5 Fast Facts: Breeders' Futurity Stakes

Oct 03, 2017 Alastair Bull/TwinSpires.com

5 Fast Facts about the Breeders' Futurity Stakes, a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race

1. The Breeders’ Futurity was first run in 1910 and hosted until 1930 at the Kentucky Association track in Lexington, Kentucky. It was raced at the Latonia Racetrack in Covington, KY from 1931 to 1933, but it was not held from 1934 to 1937. It was revived in 1938 at Keeneland, and has been held there every year since bar 1943-45, when it raced at Churchill Downs.
2. Spectators saw a great stretch duel In its first renewal at Keeneland in 1938. The winner, by a nose over Allegro, was Johnstown. The next year he won the Kentucky Derby by a record eight lengths and also took the Belmont Stakes.
3. Three Kentucky Derby winners won the Breeders’ Futurity as juveniles: Johnstown, the Triple Crown winner Whirlaway, and Swale. The winners also include Hall of Famers Round Table and Devil Diver.
4. Classic Empire last year became the fourth Breeders’ Futurity winner to subsequently take the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The others were Tasso (1985), Boston Harbor (1996), and Favorite Trick (1997). Answer Lively (1998) finished second in the Futurity before winning the Juvenile, while Street Sense (2006) won the Juvenile after finishing third in the Futurity.
5. Claiborne Farm has put plenty into the race since becoming its sponsor in 2014, but it’s also got plenty out of it over the years. The Paris, Kentucky stud is the most successful owner in the race’s history, having won it five times – Round Table (1956), Duel (1963), Dike (1968), Swale (1983), and Forty Niner (1987).