Carpe Diem Seizes Breeders' Futurity
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WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stables' Carpe Diem seized control from front-runner Conquest Tsunami and rolled away to a powerful 6 1/4-length victory in the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) Oct. 4 at Keeneland, jumping straight from his maiden win to attain grade I status .
The 2-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was a $1.6 million purchase by WinStar and Stonestreet from the Northwest Stud consignment to the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s selected sale of 2-year-olds in training. The 2-1 favorite in the field of 12 juveniles, Carpe Diem completed the 1 1/16-mile event in 1:43.38 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.
"He was a little difficult in the gate. I tried to settle him behind horses and teach him a little bit," Velazquez said. "He got a little aggressive and I didn't want to fight him so I just let him be what he wanted to be in the backstretch and then he settled very well. Once he got head and head with that other horse, he got on the bit again. He was going good the whole way."
Conquest Tsunami struck out for the early lead and secured it by a length, going a quarter in :23.54 and a half in :48.09 while Carpe Diem attended the pace four wide. The eventual winner stuck his nose in front while negotiating three-quarters in 1:12.16, then drew clear through a 1:36.95 mile en route to a dominent score.
Mr. Z was a distance second, while Bold Conquest finished 5 3/4 lengths farther back in third.
"He ran great at Saratoga and then to come here in a grade I like this and put it all together like that around two turns, it's very exciting," said Elliott Walden, CEO and racing manager for WinStar Farm. "This horse is a beautiful horse, he's got a great pedigree and we're hoping to make a stallion. I think we did that today."
The Breeders' Futurity is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event, providing the winner with an automatic berth in the starting gate for the Nov. 1 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
"I reckon we're heading west," said Tristan Barry, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. It was the second straight Breeders' Futurity victory for Pletcher and Velazquez, who teamed up with last year's winner, We Miss Artie.
Carpe Diem returned $6.80, $5, and $4 while favored at odds of 2-1. Mr. Z paid $15.60 and $10.40, and Bold Conquest brought $3.40. Tough Customer, Keen Ice, Conquest Tsunami, Firespike, Sharm, Hashtag Bourbon, W V Jetsetter, Dekabrist, and Ike Walker completed the order of finish.
Carpe Diem was bred in Kentucky by Coffee Pot Stable out of the Unbridled's Song mare Rebridled Dreams. He is a half brother to 2010 Breeders' Futurity winner J. B.'s Thunder. The Breeders' Futurity purse improved his earnings to $349,800.