Photo:
Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire
Even though the fog was thick, trainer Gustavo Delgado liked what we saw through his binoculars Tuesday morning at Keeneland.
What he saw was Ferocious testing the main track for the first time since his arrival from Saratoga on Sunday.
“Everything is very, very, very good,” Delgado said of the probable favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity.
Owned by the partnership of JR Ranch, Ramiro Restrepo, High Step Racing and Delgado’s OGMA Investments, Ferocious won at first asking at Saratoga by 7 3/4 lengths and then was a close second as the odds-on favorite in the Hopeful (G1) there on Sept. 2 despite losing his left front shoe during the race.
Delgado, who saddled Mage to victory in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, opted to bypass this weekend’s Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct going a mile for the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity.
“He’s a baby; he needs to learn,” Delgado said. “The Champagne at a mile: That’s like going 7 furlongs at Saratoga. It’s the same thing. Here he gets two turns.”
Luis Saez will have the mount Saturday and exit post position 1 in the 11-horse field.
“That is good; he is very fast,” Delgado said. “The inside is no problem. The problem would have been drawing to the outside.”
Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Ferocious Flatter |
6.19 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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2 |
Saratoga Cruiser Catalina Cruiser |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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3 |
Optical City of Light |
4.45 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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4 |
Handsome Pants Daredevil |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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5 |
East Avenue Medaglia d’Oro |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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6 |
Filoso City of Light |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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7 |
Mesero Not This Time |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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8 |
Big Boat Nyquist |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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9 |
Tenacious Leader Not This Time |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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10 |
Dapper Moon Malibu Moon |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
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11 |
Ready For Peace More Than Ready |
0.00 | Entered | |||
Last Race Next Race |
1/ST BET Horse Racing Predictions: We are excited to announce a renewed partnership with the fine folks and handicappers at 1/ST BET. Jeremy Plonk and Jeff
Photo: Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire Graded-stakes winner Beatbox, a Pioneerof the Nile half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner and
Chancer McPatrick and Ferocious , 1-2 in the seven-furlong Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 2, return to action Oct. 5, though in race