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LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov 4 (UPI) \u2014<\/span> Forte and Wonder Wheel took the early favorite roles for the 2023 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks with impressive victories Saturday in the Breeders\u2019 Cup juvenile features at Keeneland.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the European invaders swept all before them in the turf races on the \u201cStars of Tomorrow\u201d day for 2-year-olds at the Breeders\u2019 Cup World Championships.\n<\/p>\n The Euros are likely to go home to compete in England, Ireland and the Continent in the coming spring. The Americans are looking to the first weekend in May at Churchill Downs.<\/p>\n Forte was doubly impressive in the $2 million Grade I FanDuel Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile, defeating well-backed favorite Cave Rock by 1 1\/2 lengths with a professional move through the stretch.\n<\/p>\n Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. kept Forte safely behind an early pace battle between California invader Cave Rock and an ambitious long shot. When that battle had taken its toll, Ortiz gave Forte has cue and the Violence colt responded like a veteran.\n<\/p>\n Cave Rock, trained by Bob Baffert, battled on to finish second, with National Treasure a long-shot third.<\/p>\n Forte now has won three straight Grade I races for trainer Todd Pletcher, taking the Hopeful at Saratoga and the Breeders\u2019 Futurity over the Keeneland track Oct. 8.\n<\/p>\n Part-owner Mike Repole credited Ortiz and trainer Todd Pletcher, saying Ortiz is \u201c5 lengths ahead\u201d of the rest of the talented U.S. jockey roster this year. He also said the experience of funning at Keeneland was important.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of the reasons we ran here\u201d in the Futurity, he said.<\/p>\n Where does he go from here? \u201cWherever the Eclipse Awards are handed out this year,\u201d Repole said as Forte is a cinch to win the statue symbolizing the champion of the 2-year-old division.\n<\/p>\n But he also gave his rival a shout out. \u201cCave Rock\u2019s numbers are incredible,\u201d Repole said. \u201cBut it\u2019s the first time he\u2019s shipping halfway across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n While Forte\u2019s trip was a smooth one, Wonder Wheel had obstacles to overcome.<\/p>\n Wonder Wheel, with Tyler Gaffalione up for trainer Mark Casse, was shuffled back at the start in the $ 2 million NetJets Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Fillies, worked her way through traffic and closed stoutly through the stretch to win by 3 lengths over Leave No Trace with Raging Sea third.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThings didn\u2019t go to plan,\u201d Gaffalione said. We wanted to be more forwardly placed.\u201d<\/p>\n Casse added, \u201cTwo-year-olds don\u2019t do that \u2014 come from that far out of it to win. When we went through the first turn that far back, I though, \u2018Oh boy. This is not good.\u2019 On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is absolute class, she\u2019s a 10.\u201d<\/p>\n Wonder Wheel, a Kentucky-bred filly by Into Mischief out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Wonder Gal, ran 1 1\/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.90, scoring her fourth win from five starts.<\/p>\n She prepped for the Breeders\u2019 Cup with a win in the Grade I Alcibiades over the same course and distance Oct. 7 and earlier in the year won twice at Churchill Downs, auguring well for her chances in next year\u2019s Oaks.<\/p>\n The day\u2019s championship races kicked off with a European flavor as Godolphin\u2019s Mischief Magic came down the center of the course to catch Dramatised in the final sixteenth in the $1 million Grade I Juvenile Turf Sprint, winning by 1 length.<\/p>\n Both are based in England and top European jockeys William Buick and Ryan Moore finished first and second. The favorite, Love Reigns, never fired and finished eighth as Mischief Magic, an Exceed and Excel colt, ran 5 1\/2 furlongs in 1:02.41.\n<\/p>\n Michief Magic\u2019s trainer, Charlie Appleby, opined before the weekend races that European juveniles would have an edge over American-based runners as they\u2019ve had more experience.<\/p>\n In fact, Mischief Magic came into the race the winner of three of five previous starts. Private Creed, who finished third and best of the locals, was making his fifth start with three wins to his credit.<\/p>\n Appleby said the winner, who got his first top-level win, \u201cput himself in the picture\u201d for the Commonwealth Cup at next year\u2019s Royal Ascot meeting.<\/p>\n The Euro magic continued in the $1 million Grade I Juvenile Fillies Turf as Moore guided the favorite, Meditate, to a stretch-running, 2 1\/2-length victory over Pleasant Passage.<\/p>\n Meditate, an Irish-bred filly by No Nay Never, trained by Aidan O\u2019Brien for the Coolmore connections, finished the 1 mile on firm turf in 1:35.38.<\/p>\n Like Mischief Magic, Meditate came to Keeneland with plenty of foundation after six previous starts. She won four of those and finished second in each of her last two, both Group 1 events.<\/p>\n The day\u2019s final race, the $1 million Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Turf, again came down to a thrilling finish between Moore and Buick, riding Victoria Road and Silver Knott, respectively.\n<\/p>\n Both came from off the pace to with Silver Knott slipping through on the rail to take a brief lead, only to be caught in the final strides by Silver Knott, who rolled outside rivals.<\/p>\n Victoria Road, an Irish-bred colt by the Japanese-bred sire Saxon Warrior, won by a nose while running 1 mile in 1:35.99. He struggled to get into the win column, finally breaking through in his fifth start but now has won four straight races.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien and Moore said the speed influence of Saxon Warrior had them expecting sprint ability from Victoria Road. \u201cBut, as he\u2019s gone up in trip, he\u2019s got better,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter his last race at Chantilly,\u201d O\u2019Brien said, \u201cRyan said to me he\u2019s a French Derby horse for next year.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien and Moore now have won the Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Turf five times.<\/p>\n