Thoroughbred racing enthusiasts turned their attention to Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky as the 43rd Breeders’ Cup got underway on Friday. The opening day of the prestigious two-day meeting, widely styled as the world championships of Flat racing, features a robust juvenile card with $7 million in prize money at stake. Saturday’s nine-race card will expand the stakes to $27 million, highlighted by marquee events such as the Turf and the Classic.
European contenders arrived in Kentucky aiming to replicate their success from the 2022 Keeneland meeting, where visiting stables swept all three Friday turf contests. European runners once again hold favoritism across Friday’s three turf events. Among them, trainer Aidan O’Brien saddles the second-favorite, Haffner, in the Juvenile Turf, while his son, Joseph O’Brien, sends out Folsom Blues as the market leader for the same race.
Drama surrounded the opening event, the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over five and a half furlongs, following a late jockey shift. Flavien Prat was originally slated to ride Libertango, but the new champion Flat jockey was unable to make the weight. Instead, Billy Loughnane successfully trimmed down to 8st 5lb to take the mount on George Boughey’s filly, which opened as the 2-1 favorite in on-course betting.
The deep European contingent for the curtain-raiser also features Andrew Balding’s Moonrise, who finished fourth of six in the Cheveley Park Stakes, and Richard and Peter Fahey’s Mussab, winner of his last three outings including the Cornwallis Stakes. Amo Racing’s Force Noir also draws attention after bouncing back from a disappointing run in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot to secure second in the Group One Middle Park Stakes. Late addition Ruiva is expected to add further pace to an already swift early gallop, though she faces a challenge reaching the turn ahead of Harper’s Corner and Libertango, the latter likely tracking top U.S. hope Brickyard Belle.
Brickyard Belle enters unbeaten in two starts, having shown resilience to catch Harper’s Corner in the Grade Three Matron Stakes after dropping back earlier in the running. Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien’s standout filly Sun Goddess is favored to capture the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
On the dirt tracks, the Juvenile drew a modest field of six runners, missing USS Valor. Owner Barry Irwin opted to bypass the race with the highly regarded two-year-old to concentrate preparations on next year’s Kentucky Derby. In his absence, trainer Bob Baffert’s Hughes is positioned as a strong favorite. Baffert is also eyeing a major double on the card, with his undefeated filly Miss Monica heavily fancied in the Juvenile Fillies.
