Super Corredora wins the Breeders Cup Juvenile

DEL MAR — John Sadler has had his share of Breeders’ Cup failures, going zero for 41 begins before he gained his first Breeders’ Cup race with Accelerate in the 2018 Classic. Then issues modified, particularly with his training of Flightline, a once-in-a-generation horse who ran only six races before being despatched off to a profitable profession as a stallion.

On Friday’s first day of the two-day Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, the Southern California-based coach picked up his fourth win when Super Corredora ($19.60 to win) gained the $2-million Juvenile Fillies over the 1 1/16 miles grime course. It was the first time a filly has gained this race coming off a maiden win in her last start.

It was a Southern California exacta as Explora, for coach Bob Baffert, completed second. Percy’s Bar was third and Meaning, for Michael McCarthy, completed fourth. Super Corredora, who gained by three-quarters of a size, led from the start with favourite Explora very close behind. But Explora might never get by her.

“I always expected her to improve around two turns,” Sadler said. “We took a little chance wheeling her back in three weeks and it worked out.”

The filly was sired by Gun Runner.

“There’s not a hotter stallion in the country than Gun Runner and they move up going from six furlongs to a mile,” Sadler said. “We had high expectations and that last race wasn’t just that she broke her maiden but she was aggressive.”

It was the first Breeders’ Cup win for jockey Hector Barrios, whose repute is as a turf rider. This might change issues.

In the first Breeders’ Cup race of the day, Cy Fair ($12.00) gained the $1-million Turf Sprint, a five-furlong race. The filly broke alertly and stayed close to the entrance before going to the lead in midstretch. She gained by three-quarters of a size.

It was a powerful race for Aidan O’Brien, who has gained 20 Breeders’ Cup races, as he had three horses in the race and the best he might do was second with Brussels. True Love completed eighth as the favourite and Mission Central was tenth.

George Weaver was the successful coach, getting his first Breeders’ Cup win. It was the twenty first Breeders’ Cup win for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

There have been three other Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds on Friday, including the $2 million-Juvenile for 2-year-old males.

The first day of the Breeders’ Cup is all 2-year-old races, but Saturday is where all the money is, $23 million in purses to be precise. It’s headed by the $7-million Classic, a 1¼ mile race for horses of any age or intercourse. The race, and the complete event, took a major blow when Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner and top-ranked horse in the nation, was scratched after he spiked a fever early in the week. He was the 6-5 morning line favourite.

Everyone was trying ahead to the rematch of Sovereignty and Journalism (5-1 adjusted odds), who completed one-two in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. McCarthy, who trains Journalism and proprietor Aron Wellman changed jockey Umberto Rispoli after they didn’t like his experience in the Pacific Classic. Jose Ortiz picked up the mount.

“I think it’s unfortunate that Sovereignty is not in there but this is probably one of the best Classics we’ve seen in about 20 years,” McCarthy said. “We’ll bounce out of there and try and be tactical and try to be within four or five lengths of the lead.”

There ought to also be some curiosity in Fierceness (5-2), who gained the Pacific Classic after a horrible break when he ducked close to the rail breaking from the one. He drew the one for this race too.

“He’s got to break straight and establish the position he wants and run his race,” coach Todd Pletcher said. “His best race gives him a big chance, if he can deliver that.”

Among others in the race are Santa Anita-based Baeza (10-1), who gained the Pennsylvania Derby; Japanese horse Forever Young (7-2), winner of the Saudi Cup; last 12 months’s winner Sierra Leone (7-2); and Nevada Beach (20-1) for Baffert and winner of the Los Alamitos Derby and the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita.

Another race to watch on Saturday is the $5-million Turf in which Rebel’s Romance is making an attempt to turn into the first three-time winner of this race and the third horse to ever win three Breeders’ Cup races, becoming a member of Goldikova and Beholder.