It’s hard to imagine a better start to a filly’s career than the 2-year-old season Immersive has put together.

Already a two-time Grade 1 winner entering the biggest test yet, the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Del Mar, Immersive wrapped up an Eclipse Award for 2024 with a 4 ½-length domination under regular jockey Manny Franco.

Training a champion 2-year-old filly is nothing new to Brad Cox, who won the 2019 Juvenile Fillies on the way to Eclipse honors with British Idiom. Despite similarities in their careers – both were debut winners at Saratoga and winners of the Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland –Cox says Immersive is the best 2-year-old filly he’s ever trained.

“I think 2-year-old fillies, she’s the best we’ve had,” Cox said. “We’ve not had one win three Grade 1s at 2. Excited about what she’s accomplished, proud of her, and looking forward to next year.”

Cox entered the Breeders’ Cup winners’ circle for a seventh consecutive year, a streak that began with Monomoy Girl’s victory in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. In total, the Kentucky-based trainer has emerged victorious in 11 World Championship contests.

The race set up perfectly for Immersive as she settled in mid-pack through the early stages. Bob Baffert-trained Nooni showed her customary early foot and spurted clear of the rest of the field by several lengths, setting quick fractions of :22.00, :44.99 and 1:10.03.

Frizette Stakes winner Scottish Lassie, racing close to Immersive in midpack, made an early move to kick away from the 2-1 favorite, but once Franco asked the question at the 5/16th pole, Immersive responded and allowed her class to get her even with the leaders at the quarter pole.

Franco celebrates an impressive win. (Eclipse Sportswire)

“I knew the pace was cooking in front, so I took my time,” said Franco, who earned his second career Breeders’ Cup victory. “I said, ‘Let’s go, this is the time.’ She was there for me.”

Taking the lead from Vodka With a Twist and Scottish Lassie at the eighth pole, Immersive powered home to finish 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.36. Vodka With a Twist held second over a rallying Quickick, with Scottish Lassie finishing fourth.

The victory caps a perfect 4-for-4 campaign for Immersive to the tune of $1,622,700 in career earnings, adding to Grade 1 wins in the Alcibiades and the Spinaway Stakes. The Godolphin homebred daughter of Nyquist earned 30 qualifying points for the 2025 Longines Kentucky Oaks with her victory, boosting her total to 40. The rest of the top 5 earned points on a 15-9-6-3 scale.

“We would love to think (the Kentucky Oaks is) a possibility,” said Godolphin’s director of bloodstock Michael Banahan. “We know when you turn over the calendar year, it’s a new year for everyone again, and I’m sure there will be other fillies that put their hand up and be big challengers as well.

“As Brad (Cox) said, the further the goal, the better. Looks like she has plenty of stamina. She’s quick enough to lay off quick fractions as well.”–Sean Collins

Lake Victoria Delivers in BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

Sensational Lake Victoria. (Eclipse Sportswire)

It took just a tick or two under 95 seconds for Lake Victoria to answer the question of what on earth a Coolmore homebred filly with classic aspirations was doing so far from home in November of an already flawless 2-year-old campaign, running around two tight turns against a baker’s dozen opponents bent on bursting her perfect bubble.

The bay daughter of Frankel turned the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday’s card at Del Mar into a preview of wonders to come with an efficient, 1 ½-length victory over May Day Ready at the end of one mile on the firmest turf she is likely to encounter for a long time.

It was almost as easy as it looked. Almost. Breaking from the inside post of the jam-packed gate, 7-10 favorite Lake Victoria left cleanly enough but was no match for the speedy Del Mar course specialist, Thought Process, and Kentucky Downs stakes winner Kilwin, who set off past the stands as if sprinting for dollars.

Jockey Ryan Moore, by now thoroughly familiar with racing on American rails, asked Lake Victoria to hustle along to hold mid-pack position. She was approaching the first left-hand turn of her life – at least in battle – and collective breath was being held in the camp of trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“She jumped very well, and I was just trying to get her a bit of space to get her comfortable,” Moore said. “Then we got pressure from the outside and pushed to the fence, and that was that. When that happens, it’s significant. It puts you at a disadvantage.”

Filly and rider kept their cool, though, and by the time the field reached the long backstretch, Lake Victoria had settled about four or five lengths off the half-mile split of :45.37, set by Thought Process.

“They were going very quick,” Moore said. “By the time we got halfway down the backside I saw they were done up front.”

