Structor Delivers For Brown in BC Juvenile Turf
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Structor wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park
Chad Brown became the winningest grass trainer in Breeders' Cup history when Structor prevailed in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park on "Future Stars Friday."
The victory provided Brown, 40, with his 11th grass win in the Breeders' Cup and 13th overall—all since 2008—and his success in the turf category pushed him past Aidan O'Brien, with whom he had been tied with 10 grass wins. The win was Brown's first in the Juvenile Turf.
Structor needed to defeat a couple of O'Brien trainees, Fort Myers and Arizona, the latter the 2-1 favorite. But beat them he did, aided by a ground-saving trip under Jose Ortiz, and the horse delivered after finding racing room in the stretch, defeating 55-1 longshot Billy Batts by three-quarters of a length.
Despite Friday's grass victory and his personal accomplishment, Brown had dirt races on his mind when interviewed in the winner's circle. That could potentially make the colt a participant in next spring's prep races leading toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
"He trains very well on it," Brown said. "He deserves it, and he's got the right running style to potentially run on both surfaces."
Brown complimented Ortiz for the jockey's ride, noting he was able to tuck inside. Still, Ortiz wished he had been able to launch Structor's rally earlier.
"I had nowhere to go at the three-eighths pole," he said. "Once we got into the clear, he really finished strong. He's a very nice horse."
The victory improved Structor, a 2-year-old owned by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel, to 3-for-3 following victories in the Sept. 28 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park and an Aug. 31 maiden race at Saratoga Race Course. He raced a mile on firm turf Friday in 1:35.11, about a half-second slower than the 1:34.59 clocking from Sharing in winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) over the same distance two races later.
Jose Ortiz gets a high five aboard Structor after winning the Juvenile Turf
The Juvenile Turf was worth $550,000 to the winner and improved his earnings to $709,500. He paid $12.60 for a $2 win wager.
Bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm, Structor is from the first crop of Three Chimneys stallion Palace Malice , winner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) and 2014 Metropolitan Handicap (G1). He is out of the More Than Ready mare Miss Always Ready.
Mike Ryan, as agent, purchased him for $850,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales' March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale from the Pick View consignment. He was a $160,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by Marquee Bloodstock from Gainesway, agent.
"He's just improving so much every week, this horse. We've always thought a lot of him," Brown said.
Some of Friday's other participants did not have the racing luck of the winner, notably Arizona and 3-1 second choice Decorated Invader, both of whom broke poorly. This contributed to the two horses racing near the back of the pack, more than five lengths off a modest pace set by Graceful Kitten with splits of :23.14, :47.55, and 1:11:68.
After shaking clear of backstretch traffic, Irad Ortiz Jr. on Decorated Invader and Ryan Moore on Arizona chose to launch wide rallies, but it was too little, too late. Decorated Invader settled for fourth and Arizona was fifth. Both were beaten less than two lengths.
"We're not too disappointed," O'Brien said of European invader Arizona. "He's going to be a lovely 3-year-old."
Their poor starts and traffic issues opened the door for Billy Batts and another longshot, 67-1 Gear Jockey, to pick up the largest of the secondary prizes, with Billy Batts, who took the lead from Graceful Kitten inside the eighth pole, holding second by a neck over Gear Jockey in third.
The Juvenile Turf was a rough race, one that resulted in the disqualification of Hit the Road, who crossed the wire in a dead heat for seventh, only to be demoted to last for interference with Deviant, who clipped heels on the second turn when impeded. He backed up through the pack thereafter, losing by 18 3/4 lengths.