Americans Seek Third Straight BC Juvenile Turf Win

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/01/2021 - 14:12
Link: 
Americans Seek Third Straight BC Juvenile Turf Win
Image: 
Description: 

Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Tiz the Bomb wins the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland

For the bulk of its existence, the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) has been a playground for Europeans.

In its first 12 editions, from 2007-18, the turf stakes for 2-year-olds was captured eight times by a starter based overseas. Even in those four races won by American horses—one of which was a juvenile trained by Wesley Ward who had started his career in the United States and then made two starts in Europe before winning at the World Championships—Europeans finished second twice.

There were only two times in that span when a horse from overseas did not finish either first, second, or third.

"Over the years, some very good Europeans have come over here for this race," said four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, who is considered America's premier turf trainer. "They always merit attention."

Yet the last two years, with some help from Brown, the script has been flipped.

Sign up for

Americans won the last two renewals—the first time that has ever happened—and they are well-positioned to bid for a hat trick Nov. 5 at Del Mar when a field of 14 will break from the gate in the two-turn, one-mile test.

The U.S. contingent is headed by Portfolio Company , who finished second in the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park, Tiz the Bomb , who earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge spot in the Juvenile Turf by capturing the Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, and Slipstream , who won the Futurity Stakes (G3T) to gain a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) but will run in the longer Juvenile Turf instead.

Bass Racing's undefeated Annapolis , one of the favorites for the Juvenile Turf off a win in the Pilgrim, dropped out of the race last week because of ankle chips.

Brown, who captured the 2019 Juvenile Turf with Structor , said that after racing 1 1/16 miles in the Pilgrim, the shorter mile distance at the World Championships should benefit Portfolio Company, a son of Kitten's Joy   owned by Klaravich Stables.

"I don't think he'll mind the cutback to a mile," Brown said about the colt bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey who was also second in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3T).

Phoenix Thoroughbred's Tiz the Bomb is two-for-two on turf with victories in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Stakes and the Bourbon Stakes for trainer Ken McPeek, who will be chasing his first Breeders' Cup victory after six second-place finishes, five of them in juvenile stakes.

In posting a three-quarters-of-a-length victory in the Bourbon, the son of 2015 Juvenile Turf winner Hit It a Bomb   bred by Spendthrift Farm overcame breaking through the starting gate, an incident that rarely portends a winning effort.

"I think for this horse definitely the (Juvenile Turf) is ideal," said McPeek, who also has nine third-place finishes in Breeders' Cup juvenile stakes.

Jump Sucker Stable's Slipstream will be trying two turns for the first time in the Juvenile Turf but displayed a strong late kick in the six-furlong Futurity, rallying from eighth to prevail by a length.

The son of More Than Ready   bred by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock has won two of four starts for trainer Christophe Clement.

"Going from the deeper turf courses of the east, to out west, it's a lot easier to carry speed and Christophe would rather have a horse stretching out into the mile race than cutting back," said Steven Duncker, part of the Jump Sucker ownership group. "I'm not sure if Slipstream is a classic stayer by any means, but Christophe feels that a mile should hit him right between the eyes. Christophe has always liked Slipstream."

Other top American hopefuls include Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dakota Gold , a New York-bred Freud   colt who won the $500,000 Nownownow Stakes at Monmouth Park in his first start on turf for trainer Danny Gargan. The California-based Mackinnon , a son of American Pharoah  , also merits consideration after winning a pair of mile turf stakes, the Zuma Beach Stakes and Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes, in his last two starts for owners ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables, and Dave Kenney and trainer Doug O'Neill.

The European contingent includes Godolphin's Albahr , a Dubawi  homebred who won three of four starts overseas before shipping to Canada and securing a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth by taking the Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine by 2 1/4 lengths as a 3-5 favorite for trainer Charlie Appleby.

Albahr wins the Summer Stakes Sunday, September 19, 2021 at Woodbine
Photo: Michael Burns
Frankie Dettori takes his signature flying dismount after winning the Summer Stakes with Albahr at Woodbine

Appleby, a two-time winner of the Juvenile Turf, and Godolphin, which has a trio of wins in the stakes, will send out another Dubawi homebred in Modern Games , who captured the Tattersalls Somerville Stakes (G3) at Newmarket among his three wins and a second from five starts.

Dubawi, who stands at Godolphin/Darley's Dalham Stud Hall, will also be represented by Dr. Ali Ridha's Dubawi Legend , who exits a runner-up finish in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket. He owns a record of 1-1-1 in three starts for trainer Hugo Palmer.

Dubawi Legend was installed as the 4-1 morning line favorite at the Nov. 1 draw, but received no favors as he landed the potentially treacherous outside post 14 in a race with a short run to the first turn.

Modern Games, the 5-1 second choice, will break from the other extreme in the field of 14, drawing the rail.

Portfolio Company was the top American in the morning line at 6-1 and will break from post 10.


Entries: Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1)

Del Mar, Saturday, November 06, 2021, Race 10

  • Grade I
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $2,000,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:00 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Private Mission (KY) Flavien Prat 121 Bob Baffert 8/1
2 2Royal Flag (KY) Joel Rosario 124 Chad C. Brown 8/1
3 3Malathaat (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 121 Todd A. Pletcher 4/1
4 4Blue Stripe (ARG) Lanfranco Dettori 124 Marcelo Polanco 30/1
5 5Clairiere (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 121 Steven M. Asmussen 12/1
6 6Letruska (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Fausto Gutierrez 8/5
7 7Horologist (NJ) Junior Alvarado 124 William I. Mott 30/1
8 8Shedaresthedevil (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 124 Brad H. Cox 4/1
9 9As Time Goes By (KY) Luis Saez 124 Bob Baffert 15/1
10 10Marche Lorraine (JPN) Oisin Murphy 124 Yoshito Yahagi 30/1
11 11Dunbar Road (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 124 Chad C. Brown 15/1