Averly Jane, One Timer Vie in Juvenile Turf Sprint
Image:
Description:
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Averly Jane wins the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland
Two undefeated 2-year-olds with plenty of travel experience haven't scared off anyone for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T). A race so new that it didn't exist when Del Mar last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, the Turf Sprint drew a vastly oversubscribed field at pre-entry time. The race is limited to 12 starters.
Averly Jane , a filly who is 4-for-4, could get the most play, though the gelding One Timer hasn't done anything wrong in his three starts either. Averly Jane has won at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, and Saratoga Race Course, while One Timer's victories came at an even wider range of tracks—Arlington International Racecourse, Woodbine, and Santa Anita Park.
Averly Jane has won once on the turf and three times on a variety of dirt surfaces from fast to sloppy. One Timer scored on two different synthetic surfaces and once on turf. Both have competed each time at 5 1/2 furlongs or less; the Juvenile Turf Sprint is conducted over five furlongs.
Another factor in Averly Jane's corner is her trainer, Wesley Ward. In the race's three runnings, Ward has started 10 horses, with two wins and a second. Second with Chelsea Cloisters to Todd Pletcher-trained Bulletin in 2018, the race's inaugural year, Ward won the next two years, with Four Wheel Drive and Golden Pal .
Wesley Ward has won the past two editions of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
Golden Pal, back this year for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), has some interesting pedigree similarities to Averly Jane. Midshipman is the sire of Averly Jane and the broodmare sire of Golden Pal. Averly Jane is out of Sh Sh Shakin' , by California-bred Richter Scale , a talented sprinter in his day. Golden Pal is by Uncle Mo , a son of California-bred Indian Charlie . In Excess , the sire of Indian Charlie, was one of the fastest runners in the early 1990s, whether around one turn or two.
The University of Kentucky bred Averly Jane in Kentucky and sold her via its Maine Chance Farm to Gatewood Bell and his Hat Creek Racing for $35,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale. Several university students participated in raising Averly Jane, and they got to cheer her on when she won the Oct. 10 Indian Summer Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select at Keeneland and earned a "Win and You're In" berth to the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
"She was really good as a baby, good conformation, really feminine," said Tim Jedra, the university's equine unit animal resource manager, after the race. "And her personality and her looks made you want to like her. We have people that don't come from horse backgrounds that have been a part of her life. Even if they don't go out in the industry, they're at least becoming an avid fan."
Bell bought Averly Jane because "I thought I was getting a horse that might have a bunch of kids come out, watch train, feed peppermints to, and if we got lucky might be able to win a race," he said
Larry Rivelli trains One Timer for Vince Foglia's Patricia's Hope and Richard Ravin, two of Rivelli's good friends. One Timer, a Kentucky-bred son of Trappe Shot , won the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine and the Speakeasy Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Challenge event, at Santa Anita.
One Timer Oct. 31 at Del Mar
"He's doing great—he worked the other day really good at Del Mar (four furlongs in :49 4/5 Oct. 28)," said Rivelli. "Everything's going good. I couldn't be happier with the whole plan. He's maintained his weight, if not gained a little bit of weight since he's stayed here (in California)."
Rivelli and Ward are good friends, staying with each other when Ward goes to Rivelli's home base of Chicago and when Rivelli goes to Florida, where Ward owns a farm.
In large part because Ward has fared so well in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Europeans have been unable to win the race thus far. That won't keep them from trying again. Three of the European-based runners, Go Bears Go , Quick Suzy , and Armor , are group winners.
David Loughnane trains Go Bears Go for Amo Racing and Peter Waney. A son of Kodi Bear , Go Bears Go won the GAIN Railway Stakes (G2) at the Curragh.
Gavin Cromwell trains Quick Suzy, a daughter of Profitable , for U.S.-based Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Quick Suzy captured the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot.
Armor, a son of 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint second No Nay Never , won the Markel Molecomb Stakes (G3) at Goodwood. Richard Hannon trains Armor for Al Shaqab Racing.
Hierarchy , though not a group winner, has been on the improve. After two wins, he finished third in the Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Sirenia Stakes (G3) at Kempton and second in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (G2) at Newbury. Hugo Palmer trains Hierarchy for David Howden and Qatar Racing.
OFFICIAL: Post Positions for the $1 Million #BreedersCup Juvenile Turf Sprint at @DelMarRacing on #FutureStarsFriday.
ℹ️: https://t.co/EX2QEEzfVc #BC21 pic.twitter.com/QZWRJkvzP0— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 1, 2021
Del Mar, Friday, November 05, 2021, Race 6Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Twilight Jet (IRE)
Leigh Roche
122
Michael O'Callaghan
15/1
2
2Kaufymaker (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
119
Wesley A. Ward
12/1
3
3Go Bears Go (IRE)
John R. Velazquez
122
David Loughnane
15/1
4
4Vertiginous (IRE)
Javier Castellano
119
Brian Meehan
20/1
5
5Hierarchy (IRE)
Oisin Murphy
122
Hugo Palmer
12/1
6
6Twilight Gleaming (IRE)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
119
Wesley A. Ward
4/1
7
7Armor (GB)
Ryan L. Moore
122
Richard Hannon
6/1
8
8Averly Jane (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
119
Wesley A. Ward
5/2
9
9One Timer (KY)
E. T. Baird
122
Larry Rivelli
4/1
10
10Time to Party (KY)
Flavien Prat
122
Peter Miller
15/1
11
11Derrynane (NY)
Joel Rosario
119
Christophe Clement
12/1
12
12Run Curtis Run (NY)
Luis Saez
122
Michael J. Maker
20/1
13
13Thunder Love (GB)
John R. Velazquez
119
George Boughey
30/1
14
14Sumter (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Richard E. Mandella
30/1
