November 6, 2021 
Thoroughbred racing has a new female star.
Echo Zulu blasted out of gate 6 to assume a lead that was never challenged on her way to a hand-ride 5 1/2-length gate-to-wire victory in the Future Stars Friday $2 million NetJet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar.
Now undefeated in four races, the two-year-old daughter of 2017 Eclipse Award-winning Horse of the Year and Champion Older Dirt Male Gun Runner entered the race as the 4-5 favorite, having scared off all but five opponents. She cashed in on that promise in what was described by Bloodhorse as “…one of the most dominating performances in Breeders’ Cup history.”
Jockey Joel Rosario had little more to do than point her in the right direction.
“I’m an attorney. I speak for a living and I can’t talk,” said co-owner Lee Levinson in the Winner’s Circle.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu followed literally in her sire’s hoofprints on her way to a likely Eclipse Award as the year’s Champion Juvenile Filly. Gun Runner sewed up Horse of the Year honors four years ago at Del Mar with a 1 1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Gate-to-wire was also the theme for Bob Baffert-trained Corniche in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Piloted by Mike Smith from the outside post position 11, the son of Quality Road broke early and led throughout, topping Pappacap by a length and three quarters. It was Baffert’s fifth BC Juvenile victory.
The winner of the Juvenile is usually installed as the favorite for the First Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. That can’t happen this year, barring a reversal of Churchill Downs’ position regarding Baffert following this year’s Kentucky Derby controversy.
In the aftermath of the positive post-race substance test for current Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, Baffert was suspended through spring 2023 from training and racing privileges at all Churchill Downs properties nationwide. Medina Spirit’s victory remains in limbo.
On September 10, Churchill Downs officials ratcheted up the pressure, deciding two-year-olds trained by Baffert and racing elsewhere would not be awarded points toward a Kentucky Derby gate. The 20-horse field is determined by points accumulated in Churchill’s Road to the Kentucky Derby series of races. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is included in that series.
Though aware of the restrictions, which prompted some owners to move their horses to other trainers, Corniche owners Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner decided to keep their talented two-year-old in the Baffert barn.
“This race was such a big race for Corniche and what it means to him and his two-year-old standing,” declared Fluor following the victory. “And we have said Bob’s doing a great job and we have a better chance of winning this race with our friend Bob Baffert. That’s what happened. So we’re enjoying the moment and we’ll focus on the Derby situation later on.”
The Juvenile winner is generally accorded Eclipse Award honors as the Champion Two-Year-Old Male. That possibility remains unaffected by Churchill’s restrictions.
The Baffert controversy was not the only issue affecting Future Stars Friday.
The day’s final race, the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), was delayed for a half-hour by a problem that occurred while the horses were being led to the gates. Godolphin had two Charlie Appleby-trained entries, Modern Games and Albahr, loading side-by-side in gates 1 and 2.
Albahr reared over the gate and fell under the gate. He was immediately scratched from the race, a standard procedure for equine safety concerns. Trainer Appleby later reported the horse was fine, suffering only minor cuts.
Intending to protect Albahr’s stablemate, Modern Games, the gate 2 assistant deliberately opened the gate.
Thinking the horse had broken through the gate on his own, the track veterinarian advised the racing stewards that he too should be scratched. Modern Games was declared a scratch. This removes all wagers from the betting pool.
Once the mistake was discovered, Modern Games was permitted to race for the purse money only…and he won under a brilliant ride by jockey William Buick. For bettors, that meant runnerup Tiz The Bomb became the “winner” for wagering purposes, with Mackinnon now the runnerup.
“The guy that opened the gate picked me up in front of the gate and took me back around,” explained Buick. “The vet team wanted to know what happened. I told them and the guy who opened my gate thankfully told them what happened there. (Modern Games) was never touched. It was unfortunate, but everyone came ’round to do the right thing and let the horse run. It was the only fair outcome.”
Future Stars Friday featured two other contests that provided racing excitement without the added drama.
Ireland’s Twilight Gleaming picked the four-leaf-clover with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2).
In the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), Pizza Bianca sliced through the full field of 14 in the closing moments with Irad’s brother, Jose, earning a tasty 10-1 win.
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships continue later today at Del Mar with several pieces of Eclipse Award hardware, including Horse of the Year, likely awaiting winners at the finish line.
