Circular Quay, unbeaten in three starts, figures to be the heavy favorite in Saturday's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland. The 2-year-old son of
Thunder Gulch not only is the sole graded stakes winner in the eight-horse field, all of which are colts, but he also sports a grade I triumph, in the historic Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. Circular Quay, who will be making his first start over the new Polytrack surface and his first around two turns, races for her breeder, Doreen Tabor, in partnership with her husband, Michael Tabor, and is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Great Hunter, by
Aptitude, goes into the race off three consecutive runner-up efforts in graded stakes in Southern California, the last of which was in the Del Mar Futurity (gr. II) in early September. Doug O'Neill trains for owner J.P. Reddam.
Birdbirdistheword and Passport figure to get some support by virtue of their stakes wins at the Futurity distance. Birdbirdistheword, by
Pure Prize, won the Harrah's Juvenile Stakes Sept. 23 on grass at Louisiana Downs for owner Raymond Cottrell Sr. and trainer Kenny McPeek. Passport, a Claiborne Farm homebred and son of Claiborne stallion
Pulpit, eked out a neck score in the Miller Lite Cradle Stakes Sept. 4 at River Downs. Frank Brothers trains.James Tafel's homebred Street Sense and the Johannesburg colt Teuflesberg also boast graded stakes experience. Street Sense, by Street Cry, ran third last time out in the Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (gr. III) for trainer Carl Nafzger. Teuflesberg's best effort against graded company came in a narrow loss in the Sanford Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga.The field for the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity
Race 8, Time 5:00
Post Horse Jockey
1) Circular Quay Garrett Gomez
2) Great Hunter Victor Espinoza
3) French Transition Julien Leparoux
4) Teuflesberg Willie Martinez
5) Birdbirdistheword Robby Albarado
6) Passport Corey Lanerie
7) Street Sense Calvin Borel
8) Bold Star Larry Melancon
