NEWSPAPEROFRECORD ROMPED TO victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf as frontrunning youngsters lit up Churchill Downs Friday on the opening day of the $30 million Breeders’ Cup. Aidan O’Brien’s favourite So Perfect came home in third spot in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Five races for two-year-olds made up “Future Stars Friday,” the curtain raiser to Saturday’s nine-race slate capped by the $4 million Turf and the $6 million Classic.
Newspaperofrecord, trained by Chad Brown and sent off a 3-5 favorite, leapt out of the gate and shot to the front under Irad Ortiz in the one mile, $1 million race on a Churchill Downs turf track labeled good despite heavy mid-week rain.
When Ortiz let her go late, the filly surged home to win by a devastating 6 3/4 lengths over European raider East, who rallied from last under Jamie Spencer to take second by a neck over longshot Stellar Agent.
“I got a perfect trip,” said Ortiz. “She broke good and pulled me to the lead. I just held her together and she relaxed. When I asked her, she exploded for home.
“It was the easiest Breeders’ Cup I ever won,” added Ortiz, who has now won four.
Bulletin, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Javier Castellano, opened the proceedings with a scintillating victory in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Chelsea Cloisters, trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione was second and the O’Brien-trained So Perfect was third with Wayne Lordan in the irons.
“They went really quick out there,” Lordan said. “He came home really well and he has run a great race.”
Jaywalk became the day’s third straight wire-to-wire winner, powering to a 5 1/2 length victory in the $2 million 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies on the dirt track.
Trained by John Servis and ridden by Joel Rosario, Jaywalk notched a first victory around two turns. Restless Rider was second and Vibrance third.
© Agence France-Presse
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