Breeders Futurity (BC) (KYD) (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
KEE- For Two Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
October 6, 2018

Our great weekend of two year old racing continues at KEE as the 15th running of the Breeders Futurity takes place. This is a race that will send its winner to the BC Juvenile, and likely send a few of its top overall performers. The race is a little longer then the companion race going at BEL, The Champagne, and many greats have chosen this one as well. Fusion is the most well known, given he is also a KYD champion, but the likes of Skeleton Key, and more recently, Diplomatic Immunity, have won this race. It’s a good list of horses who have since gone on to be successful in the shed, too. Diplomatic Immunity is a favorite of mine. With covers still available at $15.000, it’s making me want to breed again. Almost. I’d have nothing worthy of him to mate with. Anyway, let’s get to this race, should be a good one!

#1- Brazen Deception (Nakamura Stables, ridden by F Prat)- He’s a winner of two out of four, and made an attempt at the $100.000 Graduation Stakes for CA-breds two months ago at DMR and likely had a race that was far better then the race line makes it look. Following that, he rebounded nicely in an allowance, going wire to wire at DMR at a mile, earning a 95 SRF, with F Prat aboard. They’ll hope to duplicate that here.

#2- Get Jiggy With It (Serenity Stables, J R Leparoux)- If I had any rapping ability, I would try to write some lines here that were catchy, but alas, I must concede that I can’t. Still, I sung a couple lines of the song in my head when I saw his name. After winning his first two starts, he was picked up by Serenity in the auction last month for a good price of $55.000. A week later, he was on the track, and running in the Grade 3 Iroquois, and turned in a solid third place run. Capable of having us all singing his praises after the race.

#3- Tongariro (Smokey Stover, ridden by D E Centeno)- After finishing third in an allowance last month, Tongariro has put together a couple of sharp looking mile works at PRX. So far, he only has a win at two furlongs to boast about, and an attempt at the Grade 2 SAR Special was likely just too short for him. He recovered nicely for that allowance, but it was on a sloppy track. Based on his recent works, I look forward to seeing be able to run this distance on a dry surface, and feel he will do well, and he is my pick to win.

#4- Sneaky Chuck (Aer Stables, ridden by F Pennington)- The great F Pennington looks for his first win in this race, and he will be looking for one of two Champsville foals in this field to get it done. Sneaky Chuck broke his maiden in his last start, his third, at MTH as an add change looked to do the trick. He goes long for the first time, but looked sharp in a work at MTH in early September.

#5- Golden Boy (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- As the trainer has a strong year with his two year old crop, adding a victory in the Breeders Futurity would be yet another coveted jewel for him. Golden Boy seems to be a strong contender, with two wins in three starts, including an impressive victory at the Funny Cide for NY-breds, a $200.000 race, in late August. He fared well at CD in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor, running third in June. He’ll go long for the first time here.

#6- Cryptomining (Axeman, ridden by A J Juarez Jr)– In terms of starts, no one has been on the track more then Cryptomining, and he will make his seventh start here. Based on that, I would have liked to have seen more then just the one maiden win, but he has been going up the best in the division, and finishing respectfully. Placed fifth in the Grade 1 Hopeful last month while having the special benefit of the amazing F Pennington in the saddle.

#7- Call Me Godd (Sir Daniel Martin, ridden by R J Albarado)- We can also call this one a two-time winner, and he looks to win his third in a row, and if he did, they would all be at over a mile. He has not faced this level of competition yet, but fared well in a win at BEL in an optional claimer. Has shown a liking for wanting to come from behind, so be looking out for him in the stretch.

#8- Not A Pretty One (Estero Farms, ridden by J K Court)- He may not be pretty, but he is out of the same dam that produced Pretty Ferro, so there is some great talent in his blood. It would be a great story if he were to win this, and an amazing story if he won this and Candlestick won the Champagne, as he is out of the same dam as Centerpiece. While the works are adequate enough, they don’t jump out at you and wow you. The Grade 2 Best Pal was a struggle, but may not mean a thing if he just wanted to go longer.

#9- Hard To Kill (Mb Stables, ridden by J Talamo)- Now, we move into the Mb Stables section of the starting gate, as the trainer as three of the four in these outside posts. There is a lot to like about Hard To Kill, a Hardline gelding, even though he has just one win in four starts. Comes off a fourth place run at the DMR Futurity last month. Two of the three that were ahead of him there were in the top three at the Grade 1 Pharoah Stakes at SA last week. So, there was nothing questionable about the field quality there. Maybe the one I should be picking, but I am looking elsewhere.

#10- Senora West (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- This one is off to a strong start, winning the first two races of his career, before stepping up into stake company, and running second in the $100.000 Aspirant, for NY breds, last month. That was against a small field, so he has not been facing that quality that most his rivals here have gone up against, but I always like one that simply knows how to win.

#11- Scarlet Ninja (Joshua Stables, ridden by L H Colon)- Making his debut for Joshua Stables, after being purchased last month in private sales for $250.000. Therefore, with that tag, you know that Joshua has high hopes for this one. So far, just one win in four starts, and while he has been in the Grade 3 Sanford and the always tougher then purse looks Sapling, his race lines seem a bit flat. Therefore, Joshua welcomed him into the barn by giving him the snip. Let’s see if it pays off!

#12- Residency (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Rounding out the field on the outside, this colt by Good Authority was quite impressive in an ELP allowance last month. At a mile, he would go wire to wire, winning in an HRP-rout for four lengths. He has not been tested at this level yet, but he certainly deserves the opportunity, and you have to think he will use a similar tactic, especially from this spot in the gate.

Prediction: 3-9-5-4

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES