again. My close friend and rommate of many years was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 2024, and I have spent the majority of my time since then making sure that my friend was not in pain, and that she could enjoy her life as much as possible. I have just finished (90%) moving into a new residence.
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The 2026 Breeders' Cup Championship Races are taking place this year at Keeneland, outside of Lexington, Kentucky. This is the 43rd edition of the Breeders' Cup, and next year it will be held at the newly revamped Belmont Park Racecourse in New York.
There are a few ways for a Thoroughbred to be eligible for the Breeders' Cup races:
Most horses are nominated as weanlings or foals by paying a one-time nomination fee (e.g., $400 by October 15 of their birth year for North American-sired foals). - OR -
North American stallions are nominated annually to the Breeders' Cup, by paying a fee; once nominated and the fee being paid, all of his progeny from that breeding season are eligible to be nominated. - OR -
Unnominated older horses or horses of racing age can be late-nominated or supplemented for a significantly higher fee. - OR -
Horses of racing age can enter a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" designated International Stakes race, and the winner of such a designated race is guaranteed a starting position in the corresponding World Championships race. The pre-entry and entry fees for the Breeders' Cup race will be paid for by the Breeders' Cup.
Horses who run in the Breeders' Cup must earn a certain number of points from approved graded races (or win a "Win and You're In" designated stakes race) to win a place in one of the Breeders' Cup Championship races. For the safety of the the Thoroughbreds and the jockeys, the number of participants is regulated, with a specific number of starters allowed for each race. There are entrants that are considered reserve "stand-bys" or "on hold," in case an illness or injury occurs prior to, or the day of, the Breeders' Cup races. - Five of the nine 2-year-olds who were on the reserve lists ran in races today.
Friday's Breeders' Cup races specifically spotlight the 2-year-olds - this crop of foals born in 2024, who will officially turn 3years old on 1 January 2027, no matter when they were born in 2024. There are five races for the juvenile Thoroughbreds that are currently run each year. They consist of a Sprint on the Turf for both fillies and colts; a 1 mile race on the Turf for each sex; and a 1 and 1/16 mile race on the main (dirt) track for each sex.
Today's first Breeders' Cup race was the Juvenile Turf Sprint. There was a full field of 12 in the race, with one of the fillies on the reserve list (Ruvia) replacing a colt (Good to Be King), who scratched early this morning.
The full field of twelve consisted of 8 fillies, 3 colts, and 1 gelding. Only 3 of the 2-year-olds were bred in the United States, with 7 bred in Ireland, 1 in Great Britain, and 1 bred in Australia. The youngsters raced 5 1/2 furlongs (11/16 of a mile) on a firm turf course, for a total purse of $1 million. The 4 males carried 122 pounds, while the fillies carried 119 pounds in the race. The three runners from the United States were all bred in Kentucky.
The winner of the race, by a distance of 1 1/4 lengths, was Libertango (IRE), in a time of 1:02.64. She is a bay daughter of No Nay Never and Ein Gedi (IRE), carried 119 pounds including Billy Loughnane, and is trained by George Boughey. She won $520,000 today. - And there is a story here, her Irish jockey has ridden her in every race, and he stands 5foot 11 inches. He has never had to make a weight less than 122. He had been dieting for the past two weeks, and spent almost all of Thursday and Thursday night in a sauna to lose weight, because he wanted to make the weight and ride her in the Breeders' Cup. This morning, he tipped the scale at 117 pounds. With his silks, boots and saddle, he weighed 119 - what Libertango was supposed to carry. So he got to ride her in her most important race as a 2-year-old; and they won it.
Hell of A Spin (IRE), a bay colt, finished in second place, by a head, and earned $170,000. There was an objection filed by the jockey of Force Noir (IRE), who crossed the finish line in seventh place, well behind Harper's Corner, who crossed the line a head behind Hell of A Spin (IRE). This took a long time to sort out, and the order of finish and betting payouts for this race - other than first and second place - was not announced until after the following race.
Immediately after the objection was lodged, the Breeders' Cup commentators showed an overhead clip of the incident that caused the objection. It showed Moonrise (IRE), who was running by the rail at the first (and only) turn. As an Irish-bred and raced horse, she had never raced in company around a turn, even though she had been exercised on a track with turns once she was flown to the US for the Breeders' Cup. As she ran along the rail's turn, her shoulders turned with the curve, but her hindquarters swung to the inside of the track, striking Harper's Corner, and pushing her sideways, which made her push against Force Noir (IRE). Force Noir's jockey reported Harper's Corner for pushing him further out onto the track. She did do that, but it was because Moonrise (IRE) pushed her. - BUT the steward's did not accept that explanation, and Harper's Corner was removed from third place on the board, and placed as finishing in 8th place out of twelve...
Mussab (GB) was named the 3rd place finisher, and received $90,000 from the purse. Mussab (GB) is a brown colt.
In fourth was Final Objective (IRE), a chestnut gelding, who was 1 3/4 length behind Mussab (GB). He earned $50,000.
In fifth was the chestnut filly Primetime Emmy (AUS), earning $30,000. Sixth was the bay colt Force Noir (IRE), who earned $20,000. Seventh was bay filly Moonrise (IRE), winning $10,000; eighth was Harper's Corner, a bay filly, winning $10,000; ninth was chestnut filly Ruiva, who received $10,000; tenth was bay filly Velozee (IRE), who earned $10,000; eleventh was bay filly Brickyard Belle; and bay filly Crownbreaker (IRE) brought the end of the field.
