Godolphin homebred Immersive rallied to a clear lead in upper stretch and rolled to a 4 1/2-length decision in Friday’s $1,820,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar, sealing up championship two-year-old filly honors and confirming herself as a top contender for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) next spring.
Regular rider Manny Franco was up for Brad Cox, and Immersive notched a third consecutive Grade 1 win and improved to 4-for-4 overall when completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.36.
A debut scorer at Saratoga in mid-July, Immersive rallied to win the Spinaway (G1) six weeks later. The bay filly raced up closer to the pace in the Oct. 4 Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, driving to a 1 1/4-length triumph, and Immersive stalked about five lengths off the early pace in the Juvenile Fillies.
Nooni sped to a clear lead through opening splits in :22.00, :44.99, and 1:10.03 before giving way, and Immersive closed four wide through the far turn and struck the front after straightening for home, drawing off quickly to win going away under the wire. She rewarded bettors who made her the favorite and paid $6.00 to win.
Cox was asked about her trip.
“Got maybe a touch concerned that she maybe is not handling the track for whatever reason,” Cox said of the opening stages. “But they scooted away from her a little bit. Then obviously still looking up at the fractions, I thought this race has to fall apart. Actually, at that point, my concern was someone could be coming behind her.
“Then she started picking it up. When they straightened up, I thought she had dead aim on the leaders, and didn’t appear as though anyone was closing in beside her. But big effort. Once again, big pedigree. Big-time stamina there.”
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies awarded points to the top five finishers on a 30-15-9-6-3 scale as a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier, and Immersive increased her points total to 40 after picking up 10 for her Alcibiades tally.
The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks will be a major target.
“So difficult to win three Grade 1s, so difficult to win one Grade 1,” Godolphin Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “But to win three of them on the track like that and in an impressive fashion as she’s done, as we saw today, the further, the better. So, we have an awful lot to look forward to as well.”
Vodka With a Twist raced up for her rail post and briefly overhauled the pacesetter while turning for home, holding gamely through the stretch to be second as the 8-1 co-fourth choice among nine runners. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Quickick, who closed from last at 8-1, and another length to Scottish Lassie, who was nearly 10 lengths clear of the rest.
La Cara, Nooni, Otomena Shacho, Snowyte, and American Bikini completed the order.
By Nyquist, who also sired 2020 Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist, Immersive is the first stakes winner out of the Bernardini mare Gap Year, a daughter of the Grade 1-winning Dubai Escapade.
Cox also trained British Idiom to win the 2019 Juvenile Fillies and was asked where Immersive ranks among the fillies he’s trained.
“I think two-year-old fillies, she’s the best we’ve had,” the two-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner said. “To accomplish what she has, we’ve not had one win three Grade 1s at two. Excited about what she accomplished, proud of her, and looking forward to next year, but she definitely brings it home in regards to two-year-old fillies.”
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