1:24 pm: Indian Blessing and War Pass clinched juvenile championships and remained undefeated with easy front-running victories to provide a chalky and orderly beginning to a sloppy Breeders' Cup Day.
Both races validated the form of Belmont Park's preps. In the Juvenile Fillies, it was Indian Blessing (the Frizette winner) over proud Spell (the Matron winner) and Backseat Rhytm (the Frizette runner-up). In the Juvenile, it was the same 1-2 finish as the Champagne, with War Pass beating Pyro. Kodiak Cowboy was third with Tale of Ekati fourth, a reverse of their 1-2 finish in the Belmont Futurity.
Indian Blessing($5.40) took command early under Garrett Gomez and was never seriously threatened. The biggest early surprise was that A To The Croft, previously a stone closer, was the only opponent to run with her, prompting her through solid fractions of 4644 and 1:10.61. Proud Spell and Tasha's Miracle launched bids on the turn but Indian Blessing skipped away from them, opening six lengths. She tired late, with a final sixteenth in 7.01, but was 31/2 lengths clear with a final time of 1:44.73. Proud Spell held off Backseat Rhythm by half a length for second, and four lengths further back Tasha's Miracle was fourth to complete a spectacularly generous $6561 for $2 superfecta. The $2 exacta paid $54.20 and the $2 tri was $243.
War Pass($6.40) was an even easier winner, gliding through the slop under Cornelio Velasquez through fractions of 45.56 and 1:09.65. Globalization and Salute the Sarge tried to keep up early but were finished by the top of the stretch as only Pyro emerged as a mild late threat. War Pass had a seven-length lead with a furlong to go and scored by 4 3/4 over Pyro in 1:42.76, nearly two full seconds faster than Indian Blessing. It was a staggering 12 lengths back to the Futurity pair and the rest. The $2 exacta was $25.20, the $2 tri was $146 and the all-Belmont superfecta returned $551.20 for $2.
