Cymric Draws Lucky 13 in Juvenile Turf

Breeders' Cup 32 kicks off Oct. 30 at Keeneland and first out of the box is the $1 million Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) at a mile. The opener is often a tough race to handicap as it brings together a heady mix of Europeans with North American runners who usually have seen limited action on the grass.



Europeans have ruled so far in the previous eight editions of the Juvenile Turf, taking five runnings. Last year's winner, the North American-based Hootenanny, made a pair of starts overseas, winning at Royal Ascot and running second in the Darley Prix Morny (Fr-I) at Deauville.



The pride of Europe, and the one to beat this year, figures to be Godolphin Racing's Cymric, the runner-up in France's top race for 2-year-olds, the Oct. 4 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium (Fr-I) at a mile. Trainer John Gosden has won this race twice with Donativum (2008) and Pounced (2009). Cymric, bred in Kentucky by Audrey Otto's Jamm Ltd., is by Kitten's Joy   out of Fastbridled, a half sister to grade IIT winner Interactif.



Trainer Aiden O'Brien has a pair in Hit It a Bomb, a two-time winner in Ireland and a son of War Front  , and Shogun, sixth behind Cymric in the Grand Criterium last time out .



Of the locals, John Oxley's Airoforce owns a big win over the Keeneland surface, taking the Oct. 4 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) in impressive fashion going 1 1/16 miles. Sitting just off the pace over a yielding course, the son of Colonel John   showed a nice turn of foot clearing the field in the lane. Runner-up Camelot Kitten (also by Kitten's Joy) came from far back in the field and will take another shot for trainer Chad Brown and breeder/owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey.



Airoforce is trained by Mark Casse, who will also saddle Conquest Daddyo (by Scat Daddy  ) in his bid for his first Breeders' Cup win. A $350,000 purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Conquest Stables' runner scored impressively last time out Sept. 12 in Woodbine's Summer Stakes (Can-IIT) at the Juvenile Turf trip.



Isotherm and Azar were hard to separate in Belmont Park's Pilgrim Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sept. 26 and are players at Keeneland. Isotherm is from the first North American crop of top Australian sire Lonhro, out of a More Than Ready   mare and is trained by George Weaver, while Azar, by the red-hot leading juvenile sire Scat Daddy, also has Saratoga Race Course's With Anticipation Stakes (gr. IIIT) to his ledger.