Winner of the Hopeful Stakes (G1). Strength who was expected to lead the Champagne Stakes (G1) on October 1st Aqueduct race track Before being pulled from consideration last week just before entries were accepted, he is headed to the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) on Oct. 8 Keeneland.
While he may still be the favorite in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile race, he won't be as close as he was last Saturday in Champagne, when only six horses started, none of them existing graded winners operations. A full field of 13 rivals will face Forte in the Breeders' Futurity, and two others are on the also-eligible list hoping to earn a starting chance with a scratch.
Riders are eager to give their horses a start on the track and over the distance in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) on Nov. 4 at Keeneland. The Breeders' Futurity is a win-and-you're-in Breeders' Cup qualifying event for the race.
None of Forte's opponents are as successful as Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable Violence colts, but many have shown promise in narrow employ. These opponents include, among others, the winners of the last Maiden tournament or the optional winners entitled to an allowance Frosty departure , Registrations , Instant coffee , Funtastic again , Red Route One , Good heart And Powerful .
Two other Breeders' Futurity participants are stakes winners: Two Phils And Lost Ark . The latter is Forte's stablemate, a colt that Pletcher has long pointed out.
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Harrell Ventures' Lost Ark appears to have a commanding presence after pushing his record to 2-2 with a 7 1/2-length victory in the one-mile Sapling Stakes on Aug. 27 Monmouth Park.
“Lost Ark has always trained forward and should continue to improve,” Pletcher told Keeneland Publicity via text message. “We went to Sapling to do a two-corner race.”
Ridden Lost Ark pulls away in the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park
He also emerged from the AP Indy mare through violence Marion Ravenwood which makes him a half-brother Nest, Winner of the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at the 1 1/16-mile trip at Keeneland this spring. After runner-up finishes in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), Nest later won the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama Stakes (G1).
Forte, from the lawn cutter, who won several stakes Queen Caroline (Accuse ), its Hopeful form was validated as Flaming sevens a distant third behind him, came back and won the champagne.
The Saratoga mainline was sloppy for the Hopeful. The Keeneland mainline should be swift as clear, brisk fall weather is forecast for Saturday in Kentucky.
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Irad Ortiz Jr., who before winning the Hopeful with Forte, was also aboard the colt and took fourth place in the Sanford and his debut win (both on swift surfaces), is at it again.
Flavien Prat, who guided Lost Ark to his first win before Javier Castellano rode him to victory in Sapling, was given the Breeders' Futurity riding job by Pletcher, a two-time Breeders' Futurity winner.
Kenny McPeek also trains a pair in the race Frosty departure (Matted ) And Sanded (Pointed Aztec ).
McPeek's youthful often shine on routes in the fall. He has won the Breeders' Futurity three times, including last year with Rattle N Roll .
Honed (blue cap) breaks his first win at Ellis Park
“We’re pretty good at stretching them out,” said the trainer, who also runs two fillies in the Oct. 7 Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland. “I don’t tend to do a lot of sprinting and when they do stretch out they tend to thrive for us. I really like running younger horses longer later in the season. I think the way we deal with them, the further they go, they do better. We.” Buy a specific guy at auction who wants a little more ground.
Frosted Departure is 2-for-4 after recording his wins in two races over seven furlongs. Honed won first by a mile Ellis Park and then finished second in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) on September 17 Churchill Downs.
In addition to Forte, the Breeders' Futurity's two fastest drivers in terms of speed are the Brad Cox-trained duo Loggins and Instant Coffee.
Coach Bob Baffert has also entered a pair at Newgate and Carmel Road, although the latter is also eligible and requires a transfer to start. Newgate won first ahead of a fourth-place finisher in the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1). Carmel Road completed the early stages in second when attempting a mile sea.
With many of the youngsters pulling out of the sprints and riders feeling the need to secure their position, the Breeders' Futurity could see a high pace. This could be beneficial for long-distance runners like Honed, Forte and Lost Ark – assuming they can find a economical route without traffic jams.
The Breeders' Futurity, like other 1 1/16-mile races at Keeneland, typically begins and ends at the sixteenth pole.
Entries: Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1)
Keeneland, Saturday, October 8, 2022, Race 9
- Class I
- 1 1/16m
- dirt
- $600,000
- 2 years
- 5:14 p.m. (local)