Entering the stretch, Moore wisely gave up an inside route, tipped out a couple of lanes, and came running with his filly to a wire that comes up quickly. Lake Victoria left the field in plenty of time to hold the late runners safe. The final time of 1:34.28 for 1 1/16 miles was the fastest of the three Juvenile Fillies Turf offerings so far at Del Mar.

Jessamine Stakes Presented by Keeneland Sales winner May Day Ready, under Frankie Dettori, held off third-place Nitrogen, a maiden who rallied late under Jose Ortiz to round out the trifecta at odds of 49.60-1.–Jay Hovdey

Henri Matisse Wins Juvenile Turf, O’Brien’s 20^th BC Victory

Henri Matisse (left) finishes best in Juvenile Turf. (Eclipse Sportswire)

D. Wayne Lukas has some company atop the record books as the winningest trainer in Breeders’ Cup history.

With two victories on the first day of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar – first by Lake Victoria in the John Deere Juvenile Fillies Turf (see above) and then by Henri Matisse in the Juvenile Turf – Irish training legend Aidan O’Brien matched Hall of Famer Lukas as a 20-time Breeders’ Cup winner.

“It’s incredible, obviously, and we all know what an unbelievably special man Wayne is,” O’Brien said, noting that he spoke by telephone with Lukas earlier in the week to discuss tendencies of racing at Del Mar. “I’m honored to equal his record. He’s the most special man and always been such a help to us.”

The tie could potentially be broken Nov. 2 on the event’s second day. Lukas starts Seize the Grey in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, and O’Brien has multiple runners, including City of Troy in the Longines Classic. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, close behind Lukas and O’Brien with 19 victories, also has starters on Saturday.

Though heavily favored Lake Victoria’s win was anticipated, Henri Matisse came into the race with some apparent drawbacks, including having a wide draw and form tarnished by problematic ways in two earlier defeats. Despite these losses, O’Brien, the 55-year-old “Master of Ballydoyle,” marched on with Henri Matisse into the Juvenile Turf, optimistic that removing blinkers and catching firm ground could result in improvement.

It did. The Wootton Bassett colt settled kindly in 10^th in the 12-horse Juvenile Turf under Ryan Moore before kicking into gear on the second turn and swinging wide for the stretch run. He outkicked runner-up Iron Man Cal by a neck down the stretch. Aomori City rallied for third after breaking through the starting gate before the race and racing in last early.

The winner, sent off as the slight favorite at odds of 3.90-1, ran a mile in 1:34.48 and gave O’Brien a record-extending seventh win in the Juvenile Turf.

Henri Matisse earned $520,000, upping his bankroll to $783,148 with a record of 4-1-0 in six starts for his Coolmore-affiliated ownership group.

Coolmore representative M.V. Magnier praised the winning jockey and trainer during the post-race press conference.

“I’m very lucky and privileged to be sitting beside these two greats. Simple as that,” he said.–Byron King

Magnum Force Overhauls Field in BC Juvenile Turf Sprint

Magnum Force proves best in a thrilling finish. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Jockey Colin Keane went from posting his first Breeders’ Cup win in the longest turf race to tallying his second in the shortest when he piloted Magnum Force to victory in the five-furlong, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to kick off the Future Stars Friday card. The Irish champion jockey notched his first victory in the 1 ½-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf on Tarnawa at Keeneland in 2020.

Magnum Force came from well back in Friday’s Juvenile Turf Sprint, a tricky maneuver in a full field of 12. Around the turn, Keane and his mount were able to find room on the rail in upper stretch. Pacesetting Governor Sam still had the lead after a half-mile in a solid :44.69 clip, and Keane initially thought to go inside of the leader, but then he switched tactics and moved outside.

Magnum Force had to be quick because others were closing from the outside – and he was. He beat Arizona Blaze and Big Mojo to the punch, drew alongside a gutsy Governor Sam, and passed him to take the lead. Magnum Force got to the wire first by a half-length, finishing the five furlongs in :56.36. Arizona Blaze managed to grab second by a half-length over Governor Sam, with Big Mojo third.

Ger Lyons trains Magnum Force, a homebred for owner Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al-Khalifa. Coming into the Breeders’ Cup, the Mehmas colt had won once in four starts, with two seconds and a third, the latter behind Aesterius (sixth in the Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Big Mojo in the Flying Childers Stakes, a Group 2 turf dash at Doncaster.

“If they are going and I don’t travel, I am going to be sick,” Lyons said. “My horse had just had a late start to the season. He’s a proper 2-year-old. He’s thriving. He has a great temperament for the job, wants fast ground, comes off a fast pace. He’s rock-solid made for the race.”–Tracy Gantz