Breeders' Cup Contenders Got Stormy, Juju's Map Breeze

Oct 29, 2021

On a crisp, fall morning beneath the Twin Spires, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade I) contender Got Stormy along with $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) competitor Juju’s Map logged their final works at Churchill Downs on Friday prior to the world championship event at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6.

Owned by My Racehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm, Got Stormy had her final career breeze at 7:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) under jockey Declan Carroll. The duo cruised a half-mile in :48.60. Two hours earlier, Albaugh Family Stables’ Juju’s Map clipped five furlongs in :59.60 with jockey Florent Geroux in the saddle outside of stablemate Matera (five furlongs, :59.80).

Got Stormy, a multiple Grade I-winning mare by Get Stormy, finished second in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

“We had some rain in the area but the track was really good so I decided to move her work up a day,” trainer Mark Casse’s assistant David Carroll said. “Sometimes you see with older mares that they may take a step back from their younger campaigns but she has been doing great. I’m really excited the way she’s coming into the Breeders’ Cup. She’s a very special mare to all of us.”

Got Stormy, along with about 12 other locally-based Breeders’ Cup contenders, will ship to Del Mar on Monday.

Juju’s Map completed her major preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for trainer Brad Cox. A recent winner of the $400,000 Alcibiades (GI) at Keeneland, Juju’s Map is one of six local contenders for Cox.

“Today’s work was with an older horse in Matera,” Cox said. “She’s a stakes winner in her own right so she’s a pretty tough workmate. ‘Juju’ sat just off her and maybe broke about a length behind. She was well in hand throughout the work and it was exactly what we were looking for at this stage. This filly seemed to improve a little bit since her win in the Alcibiades, which is what these horses need to do this time of year leading into the Breeders’ Cup.”

Cox won the 2019 Juvenile Fillies with British Idiom but Geroux will be searching for his first victory in the race.

“She worked a really solid five furlongs and it was a really nice move being a week out from the race,” Geroux said. “She was able to stay relaxed throughout the work, which was important when you’re working in company. She seems to be coming into the race in great shape.”

There are six Breeders’ Cup contenders scheduled to work Saturday morning at Churchill Downs: Essential Quality (Classic), Knicks Go (Classic), Shedaresthedevil (Distaff), Rattle N Roll (Juvenile), Ready to Purrform (Juvenile Turf) and Turnerloose (Juvenile Fillies Turf).

KISS THE SKY TABBED AS 3-1 MORNING LINE FAVORITE IN $200,000 STREET SENSE, YUUGIRI 2-1 CHOICE IN $200,000 RAGS TO RICHES – Sunday’s “Stars of Tomorrow I” program at Churchill Downs is headlined by the $200,000 Street Sense where Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile runner-up Kiss the Sky was tabbed as the tepid 3-1 morning line favorite. Impressive maiden winner Yuugiri was made the 2-1 choice in the $200,000 Pocahontas for fillies.

Sunday’s 17^th annual “Stars of Tomorrow I” program, which features all 2-year-old races, kicks off the 21-day Fall Meet. First post is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern). The Street Sense was carded as Race 10 at 5:36 p.m. while the Rags to Riches will go as Race 5 at 3:03 p.m.

Owned by Paradise Farms Corp., Skychai Racing and David Staudacher, Kiss the Sky broke his maiden on turf at Saratoga and finished just three-quarters of a length behind Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) turf contender Tiz the Bomb in the Juvenile Mile.

The complete field for the Street Sense from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Guntown (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 8-1); Luni Sima (Adam Beschizza, Jack Sisterson, 20-1); Skippylongstocking (Tyler Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph Jr., 6-1); Red Danger (Julien Leparoux, Brian Lynch, 7-2); Kiss the Sky (Corey Lanerie, Mike Maker, 3-1); Howling Time (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans, 5-1); Lucky Boss (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1); Sport Pepper (Florent Geroux, Kerry Zavash, 15-1); and Red Knobs (James Graham, Romans, 5-1).

In the Rags to Riches, Sekie and Tsunebumi Yoshihara’s 7 ¼-length debut hero Yuugiri will headline the compact field of five 2-year-old fillies. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Yuugiri earned a stout 95 Brisnet Speed Rating for her victory at Churchill Downs.

Here’s the field for the Rags to Riches in order of post position (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Manasota Sunset (Ricardo Santana Jr., Joe Sharp, 8-1); Mama Rina (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek, 3-1); Sandstone (Brian Hernandez Jr., McPeek, 5-2); Yuugiri (Tyler Gaffalione, Brisset, 2-1); and Dressed (Florent Geroux, Wayne Catalano, 5-2).

Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow” programs have helped launched the careers of numerous graded stakes winners, including more than 50 future Grade I winners led by Horse of the Year champions Gun Runner (2017) and Rachel Alexandra (2009), Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (2010), Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009), Believe You Can (2012) and Monomoy Girl (2018), Preakness winners Shackleford (2011), War of Will (2019) and Swiss Skydiver (2020), Belmont winner Creator (2016) as well as 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2013 Stephen Foster hero Fort Larned and 2013 champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge.

Watch and Wager on the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs – Churchill Downs will simulcast the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Del Mar on Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6. The first race from Churchill Downs those days is 2 p.m. and 1:45 p.m., respectively.

A simulcast of the 10-race “Future Stars Friday” card from Del Mar will begin at 2:55 p.m. and the Breeders’ Cup will cover Races 6-10 (5:50-8:30 p.m.). Championship Saturday’s 12-race program at Del Mar will commence at 1:15 p.m. with the Breeders’ Cup on Races 4-12 (Breeders’ Cup starts at 3:05 p.m.). It will culminate with the $6 million Longines Classic (GI) at 8:40 p.m.

Several horses currently stabled at Churchill Downs are expected to compete in the Breeders’ Cup, led by the Brad Cox-trained duo of Knicks Go (23-9-3-1—$5,553,135) and Essential Quality (9-8-0-0—$4,215,144) in the Classic

TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THE TRACK AT FAMILY ADVENTURE DAY ON SUNDAY – Sunday’s opener coincides with Halloween and Churchill Downs will present Trick-or-Treat at the Track at Family Adventure Day presented by Kroger.

Kids 12 and under are encouraged to wear costumes and trick-or-treat at more than 15 “Trick-or-Treat Boo Stations” throughout the first floor of the racetrack on Halloween as Churchill Downs and community partners hand out candy between 12-4 p.m. Additionally, families are invited to take home a free pumpkin for their Halloween jack-o-lantern from a pumpkin patch at Churchill Downs.

There will be more than 20 activities for children to enjoy including face painting (1-3:30 p.m.), the Honey Hill petting zoo, bubble station, video game truck, pumpkin decorating, bounce houses, inflatables games, an obstacle course and games such as pumpkin bowling, cornhole, giant Jenga, giant Connect 4 pony rides and snookball.

Tickets are $10 for wristbands to participate for ages 3 and up and can be purchased online at www.churchilldowns.com. “Buy Four, Save $4” ticket packages also are available.

DOWN THE STRETCH – Sunday’s Opening Day program at Churchill Downs will begin at 1 p.m. Racing will continue on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule through Nov. 28. … “Inside Churchill Downs” will air Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN 680/105.7. Fans can listen live online at www.espnlouisville.com. Friday’s broadcast will take a dive into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships along with Churchill Downs’ Opening Day program. … Racing action Sunday will air on “America’s Day at the Races” from 12:30-4 p.m. on FS1 and 4-6 p.m. on FS2. … Opening day weather in Louisville will be mostly sunny with a high near 63, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service.