Unbeaten Immersive Rolls to Juvenile Fillies Win

It's hard to imagine a better start to one's career than the 2-year-old season Immersive has put together. Already a two-time grade 1 winner entering the biggest test yet, her 4 1/2-length domination of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 1 tied a bow on the gift of Eclipse championship honors. Training a champion 2-year-old filly is nothing new to trainer Brad Cox, who won the 2019 Juvenile Fillies on the way to Eclipse honors with British Idiom. Despite similarities in their careers—both debut winners at Saratoga Race Course and winners of the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland—Cox says Immersive is the best 2-year-old filly he's ever trained. "I think 2-year-old fillies, she's the best we've had," Cox said. "We've not had one win three grade 1s at 2. Excited about what she's accomplished, proud of her, and looking forward to next year." Immersive clinched Cox a seventh consecutive year in which he's entered the Breeders' Cup winner's circle, a streak that began with Monomoy Girl's victory in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). In total, the Kentucky-based trainer has emerged victorious in 11 World Championship contests. A homebred by Darley stallion Nyquist, who picks up his second win as a sire in the Juvenile Fillies, Immersive was the first Juvenile Fillies winner for Godolphin since Tempera in 2001. "We can't ask her to do anymore than she's already done," said Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock Michael Banahan. "To win from going three-quarters on the maiden win to what she did today, we couldn't be happier." The race set up perfectly for Immersive as she settled in midpack through the early stages. Bob Baffert-trained Nooni showed her customary early foot and spurted clear of the rest of the field by several lengths, setting quick fractions of :22.00, :44.99, and 1:10.03. Immersive's running mate through the opening half of the 1 1/16-mile event, Frizette Stakes (G1) winner Scottish Lassie, made an early move to kick away from the 2-1 favorite, giving her trainer and backers at the window a little bit of concern. Once jockey Manny Franco asked the question at the five-sixteenths pole, she kicked into gear and allowed her class to pull even with the leaders at the quarter pole. "I knew the pace was cooking in front, so I took my time," said Franco, who earned his second career Breeders' Cup victory. "I said, 'Let's go, this is the time.' She was there for me." Taking the lead from Vodka With a Twist and Scottish Lassie at the eighth pole, Immersive powered home to stop the clock in 1:44.36. She paid $6.00 to win. The victory caps a perfect 4-for-4 campaign to the tune of $1,622,700 in career earnings. 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist, who stood the 2024 season at Darley America in Lexington for a fee of $85,000, has also been represented this season by grade 1 winners Tenma, Randomized, and Johannes. Johannes races Nov. 2 in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). Immersive is out of the winning Bernardini mare Gap Year. Vodka With a Twist, who had been among the closest to Nooni in the early stages, battled hard to hold second. "She just fought every step of the way and she got beat by a really nice filly," trainer Phil D'Amato said. "She was bought for $2,500 and doesn't know it. I think she's going to further develop and I think she'll be an even better 3-year-old." Quickick, second to Immersive in the Alcibiades Oct. 4, closed to finish third after spotting the field multiple lengths at the start. Her trainer, Tom Amoss, said he was surprised with how far back she fell but was proud of her ability to close. "She really fell out of the gate and put herself in a very tough position... but she came running at the end," Amoss said. "If you're a student of the paddock and you watched, you could see that our filly is not as mature as some of these other horses. The best is yet to come for her. She's going to get stronger and bigger." She will hope to turn the tables on Immersive in the future as now the eyes of the division start to focus on being at Churchill Downs May 2 for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Immersive earned 30 qualifying points with her victory, boosting her total to 40. The rest of the top 5 earned points on a 15-9-6-3 scale. "We would love to think (the Kentucky Oaks is) a possibility," said Banahan. "We know when you turn over the calendar year, it's a new year for everyone again, and I'm sure there will be other fillies that put their hand up and be big challengers as well. "As Brad (Cox) said, the further they go, the better. Looks like she has plenty of stamina. She's quick enough to lay off quick fractions as well."