DEL MAR — The first three Breeders’ Cup races Friday at Del Mar made first-time winners of several trainers and jockeys, but as the sun began to dip toward the Pacific Ocean just a few furlongs away, the old guard shone.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile featured a victory by the undefeated odds-on favorite Ted Noffey, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his 16th Cup victory — fifth most in history — and jockey John Velazquez his 22nd, second all-time.
That was followed in the nightcap by a history-making victory by another heavy favorite, Gstaad ($4.40), in the $1 million Juvenile Turf. It was the 21st Cup win for Aidan O’Brien, breaking a tie with D. Wayne Lukas for the most by a trainer.
“I’m just so delighted,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, everyone knows that we’re in just this unbelievably privileged position.
“… I can’t tell you how big a help (Lukas) has been to us all the time. Very special man.”
O’Brien’s son, Donnacha, was among those posting “firsts” earlier in the day when his young filly, Balantina ($43.20), pulled off a 20-1 upset in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf. Another trainer getting his initial Cup win was George Weaver with Cy Fair ($12) in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint, while Southern California jockey Hector Berrios picked up his first Cup victory aboard Super Corredora ($19.60) in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies.
As usual, though, the featured attraction on what the Breeders’ Cup calls “Future Stars Friday” was the Juvenile, which annually anoints the early Kentucky Derby favorite. Ted Noffey ($3.60) will now try to do what only Street Sense (2006-07) and Nyquist (2015-16) have done – win both races.
The colt certainly has the right sire: Into Mischief has produced three of the last six Derby winners, including Sovereignty this year. Spendthrift Farm, which owns Into Mischief (and charges a stud fee of $250,000), purchased Ted Noffey last fall for $650,000.
He won his first three races this year without really being tested, and his only scare in Friday’s 1 1/16-mile race came from the shadow cast by the grandstand in the stretch.
Ted Noffey broke from the outside stall and stalked Brant, the 17-10 second choice trained by Bob Baffert, through a moderate pace of 46.99 seconds for a half-mile and 1:10.82 for six furlongs. Ted Noffey moved alongside as the horses reached the quarter-pole and took the lead turning into the stretch. He appeared on the way to an easy win before he “idled really bad at the eighth pole, getting to that shadow between the building,” Velazquez said, referring to the grandstand.
But after Brant and Mr. A.P. challenged him again, Ted Noffey pulled away to a one-length win in 1:42.25. Mr. A.P., a 20-1 longshot was second, with Brant third, followed by Litmus Test, Intrepido and Comport.
“The race unfolded exactly the way we expected it to,” Pletcher said. “Just glad that he was able to keep finding more.”
The surprise of the race was Mr. A.P., who was claimed out of his debut this summer at Del Mar for $150,000 by trainer Vladimir Cerin, who hadn’t started a horse in the Breeders’ Cup since 2008. The son of American Pharoah, owned by Holly and David Wilson, broke his maiden only three weeks ago at Santa Anita.
“I had the perfect trip,” jockey Antonio Fresu said. “I mean, that’s a very good horse (Ted Noffey), but I think our horse is … just getting better and better.”
The final nine Cup races will be contested Saturday, highlighted by probably the deepest Classic field since 1998 – even after the withdrawal earlier this week of Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Travers winner Sovereignty with a fever. The 1-2-3 finishers in last year’s Classic here are back – Sierra Leone, Fierceness and Forever Young – along with older horses Mindframe and Antiquarian and 3-year-olds Journalism, Baeza and Nevada Beach.
Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar
When: Saturday
Where: Del Mar Racetrack, first post 10:05 a.m. (12 races)
Cup races: Filly & Mare Sprint (noon), Turf Sprint (12:41), Sprint (1:21), Distaff (2:01), Turf (2:41), Classic (3:25), Mile (4:05), Dirt Mile (4:45), Filly and Mare Turf (5:25)
On the air: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., USA Network; 12:30-4 p.m., NBC; 4-5 p.m., USA; all races on FanDuel TV and breederscup.com; all Cup races streamed on Peacock
