Breeders' Cup Friday: Looking at the Stakes Race Results

The biggest weekend in horse racing has rolled into Kentucky's Churchill Downs. While Friday is dubbed "Ladies Day" at the Breeders' Cup, there were more than just girls on the track during the 10 race card, which included eighth stakes with one non-Breeders' Cup race.

But who were the top three horses in each race? Let's take a look at each race's winners.

Ack Ack Handicap

The G3 Ack Ack Handicap featured a field of seven horses, including five stakes winners.

The win would be a close one as Mister Marti Gras won by half a length over Alma d'Oro with Glenwood Canyon a length behind in third with a final time of 1:45.68 over 1 1/16 miles on a muddy track.

The four-year-old gelding is by Belong to Me out of stakes placed Miss Marta, a Cure the Blues mare, and is owned and bred by Lothenbach Stables.

Jimmy V. "Don't Give Up... Don't Ever Give Up!" Stakes

The Jimmy V. "Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up!" Stakes was another close race as Will's Wildcat rode up the rail to win the race by 1 3/4 lengths over Wine Police, ridden by Julien Leparoux. Uncle Brent finished third, a length back, with the rest of the 11 horse field five lengths back.

Will's Wildcat is a four-year-old gelding by Eurosilver out of the Forest Wildcat mare. Wildcat Lady is owned and bred by Pattons Creek Farm.

Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint

The first race of the day would show once again how good Bob Baffert is when it comes to sprints, as his horse Secret Circle flashed under the wire first with Brian Meehan-trained Shumoos a length back in second. Holdin Bullets finished four-and-a-half lengths back in third.

Secret Circle is a colt by Eddington out of the multi-stakes winner Ragtime Hope. The colt is three-for-three and it is possible he could be on the Kentucky Derby trail next year.

"When he got out to lead by himself, he was drifting all over on him, looking for company," Trainer Bob Baffert said.  "He's still a young horse.  He's green, but he's just extremely gifted and talented.  I think it's a kind of horse that I'm going to ‑‑ eventually we're going to try to stretch him out."

Juvenile Fillies Turf

The Juvenile Fillies Turf saw a full field of 14 with two eligible horses also in the race. But it would be all Stephanie's Kitten at the wire as she flew up from midpack to ruin Stopshoppingmaria's chance at a Breeders' Cup win.

Stephanie's Kitten is by Kitten's Joy out of Unfold the Rose and owned and trained by the Ramseys. Incidentally, Kitten's Joy also had the third place horse in Sweet Cat who finished 1 1/4 lengths back.

"We'll leave the options open for dirt," Trainer Wayne Catalano said. "If there's good grass races all day, she'll probably run on grass.  If the race is poly, we'd have to think about it.  Since it's dirt or grass, no‑brainer."

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

For the second year in a row in this race, Switch found herself in second place as William Kaplan's Musical Romance won the race by a length and a quarter after sitting just off the leaders for the whole race. Front runners Golden Mystery and Termarind Hall set fractions of 22.40, 45.71 and 1:10.59 for the seven furlong race.

Musical Romance made her move late in the stretch but last year's second place runner came barreling up behind her, rapidly closing the distance during the final strides of the race. Her Smile had the same luck as Switch, getting up from 11th at the 1/4 pole to third at the wire only a head behind Switch.

Musical Romance is a four-year-old filly by Concorde's Tune out of the Slew Gin Fizz mare Candlelightdinner. This is her fifth win in 14 starts this season.

"She broke pretty sharp.  I was trying to get her to relax a bit," Jockey Juan Leyva said. "Once Golden Mystery got in front of me, I was able to get her off a little bit, off the bridle.  Around the turn, I was pretty confident.  I hadn't asked her to run yet.  I saw on the outside, Pomeroys Pistol and Turbulent Descent started moving.  So I waited a little longer for Tamarind Hall to die off and let me through there.  Once I saw the seam, I went through there, and my filly fired."

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

The juvenile dirt route races always showcase the best young talent on the track and this year was no exception in the Juvenile Fillies as favorite My Miss Aurelia put on a show during her run to victory.

The daughter of Smart Strike sat in second behind Candrea until the 3/4 pole where she easily pulled away, winning by three over Grace Hall who also proved she was one of the best by finishing six in front of fan favorite Weemissfrankie.

My Miss Aurelia was bred by Stonestreet Stables and is now raced in a partnership between George Bolton and Stonestreet. The race was bittersweet for the connections, though, as Stonestreet owner Jess Jackson died earlier in the year.

"I know it would mean the world to him to win this one with a homebred because he was always interested in breeding a race horse, not just horses for sale, but horses that would win at the track," Jackson's wife Barbara Banke said.

My Miss Aurelia is by Smart Strike and out of the Sea of Secrets mare My Miss Storm Cat.

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf

The Filly and Mare Turf looked to be another chance for Shared Account to shock the world with her second win in this race in two years but 11 other horses would have something to say about that.

It would be Perfect Shirl ending the hopes of last year's winner by winning by 3/4 lengths with the other top four horses finishing only a combined neck apart. The overall margins of the race from the first to last place horses were about five lengths.  When all was said and done, Shared Account was seventh with Perfect Shirl, Nahrain and Misty for Me grabbing the spots on the board.

"She's been progressing all the way through this year and getting better and better," Perfect Shirl's trainer Roger Attfield said. "Her racing at the Maiden actually was a pretty good race.  Had she been able to get out a little bit earlier than she did, I think she would have won that race.  The filly that beat her came down to Keeneland and won the race there."

Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic

The Ladies' Classic would be a bittersweet victory for Bill Mott and Palides Investments as they saw their silks go under the wire for the last win together. Royal Delta's 2 1/2 length victory concluded her racing with Palides Investments as she will be sent to sell at Keenland next week during the dispersal of her owner's holdings.

The three-year-old filly went off as the favorite in the race and sat behind pace setter Plum Pretty before making her move when the Kentucky Oaks winner faded in the stretch. Royal Delta's win over It's Tricky and Pachattack (second and third respectively) seem to have sealed the Eclipse Three-Year-Old Championship for her.

"With the other two good 3‑year‑old fillies being in there, I think this put us in very good position for an Eclipse award for our mare," Trainer Bill Mott said.

The Empire Maker-Delta Princess (A.P. Indy) filly gives Mott his second Ladies Classic win in two years and even with her uncertain future, Mott is unlikely to forget her win any time soon.