5 takeaways from Breeders' Cup's 'Future Stars Friday'

A few thoughts from the events of Friday at Santa Anita Park...

Can Structor win the 2-year-old male Eclipse Award?

Given the results of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, which saw longshots sweep the top three spots, the Juvenile Turf hero looks in a position to steal the championship from his dirt counterparts.

Sent off as the 5-1 third choice in a 14-horse field, Structor saved ground on the rail while stalking the pace under jockey Jose Ortiz. Turning for home, Ortiz steered the son of Palace Malice off the rail and between horses. Fom there, Structor found another gear and left no doubt who the best horse was in that flight.

Structor is now 3-for-3 in his career and has earned, at the very least, a look from Eclipse voters, including myself. With a pedigree that certainly warrants a try on the dirt in the future, look for this guy to give it a shot on the Kentucky Derby trail in 2020.

Of course, the dust hasn't completely settled in this division. Of interest, Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law is taking on Churchill Downs' Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) later this month, and the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) remains should the connections of Juvenile winner Storm the Court want to enhance their credentials.

There was no home court advantage

Things were looking bleak for the house horses until Storm the Court upset the Juvenile field at 45-1 odds. Storm the Court finished third in his previous start, the American Pharoah Stakes (G1), at Santa Anita.

Previous to the Juvenile, the winners of the Breeders' Cup races exited races at Belmont Park (two), Keeneland (one), and Laurel Park (one). Overall on the day, the dirt track played slow but fair with winners from off the pace and on the lead.

So ends all that speculation that a deep, tiring track would lean strongly to the home team of horses that had raced or done significant training in California. Adjust those wagers accordingly heading into Saturday.

American Pharoah off and running as a sire

In the Juvenile Turf Sprint, the American Pharoah-sired Four Wheel Drive and Another Miracle showed up to run. Four Wheel Drive powered home as the popular gate-to-wire winner while Another Miracle filled out the board in third. 

Off to retirement after his 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic win, American Pharoah was going to be given every chance to emulate himself through his offspring thanks to a nice book of mares. But we know all too well that greatness on the racetrack is rarely replicated in the breeding shed. 

Heading into the Breeders' Cup, American Pharoah was the leading First-Crop sire. He has padded that advantage now and may have secured the No. 1 spot on the list with Friday's victory, which came with his first Breeders' Cup runner. And first of many.

The Juvenile's Top 2 are for real

At first glance, it's easy to chalk the Juvenile exacta up to Dennis' Moment's stumble at the start as the odds-on favor and a flop by second choice Eight Rings. But, 2-year-olds change quickly, and I believe Storm the Court and Anneau d'Or weren't flukes.

This was Storm the Court's fifth career start. Remember, he was the other horse involved in the incident with Eight Rings in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) when both horses lost their riders. Storm the Court's jockey said Friday his horse didn't get the right amount of conditioning out of that start as a result. It's logical that he had room to improve off a distant third to Eight Rings next time in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1). This isn't your ordinary longshot bomber.

Anneau d'Or made his first career start just one month ago at Golden Gate Fields. Ranging up on the outside of Storm the Court, who had led since the start, Anneau d'Or looked for a moment like he was go right on by. Credit Storm the Court, who gamely held on for the neck win after setting the fractions.

Who knows how good Anneau d'Or will prove to be be. This was his second career start and first on the dirt after connections didn't make the body of the Juvenile Turf field. This colt, after all, won his maiden on the grass by eight lengths at Golden Gate. Sired by Medaglia d'Oro, his dam, Walk Close, was a stakes winner on the grass. Connections will have a lot of options moving forward with him, and trainer Blaine Wright has Derby trail experience with 2018 Preakness contender Anothertwistafate.

Let's not dismiss Donna Veloce off that loss

Although British Idiom won the battle over Donna Veloce in Friday's Juvenile Fillies, we can't forget that the latter runner made her first career start a mere 34 days ago.

Off as the slight favorite over the Alcibiades (G1) heroine British Idiom, Donna Veloce lost nothing in defeat here. British Idiom looked as if she may put some daylight between the two in mid-stretch, but Donna Veloce showed grit to stay on in both her two-turn debut and first race against winners. That was favoritism earned.

British Idiom most likely claimed the division's Eclipse Award, but the runner-up's connections have plenty to look forward to with a fresh horse heading into her 3-year-old season.