Before dreams of roses in May and visions of Triple Crown bids in June begin to manifest among racing fans, “Future Stars Friday” at the Breeders’ Cup serves as a launching point on the path to stardom for horse racing’s next generation.

The $ 2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is the signature race on the Friday card at the World Championships, and this year’s race drew a talented field of eight 2-year-olds.

1. Intrepido (8-1 morning-line odds): Rallied from fourth for impressive win in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes Presented by DK Horse and is 2-for-2 at one mile or longer. Was overlooked in previous stakes try and could fall through the cracks here, too. Appealing odds, plus a win on Del Mar’s main track.

JOCKEY: Hector Berrios; TRAINER: Jeff Mullins

2. Blackout Time (5-1): Ships in off runner-up finish to Ted Noffey in Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and has improved in every start for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Ken McPeek. Picks up the services of five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Lots to like.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Ken McPeek

3. Mr. A. P. (30-1): Will try to follow the hoofsteps of Action This Day (2003) and New Year’s Day (2013) as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners who entered off a win in a maiden race. Looked good in first try around two turns and should be doing his best running late in a race with plenty of speed. Live longshot.

JOCKEY: Antonio Fresu; TRAINER: Vladimir Cerin

4. Comport (30-1): A stakes winner at Ellis Park, he enters off a runner-up finish to Spice Runner in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes Sept. 13 at Churchill Downs. That result lost some luster when Spice Runner was beaten by 12 ¾ lengths in the Breeders’ Futurity, but Comport has never been worse than second in four starts.

JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Eddie Kenneally

5. Civil Liberty (30-1): Difficult assignment for colt seeking his first career win coming out of a fourth-place finish in the American Pharoah Stakes. Has encountered some trouble in his three starts but a breakthrough win against this group would be a surprise to say the least. NOTE: Scratched from race with minor tendon injury.

JOCKEY: Frankie Dettori; TRAINER: Doug O’Neill

6. Litmus Test (15-1): He was beaten by five lengths by Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Futurity after finishing 4 ¼ lengths behind stablemate Brant in the Del Mar Futurity. Speed figures indicate he can be competitive for a Hall of Fame trainer seeking his record-extending seventh win in this race.

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Bob Baffert

Brant wins Del Mar Futurity (Eclipse Sportswire)

7. Brant (5-2): Improved to 2-for-2 when winning the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity by a length Sept. 7. A $3 million purchase at auction, this Gun Runner colt stretches out in distance here and looks like a serious candidate to give Bob Baffert his seventh win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Bob Baffert

8. Ted Noffey (4-5): Enters the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile off back-to-back Grade 1 wins by a combined margin of 11 ¼ lengths. Flashy gray colt by leading sire Into Mischief figures to be the odds-on favorite to improve to 4-for-4 and give trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth win in this race.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

THE PICK: Brant

LIVE LONGSHOTS: Mr. A. P.

SUPERFECTA: 7-3-8-1