Photo:Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire
A field of 11 will look for an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland.
Ferocious is expected to be a heavy favorite off his Hopeful runner-up result, but flashy maiden winner East Avenue figures to have a say in the lane.
Then there's Tenacious Leader, who could give trainer Todd Pletcher his third straight score in this race.
Post time for the Breeders' Futurity, the ninth of 11 races at Keeneland at Keeneland, is 5:16 p.m. EDT. There will be live coverage on NBC, Peacock and FanDuel TV.
Check out Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page today for downloadable PPs for the Breeders' Futurity and more courtesy of our partners at Brisnet.
We also have Super Screener picks and analysis for the Breeders' Futurity as well as recent top speed figures for each contender.
Breeders' Futurity Stakes best speed figures
| Post | Horse | ML | Beyer | TimeformUS | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferocious | 8-5 | 96 | 105 | 99 |
| 2 | Saratoga Cruiser | 50-1 | 55 | 74 | 82 |
| 3 | Optical | 30-1 | 75 | 100 | 77 |
| 4 | Handsome Pants | 10-1 | 80 | 96 | N/A |
| 5 | East Avenue | 3-1 | 86 | 99 | 98 |
| 6 | Filoso | 12-1 | 76 | 107 | 94 |
| 7 | Mesero | 15-1 | 75 | 102 | 82 |
| 8 | Big Boat | 20-1 | 73 | 92 | N/A |
| 9 | Tenacious Leader | 8-1 | 80 | 108 | 94 |
| 10 | Dapper Moon | 9-2 | 87 | 101 | 79 |
| 11 | Ready for Peace | 30-1 | 68 | 89 | 87 |
Looking at the pace
A fast pace is the expectation in the Breeders' Futurity with East Avenue setting it and Ferocious giving chase.
Pace projector appears courtesy of TimeformUS.
HRN picks for the Breeders' Futurity Stakes
This week's Super Screener believes the best play of the weekend is in Sunday's Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland.
Find out whyCavallo Bay is Mike Shutty's Top Win Contender, Most Reliable Board Hitter and Top Value pick by purchasingthe specialNow through Breeders' Cup Super Screener package for just $77. It's a value of over $400, and you'll get analysis for the Bourbon Stakes, the Breeders' Futurity Stakes, and much more.
A Saturday full of budding future stars signals a three-pack of fair odds.
In Ed DeRosa's Breeders' Futurity fair odds,Tenacious Leader is the value pick but Ferocious will be awfully tough to beat.
DeRosa's Champagne fair oddsknow Chancer McPatrick is clearly fastest on paper butTip Top Thomas has some unrealized potential.
Finally, DeRosa's American Pharoah fair odds are bullish onCitizen Bull as well asMcKinzie Street, and bearish on Getaway Car.
J. Keeler Johnson's latest Horses to Watch columnfeatures four runners in the Breeders' Futurity, including live long shotOptical.
Laurie Ross & Ashley Tamulonis went head-to-head handicapping the Champagne Stakes at Belmont at the Big A and both are fading heavy chalk Chancer McPatrick.
For more Champagne Stakes analysis, check out Matt Shifman's picks.
Trainer Gustavo Delgado joined theRon Flatter Racing Podto discuss the chances of Ferocious in the Breeders' Futurity.
Here's the field for the Breeders' Futurity Stakes (G1):
2024 Breeders' Futurity G1
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ferocious Flatter | 6.19 | Gustavo Delgado Luis Saez | 2nd, 2024 Hopeful G1 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 2nd, 2024 Hopeful G1 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 2 |  | Saratoga Cruiser Catalina Cruiser | 0.00 | Jeff Engler Deshawn L. Parker | 1st, IND MSW (8/20/24-R4) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, IND MSW (8/20/24-R4) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 3 |  | Optical City of Light | 4.45 | J. Keith Desormeaux James Graham | 1st, CD MSW (9/18/24-R9) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, CD MSW (9/18/24-R9) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 4 |  | Handsome Pants Daredevil | 0.00 | Kenneth G. McPeek Brian J. Hernandez, Jr. | 1st, CD MSW (9/14/24-R11) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, CD MSW (9/14/24-R11) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 5 |  | East Avenue Medaglia d'Oro | 0.00 | Brendan P. Walsh Tyler Gaffalione | 1st, ELP MSW (8/24/24-R5) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, ELP MSW (8/24/24-R5) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 6 |  | Filoso City of Light | 0.00 | Chad Summers John R. Velazquez | 1st, Sar MSW (8/29/24-R6) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, Sar MSW (8/29/24-R6) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 7 |  | Mesero Not This Time | 0.00 | Dale L. Romans Corey J. Lanerie | 4th, 2024 Iroquois G3 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 4th, 2024 Iroquois G3 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 8 |  | Big Boat Nyquist | 0.00 | James P. DiVito Cristian A. Torres | 1st, CD MSW (9/12/24-R8) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, CD MSW (9/12/24-R8) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 9 |  | Tenacious Leader Not This Time | 0.00 | Todd A. Pletcher Florent Geroux | 2nd, 2024 With Anticipation G3 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 2nd, 2024 With Anticipation G3 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 10 |  | Dapper Moon Malibu Moon | 0.00 | Dallas Stewart Ricardo Santana, Jr. | 1st, Sar MSW (8/31/24-R8) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, Sar MSW (8/31/24-R8) 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
| 11 |  | Ready For Peace More Than Ready | 0.00 | Ignacio Correas IV Jose L. Ortiz | 3rd, 2024 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile LS 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 3rd, 2024 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile LS 2024 Breeders' Futurity G1 | |||||
