East Avenue & Immersive head powerful juvenile team for Breeders’ Cup Friday

Unbeaten duo East Avenue and Immersive aim to consolidate their positions as the best two-year-olds in the United States on day one of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, Friday, 1 November.

Five years ago, Brendan Walsh attempted to win the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with impressive G1 Breeders’ Futurity winner Maxfield, only for the horse to miss the race through an eleventh-hour injury.

The trainer returns this year with East Avenue, another homebred colt who boasts a perfect two-from-two record including an equally dominant victory in the Breeders’ Futurity.

A son of Dance Music, herself a half-sister to dual Breeders’ Cup champion Cody’s Wish, East Avenue made all in the Keeneland highlight to beat G1 Hopeful Stakes runner-up Ferocious by five and a quarter lengths.

East Avenue also impressed on his debut, with the Medaglia d’Oro colt scoring eight lengths at Ellis Park in August.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “East Avenue is a tremendously exciting prospect, and we are confident that he can back up his impressive victory in the Breeders’ Futurity with a win here. Hopefully, he will stamp himself as the best two-year-old in the country and the winter favorite for the Classics next year. He has shipped into Del Mar in excellent shape and Brendan couldn’t ask for him to be doing any better.”

Immersive bids for an elusive G1 hat-trick in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, having already annexed the Spinaway Stakes and Darley Alcibiades Stakes. Countess Diana (1997) is the only horse to win all three races.

A comfortable debut winner at Saratoga in July, Immersive returned to the same track for the Spinaway Stakes at the end of August, when she powered home on a wet track to win going away.

The Brad Cox-trained daughter of Nyquist appeared just as effective on a faster track in Keeneland’s Darley Alcibiades Stakes, in which she comfortably won by a length and a quarter.

Michael Banahan said: “Immersive is coming into the Breeders’ Cup in excellent shape – she travelled well and has settled in perfectly. She is the leader of the two-year-old filly crop with two G1s under her belt and is in a great position to crown her year with a win on Friday. Brad is extremely pleased with her and optimistic that she will be tough to beat.”

Charlie Appleby bids for a fourth victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on the same card, with Aomori City and Al Qudra hoping to join Outstrip, Line Of Duty and Modern Games on the roll of honour.

Both colts have already acquitted themselves well in Group company, with Aomori City winning the G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood and staying on to take fourth in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes in Ireland.

Al Qudra readily beat New Century in an Ascot Listed race in July and chased home the same horse in the G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in September, when the Godolphin colt suffered minor interference.

Charlie Appleby said: “Aomori City won the Vintage Stakes and ran a creditable race on slower ground in the National Stakes. He looks a tailor-made horse for the Breeders’ Cup in terms of his neat stature and liking for quick ground. He ticks a lot of boxes and fits in very well with this field, although being drawn in 12 is going to be the hardest part.

“Al Qudra was beaten by a nice horse in New Century at Woodbine, when they were both having their first experiences of racing in North America. We have a better draw this time in four and he has trained well going into this.”

Fellow two-year-old Cavallo Bay represents the same trainer in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the undercard. The Pinatubo colt won twice in the UK before shipping out for two US appearances, including finishing a close fourth in the G2 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland’s Fall Meet.