By Stefanie Grimm
It will be a family affair at Del Mar. His older brother may be looking to claim divisional honors on the dirt in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic next month while 2-year-old Mentee (City of Light) is taking a different route to the seaside oval, booking his slot in the gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with a win in Friday's GIII Futurity Stakes at Aqueduct.
A winner by the narrowest of margins, albeit always confidently handled, in his track-record setting Aqueduct debut, the Repole Stables homebred did worse than hoped when sixth after a rough trip in the GI Hopeful Stakes and rerouted to the turf Friday.
Breaking from the outside under regular pilot John Velazquez, 4-1 shot Mentee flashed good early speed and was able to clear down several paths with only 20-1 longshot Epitaph (Country House) faster than him along the rail. The pair ran an even one-two into the far turn while chased by a three-wide line of rivals which included race favorite Gate to Wire (Munnings) and 2-1 second choice Under Who's Radar (Violence) who charged up to pose a threat at the quarter pole. But still shoulder to shoulder with a furlong to run and with no real challenges materializing from the pack, Mentee finally wore down Epitaph after five furlongs and got away, winning in good style as his rival was just nosed out for second.
The Futurity has yielded good results in November since becoming a Breeders' Cup Challenge Race in 2018. In the six editions since, five runners have gone on to the Breeders' Cup with Four Wheel Drive (American Pharoah) taking the win in the 2019 edition of the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and Uncle Benny (Declaration of War) coming second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2018. Nagirroc (Lea), who won this race in 2022, would take third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. And of note, while last year's Futurity winner Book 'em Danno (Bucchero) didn't try the Breeders' Cup, he's had no lack of success since including a win in this year's GI Woody Stephens Stakes.
“Some of the City of Lights handle the grass and we thought he [Mentee] had good action that would maybe take to it,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “We breezed him on it and it looked like he really enjoyed it. We felt the timing and the distance of this race suited him well and it put us in a position to do about anything from here. I think a lot of options open up.”
Regarding his colt's next start, Pletcher noted that both the Juvenile Turf Sprint and the Juvenile Turf would be in play.
“I'll talk to Mike [Repole, owner of Mentee] a little bit, but we actually talked about it before, and we thought if he ran well it would be a good bridge to the mile [Turf] instead of the five furlongs [Turf Sprint]– we'll see.”
Pedigree Note:
Mentee is the tenth stakes winner for City of Light and the second graded stakes winner produced by Mike Repole's Nonna Bella in as many years when counting the exploits of champion 2-year-old colt Fierceness. The mare herself is a winning half-sister to GI Wood Memorial Stakes winner and sire Outwork (Uncle Mo) out of GISP Nonna Mia. The family includes MGSW and sire Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile). Nonna Bella has a yearling filly by Caravaggio and reported a colt by Uncle Mo this season. She is due to Curlin next year.
Friday, Belmont at the Big A
FUTURITY S.-GIII, $175,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-4, 2yo, 6fT, 1:08.82, fm.
1–MENTEE, 120, c, 2, by City of Light
1st Dam: Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty
2nd Dam: Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Holy Bubbette, by Holy Bull
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $148,000. *Full to Fierceness, Ch. 2-year-old Colt, MGISW, $2,666,350. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gate to Wire, 120, c, 2, Munnings–Sansibar Jewel, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($95,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Donegal Racing; B-Moyglare Stud Farm, Ltd. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $35,000.
3–Epitaph, 120, g, 2, Country House–Barb's On Edge, by Into Mischief. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($15,000 2yo '24 EASMAY). O-Joseph M. Grant, Yellow Moon Stable, Can Do Racing, LLC and Leonard Ficarelle; B-NK Racing (NY); T-Gary C. Contessa. $21,000.
Margins: 3HF, NO, 2. Odds: 4.10, 1.85, 20.20.
Also Ran: Under Who's Radar, In the Chase, I'm Otter Here, Joey Muscles. Scratched: Chasing Liberty.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
MENTEE wins The Futurity and is IN the #BreedersCup Juvenile Turf Sprint! #WinAndYoureIn pic.twitter.com/xBvcbt3MAp
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 4, 2024
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