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Citizen Bull took charge as the starting gates opened and held the front throughout for an easy win in the $2 million Juvenile, one of the featured races on Future Stars Friday at the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club near San Diego.

All five of the Breeders’ Cup races on the card on Friday were Grade 1s and for horses racing in their 2-yard-old season.

Citizen Bull, who went to the post with odds of 15-1, never looked like anything but a winner while triumphing by 1 1/2 lengths under veteran jockey Martin Garcia.

Citizen Bull, trained by Bob Baffert, won the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park in his last start and has now captured three of his four lifetime starts.

Gaming, also trained by Baffert, finished second with 6-1 odds, 3 1/4 lengths clear of 60-1 longshot Hill Road. Race favorite East Avenue stumbled badly coming out of the gate and was never a factor, finishing ninth out of 10 runners in the 1 1/16 mile-event.

In the co-featured race, Immersive remained unbeaten with on off-the-pace, 4 1/2-length win in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Immersive, owned and bred by Godophin’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is now four for four in her career and has captured three straight Grade 1 races.

The winner, who went off as the favorite at odds of 2-1, tracked a blistering pace under rider Manuel Frankel before unleashing her kick near the top of the stretch, roaring past runner up Vodka With a Twist (8-1) and Quickkick (also 8-1).

Immersive is trained by Brad Cox, one of the top trainers in North America who won a Breeders’ Cup race for the seventh consecutive year.

Also on the card:

–Lake Victoria, the 3-5 favorite, romped home in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf with Ryan Moore in the irons for trainer Aidan O’Brien. The Irish-bred filly rated on the rail until the final turn of the 1-mile race before moving out to the four path as the leaders grew weary. She took charge at the top of the stretch and easily held sway over runner=up May Day Ready (14-1) and third-place Nitrogen (50-1).

Lake Victoria is now a perfect 5-for-5 for Moore and O’Brien, the top jockey and trainer, respectively, in Ireland.

–Magnum Force (IRE) was best in the short stretch to win the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint over five furlongs. Leaving the post at 12.5-1, Magnum Force saved ground on the rail under jockey Colin Keane before making a move at the eighth-mile pole and holding off 27-1 longshot Arizona Blaze by a half-length at the wire. Governor Sam, who set the pace, was third while Japan-based race favorite Ecoro Sieg was bumped around in the first 50 yards and finished eighth.

It was the first Breeders’ Cup win for both trainer Ger Lyons.

–O’Brien and Moore struck again as Henri Matisse came from off the pace to win the $1 Million Juvenile Turf at odds of 7/2 in the day’s nightcap. The Irish-bred Henri Matisse followed Moore’s earlier strategy of rating off the early speed and pouncing on the leaders in mid-stretch while outlasting 29-1 outsider Iron Man Cal by a neck. Aomori City was third at odds of 10-1.

The victory was O’Brien’s 20th all time in the Breeders’ Cup, tying the legendary D. Wayne Lukas for most wins all time by a trainer

The Championships will continue on Saturday with nine more Grade 1 events for 3-year-old and older horses in different classifications — highlighted by the $7 million Classic at 1 1/4 miles on the dirt. The Classic is the richest race in North America.

A total of $30 million will be paid out over the 14-race Breeders’ Cup series over the two days.

–Field Level Media