Free Drop Billy formidable in Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity
The farther the better for Free Drop Billy, who pulled away from a full field of eleven colts to win the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by four widening lengths. The chestnut son of Union Rags added his name to the growing line-up for the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Free Drop Billy broke smoothly from post nine. He was caught slightly wide around the first turn, but Robby Albarado expertly maneuvered the Dale Romans trainee through traffic to gain a coveted rail position. The pair sat in fifth position, only three lengths behind the pace setter Ready Prospector through early fractions of :23.34 and :47.11. Ten City tracked Ready Prospector on the outside in second place with Lionite to his inside and Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, and Ezmosh hot on their heels.
Around the far turn, Ready Prospector started backing up. Ten City swept by the exhausted pacesetter, completing six furlongs in 1:12.66. The quartet of Bravazo, Lionite, Free Drop Billy, and Ezmosh were in full flight chasing the new leader. Just past the 1/4 pole, Ten City stumbled and was pulled up by Corey Lanerie.
Bravazo briefly inherited the lead, but Free Drop Billy blew by the longshot to open up by four lengths, completing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.43. Bravazo was best of the rest, 2 1/2 lengths in front of late-running Lone Sailor. It was another half-length back to fourth place finisher Lionite. Captivating Moon and Enticed scratched.
The top four finishers in the Breeders’ Futurity earned points towards a berth in the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
Albarado was celebrating his second victory of the day and discussed his trip in the Futurity, “He’s been inside basically in all of his starts. He’s been in a lot of trouble in all of his starts, and he’s got a lot of hair on his chest for a young horse. When I got him outside, he ran home nicely. Once he got in front, he got a little lazy. I expected that. He’s never run that far before.”
Dale Romans was confident in his charge’s ability to handle two turns, “We always thought (it would suit him). If you look at all his numbers on paper, every time they stretched a race a bit, he got a little bit better. Today I think we saw what he is really capable of.”
Free Drop Billy (Union Rags - Trensa, by Giant's Causeway) was bred in Kentucky by the Helen K. Groves Revokable Trust. The Albaugh Family Stable purchased the flashy Chestnut for $200,000 out of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Free Drop Billy won his debut at Churchill Downs in June. He followed up with a pair of second-place finishes in the Sanford (G3) and Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga before his romp in the Breeders’ Futurity. The youngster has earned $428,020 in four starts.