The betting payouts (as usual for me, I state the payouts of a $2 bet) for this race were: win - $5.74; place - $33.18; show - $6.44; the perfecta paid $226.62; the trifecta paid $1,485; the superfecta paid $14,655.
The second Breeders' Cup race of the was the Juvenile Fillies, which had a purse of $2 million, and was run on the main track (dirt surface) at a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles. All runners carried 122 pounds in this race. All of the fillies were bred in Kentucky, except Emphatic, who was bred in Pennsylvania. All of the fillies are bays, except Lexi's Charm, who is a chestnut.
The winner of this race was Emphatic, the bay Pennsyvania-bred daughter of Nyquist, in a time of 1:42.29. Her jockey was Tyler Gaffelione, and her trainer is Brendan Walsh. She won by 1 1/2 lengths, and took home a paycheck of $1,040,000 for this win.
In second place was Miss Monica, daughter of Early Voting, who took home $340,000, and who was 8 1/4 lengths ahead of Manuka Honey, a daughter of Upstart, who's paycheck was $180,000. A 1/2-length behind Manuka Honey was Revenge of the Sis, a daughter of Girvin, who earned $100,000.
In fifth place was Domain Expansion, who earned $60,000; sixth was Foxiest, who won $40,000; seventh was Scarlett Begonia, who took home $20,000; eighth was Rum Twist, with a check for $20,000; ninth was Badittude, who earned $20,000; tenth was Voyager, with $20,000; eleventh was Lexi's Charm; and twelfth was Life Changing.
The $2 betting payouts were: win - $7.92; place - $4.28; show - $3.84; the perfecta paid $30.62; the trifecta paid $133.80; and the superfecta paid $2,939.20.
Next up was the Juvenile Fillies Turf race, run at the distance of 1 mile, with a total purse of $1 million. All of the fillies carried 122 pounds. There were 3 scratches, and there were 3 fillies on the "wait" list, so a full field of 14 fillies competed. Seven of the fillies were bred in the United States; five from Kentucky, one from New York, and one from Virginia. Six fillies were bred in Ireland, and one in Great Britain. Virginia-bred Domestic Agenda was the only chestnut in the field with thirteen bays. (If you've read my summaries before, you'll know I love Sunday Silence and his get. Green Empress (IRE), a daughter of Saxon Warrior (JPN), is a Sunday Silence descendant through her sire.)
The winner of this race was Sun Goddess (IRE), a daughter of Sioux Nation, who led at the finish line by 3 lengths, and finished the race in 1:36.10. She is trained by Aidan O'Brien, and her jockey was Ryan Moore. Her winner's check was for $520,000.
In second place was Green Empress (IRE), earning $170,000, who was a neck ahead of Curracloe, who received $90,000. Amusingly (GB) was 3/4 length behind Curracloe in fourth, and earned $50,000.
In fifth place was Alwaysanangel, who got a $30,000 paycheck; in sixth was Scommessa Sicura (IRE), who earned $20,000; seventh was Ballinea Star (IRE), getting a $10,000 check; eighth was Domestic Agenda, receiving $10,000; ninth was De la Renta, earning $10,000; tenth was Silent Beauty (IRE), taking home a $10,000 check; eleventh was Quibbler; twelfth was Seneca Park; thirteenth was Vanta; and fourteenth was Luminous Beauty.
The payouts for $2 bets were: win - $3.70; place - $7.00; show - $8.14; perfecta - $20.76; trifecta - $154.60; and superfecta - $572.20.
Originally, there were eight entries this past Monday, when post positions were drawn for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile race. It is race at the distance of 1 1/16 miles on the main track (dirt) for a purse of $2 million. Two of the colts were scratched before the race, leaving only 6 colts, all bred in Kentucky in the race. Five are bays, with American History being a chestnut. He Is No Lie is a ridgling.
The winner of the race was Hughes, a son of Into Mischief, out of K P Dreamin, in 1:42.27. His jockey was Flavien Prat, and he is trained by Bob Baffert. He won by 2 1/4 lengths, and won $1,040,000.
The betting payouts for a $2 bet were: win - $3.64; place - $3.30; show - $2.72; perfecta - $12.64; trifecta - $34,60; and superfecta - $55.60.
The last Breeders' Cup Juvenile race for 2026 was the Turf (colts) at the distance of 1 mile, with a purse of $1 million. There were 15 entries at the post draw on Monday; 3 scratched and 1 colt drew in, so there was a field of 12 in the starting gate. Eight of the starters were bred in the United States; seven were bred in Kentucky and Liam's Law was bred in Florida. Three of the colts were bred in Ireland, and one in Great Britain. Ten of the colts are bays, two are chestnuts. Two are geldings: Popcorn, and Agate. (And Agate is a descendant of Sunday Silence.)
The winner of the race was Haffner, a bay son of Justify, ridden by Ryan Moore, and trained by Aidan O'Brien. [This was Aidan O'Brien's 23rd win as a Trainer in Breeders' Cup races. He leads Bob Baffert by one race.] Haffner won by 1 3/4 lengths, in a time of 1:35.19, and took $520,000 to the bank for his win.
The $2 betting payouts were: win - $9.46; place - $4.42; show - $4.46; perfecta - $30.32; trifecta - $179.56; and superfecta - $ 1,917.60.
Tomorrow, we'll have 9 races with 3-year-olds and up... And I'll report again....
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