ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — New Year’s Day overtook betting favorite Havana deep in the stretch to win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by 114 lengths.
Ridden by Martin Garcia, New Year’s Day covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.52 and paid $23.00, $9.20 and $6.60 on Saturday at Santa Anita. Havana, who went off as the 5-2 favorite, returned $4.60 and $3.40, while Strong Mandate paid $6 to show.
With the win, the 2-year-old colt stamps himself as the early Kentucky Derby favorite. Street Sense has been the only colt to pull off the Juvenile-Derby double.
It was the first Breeders’ Cup win for Garcia and the ninth for trainer Bob Baffert, who has now won the Juvenile three times, the most recent coming in 2008 with Midshipman.
Havana’s trainer Todd Pletcher was seeking his third Juvenile victory in the past four years.
