Breeders Futurity (Grade 1) (BC)- $600.000 Purse
KEE- For Two Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
October 5, 2024

We are officially a month away from the BC, and the schedule this weekend is loaded with key races to determine who will be in those races. The BC Juvenile has three “win and you’re in” races taking place on Saturday, and one of them will at KEE with the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity. The $600.000 purse that is offered here is higher than the other two such races: the Champagne at AQU and the Pharoah Stakes at SA. Last year’s race was won by Falling For You, for Mb Stables, but the gelding has not won since then and did not run well in the BC Juvenile. Each of the top four finishers in the BC Juvenile, interestingly enough, chose the Champagne as their early October race. Lion Command, who finished fifth in the Juvenile, was the top finisher there that ran in the Breeders Futurity, and he was the runner up in this race. The gate is full, with fourteen runners, so let’s take a look at them:

1- Powerful (Fractious, ridden by M Franco)- Broke his maiden in his third career start, coming at WO in late June, and would be entered into the Grade 2 SAR Special after that race. That did not go well, but being dropped into the $100.000 Smoke Glacken Stakes at MTH proved to go much better, as Powerful scored the victory. Meets up with a couple he saw in the SAR Special again, including that race’s winner, Decal, as he goes long for the first time.

2- Comanche Smoke (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- In six starts, Comanche Smoke has finished in the top two each time, but as good as that may be, having more than one win would be nice. He’s on a five race second place streak, which includes three stakes at SAR, such as the SAR Special and the Sanford, where he was within a half-length of the winner. Went west for his last race but got the same finish: second in the DMR Futurity. Maybe post number two will be lucky for him.

3- Smitten (Asgar, ridden by A Beschizza)- Two weeks ago, Smitten broke his maiden in a three length win at WO. There’s no time for rest if you’re trying to make the BC Juvenile, but the SRF number, an 87, isn’t as high as others have earned, and while the WO win was nice, it was in a four-horse field. He worked well prior for that race, so he could have his day, but this is a superior field to what he saw up north.

4- Without Warning (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- Without any warning to his opponents, this colt went out there and won the first three races of his career, including the $150.000 Tremont at SAR, and then the Grade 3 Sanford, also at the Spa. Stayed at that track and looked to go wire to wire at seven furlongs in the Grade 1 Hopeful but was caught at the wire and settled for second. Goes long for the first time, but that is the case with quite a few of these, and I think Without Warning will adapt without any trouble.

5- Decal (Williams9, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- After running fourth in the Grade 3 Sanford, Decal remained at SAR and would win the SAR Special. Then, for some reason, he was moved to the grass and entered into the $750.000 KD Juvenile Sprint. Perhaps it was just a case of chasing the purse, but that proved to be a very wrong decision as Decal was soundly defeated. Now, the Decima gelding will be thrilled to be back on the main track as he goes long for the first time.

6- Valley Of Death (Riggins Racing, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Another horse that previously ran in the SAR Special, and for Valley Of Death, that resulted in finishing in a fourth-place dead heat. He traveled to DMR afterwards and had a truly forgettable performance in the Grade 1 DMR Futurity. For him to be here after that, the trainer likely knows why that happened and is confident that it will not happen again.

7- Food Man (Willaims9, ridden by Mar Garcia)- Didn’t cash a check in his last race, the DMR Futurity, but at least he can say that he did a lot better than Valley OF Death did in that race. Prior to running there, Food Man was seen in the $175.000 ELP Juvenile, going wire to wire in the victory. That’s one of his two wins, and each were while running at the front right from the start of the race.

8- Archaeology (Winning Link Stables, ridden by F Prat)- Archaeology won on debut and followed that up by running second in an N1X allowance, but he has not been back to the winner’s circle since then. Was beaten by three lengths by Food Man in the ELP Juvenile in August but had a good rebound in the Grade 1 Hopeful. Sure, he did not cash a check there, but it’s a much stronger race and he was within a length of the winner. He’s another horse in here that stretches out at a mile or more for the first time.

9- Bronze Hamilton (Mb Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- Picked up by the trainer after winning a $40.000 claimer, and would be entered into the SAR Special a month later. That did not go well, as he only finished ninth in that while beaten by several that he sees here in the Breeders Futurity. Improved last month in the Hopeful, running fourth, so perhaps as he continues to stretch out and run longer, we will see better out of him.

10- Inoue (Royalty Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- After winning two of his first three races, Inoue will be entered into a stake for the first time. About six weeks ago, he ran at a mile at DMR and won an optional claimer, which while not one of the stakes that rivals in here have been, he has proven that he win at a longer distance. That effort earned him a 90 SRF, and we’ll see how he handles stronger competition. He has certainly earned the opportunity.

11- Banned (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz)- The third of three runners in the race from Mb Stables, and like Inoue right next him, Banned is making his stake debut. These two are similar in other ways as well, as Banned has also won two out of three, and has already proven that he can win at a longer distance, as he took an allowance at today’s distance at the Big A last month. He likes to come from off the pace, which is interesting, since this race looks like it could have a lot of early speed.

12- Point Given (Fractious, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The trainer has plenty of reasons to be excited about this one, as Point Given has won three of four races after he was gelded. One of them was a big one, as last month, the gelding came from behind to win the Grade 1 DMR Futurity. He does not necessarily have to use that tactic, though, as he was closer to the pace and still won in the $100.000 Graduation Stakes right before that. Shouldn’t have any trouble getting to stretch out.

13- Consumed By Fire (Big Guns Stables, ridden by P Husbands)- He’s made two starts and two trips to the winner’s circle so far in his young career. Won on debut at FE, a result that encouraged the trainer to run him in the $200.000 Simcoe Stakes, for Canadian Breds, at WO, where he went wire to wire and won by two lengths, earning a 95 SRF. Worked well at WO in anticipation of this and looks to take another big step here.

14- Maymun (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Coming from the outside, Maymun has plenty of graded experience, he’s just not used to starting way out here. In August, he got the win in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes out of DMR but could not do similar there a month later in the DMR Futurity. He still ran fourth, but was beaten by four lengths, so that may be better or worse than it appears.

Prediction: 4-2-12-13

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES