A pair of graded stakes at Aqueduct on Friday could toss up contenders for the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.
Up first is the $175,000 Futurity (G3), a “Win and You’re In” qualifier to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). Later, the $200,000 Waya (G3) includes possible Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) types.
Futurity (G3): Race 5, 2:44 p.m. ET
Eight lightly raced juveniles will sprint six furlongs over Aqueduct’s outer turf course in the Futurity, a historic contest dating back to 1888 with a roster of winners that include Triple Crown heroes Secretariat, Affirmed, and Citation in its original dirt setting.
The 2024 edition could furnish a rematch between Under Who’s Radar and Chasing Liberty, the first two across the wire in the Juvenile Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. Under Who’s Radar was disqualified for interfering with Chasing Liberty, who was awarded the victory.
Chasing Liberty has entered the Futurity but may scratch to await Sunday’s Indian Summer S. at Keeneland instead.
One wild card in the Futurity field is Mentee, from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The full brother to 2023 champion two-year-old male Fierceness won his debut on dirt at Aqueduct in track-record time before fading to sixth place in the Hopeful (G1). Mentee is switching from dirt to turf after breezing half a mile over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track turf course in :49.68 on Sept. 20.
“He’s very versatile from what we’ve seen. He trained well leading into his debut and ran great on the dirt. We just thought some of the City of Lights seem to take to the turf, so we gave him a little breeze on it and he seemed to take to it,” said Pletcher. “The timing and the distance should suit him well.”
Also making the dirt-to-turf transition are Joey Muscles, third in the Proud Man S. and seventh in the Sapling S. in his last two starts, and In the Chase, exiting a fourth-place finish against New York-breds in the Funny Cide S. at Saratoga.
Gate to Wire and Epitaph, debut winners sprinting on turf at Saratoga during the summer, have upside while facing winners for the first time. I’m Otter Here shouldn’t be underestimated either; after finishing third behind Chasing Liberty in his debut, I’m Otter Here stretched out over one mile to win an Ellis Park maiden special weight and finish seventh in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S.
Waya (G3): Race 7, 3:48 p.m. ET
An accomplished field of fillies and mares will race 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf in the Waya.
Defending Waya winner McKulick is seeking a repeat for trainer Chad Brown. The 2022 Belmont Oaks (G1) winner remains in fine form; during the summer she won Saratoga’s Glens Falls (G2) before finishing a pace-compromised third in the Flower Bowl (G2).
McKulick’s stablemate Idea Generation, runner-up in the 2023 Waya, led all the way through slow fractions to upset the Flower Bowl at 31-1 odds. She has a chance to repeat the feat while facing a largely paceless field Friday.
According to Brown, McKulick’s racing career is winding down, but an additional race beyond the Waya could be in the cards.
“She’s entered in the (Keeneland) November Sale but she’s also cross-entered at Tattersalls, so she could run in the Long Island ([G3] on Nov. 10 at Aqueduct) as well,” said Brown. Then, speaking of McKulick and Idea Generation, he added, “Who knows, if they run well, either of them could end up at the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll see.”
New to the scene is the three-year-old filly Beautiful Love, who launched a big rally from far off the pace to take the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Oaks (G3) at Aqueduct last month. She’s sticking to the same course and distance for the Waya and has room for improvement while making only her third stateside start for high-percentage trainer Charlie Appleby.
“She had a lot to do (in the Jockey Club Oaks) but she did it really nicely,” said Appleby’s traveling assistant, Nikki Jones. “She’s come out of that race great — really fresh, really well. She looks amazing. She’s been ticking along up at Saratoga.”
Veteran graded stakes competitor Surprisingly is seeking her first win since the 2023 Endeavour (G3). Star Fortress is likewise looking to reverse a losing streak, having gone 0-for-6 since taking the Cardinal (G3) last fall.
Former French campaigners La Mehana, Immensitude, and Avenue Niel have shown potential since arriving in the U.S., but the first two are respectively 0-for-3 and 0-for-4 stateside, while Avenue Niel is stepping up in class after winning an $80,000 allowance optional claimer at Kentucky Downs.
Movie Moxy, Amanda’s Folly, and Peak Popularity are entered for the main track only.
