BY BROCK SHERIDAN
DEL MAR, CA—Two winners on the Future Stars Friday card at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club received the initial race training in Ocala while several others who finished in the top three also passed through the Horse Capital of the World™.
Citizen Bull, winner of the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1), is a graduate of Eddie Woods Stables and Immersive, who took the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is an alumnus of John and Leslie Malone’s Bridlewood Farm.
Trained by Bob Baffert for SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Citizen Bull led at every point of call in the mile-and-one-eighth Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with jockey Martin Garcia aboard.
He earned $1,040,000 to bring his career bankroll to $1,301,000 and improve his record to three wins in four starts with one third.
Citizen Bull is by Into Mischief out of No Joke, by Distorted Humor and was bred in Kentucky by Robert and Lawana Low. He was a $675,000 yearling purchased by SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Immersive – ©Alex Evers / Eclipse Sportswire / Breeders’ Cup
Immersive raced mid-pack early in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies before taking aim at the leaders around the far turn under jockey Manny Franco. They hit the front approaching the final furlong before drawing away to win by four-and-a-half lengths and remain undefeated in four starts.
Immersive is by Nyquist out of Gap Year, by Bernardini and earned $1,040,000 for her owner and breeder Godolphin LLC, pushing her career revenues to $1,622,700.
Other top three finishers on Friday’s card who received their early training in Ocala and Marion County include Governor Sam, May Day Ready and Gaming.
Third in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, Governor Sam received early training at Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables. Wavertree also consigned him to the 2024 OBS Spring Sale where Bregman Family Racing and Ivan Cabrera purchased him for $275,000.
May Day Ready, who was second in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, is a graduate of the early training program of De Meric Sales. She sold at OBS April for $325,000 to KatieRich from the De Meric Sales consignment.
Gaming completed the exacta for Baffert in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He received early race training and was consigned by Joe Pickerell’s Pick View at the 2024 OBS March Sale where Three Amigos purchased him for $250,000.
Editor’s Note: If you sold or trained a Breeders’ Cup top three finisher and we missed it, please let us know. Contact Brock Sheridan at bsheridan@ftboa.com or call the FEC offices at 352-269-2160.
