Newmarket Juvenile Turf Races Offer Tickets to BC

A massive weekend of qualifying races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships sails across the Atlantic to Newmarket where 2-year-olds will strut their stuff.

The Sept. 29 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (G2) is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) while the Sept. 30 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) offers a spot in the starting gate for the Juvenile Turf (G1T) and also is the second race in the new "European Road to the Kentucky Derby" series.

The Rockfel, a seven-furlong affair for 2-year-old fillies, drew a field of 10 with no clear favorite.

Butterscotch, a Galileo filly trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, was beaten only by stablemate Clemmie in the Grangecon Stud Stakes (G3) at the Curragh in her previous outing. Ryan Moore rode Clemmie that day and takes the mount on Butterscotch for the Rockfel.

Nyaleti, an Irish-bred Arch filly trained by Mark Johnston, won the Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot and most recently was third in the William Hill May Hill Stakes (G2) at Doncaster, beaten only a quarter length.

Gavota (GB), a Juddmonte Farms homebred by Bated Breath, is undefeated in two starts for trainer Roger Charlton. Fans of Frankel's progeny will eye Lightening Quick (GB), who won at first asking Sept. 9. She is out of the Marju (IRE) mare Lightening Pearl, who won the 2011 Cheveley Park Stakes (G1).

Saturday's Royal Lodge for colts and geldings, also seven furlongs, got a cast of six with a pair of Frankel colts, Nelson and Herculean (GB), at the top of the list with British bookmakers.

Nelson, out of the Dalakhani mare Moonstone and a half brother to US Army Ranger, is owned by the Coolmore partners and trained by O'Brien. Moore takes over riding duties from Donnacha O'Brien, who rode Nelson to victory in his last two races including the Willis Towers Watson Champions Juvenile Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown in his most recent start Sept. 9.

Herculean, a Juddmonte Farms homebred out of the Observatory mare African Rose (GB), won convincingly as the heavy favorite in his first start Sept. 8 at Ascot with Moore aboard. Andrea Atzeni takes the mount for Charlton in the Royal Lodge.

Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion, a Kentucky-bred Kitten's Joy  colt out of the Street Sense  mare Vionnet, has some support after posting victories on the Newmarket greensward and the Kempton all-weather course in two previous tries. John Gosden trains him.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Teofilo (IRE) colt, Mildenberger, has fans after a hard-fought win at Salisbury in the British Stallion Studs EBF Stonehenge Stakes.

The winner will join Saxon Warrior atop the standings in the "European Road to the Kentucky Derby". Saxon Warrior, also from the Coolmore-Moore-O'Brien juggernaut, won the Sept. 24 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes (G2) at Naas in Ireland to kick off the new series. The colt, a Japanese-bred by Deep Impact (JPN) out of the Galileo mare Maybe (IRE), earned 10 points toward the spot reserved for a European qualifier on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.

While American interest is centered on the Breeders' Cup Challenge races, Newmarket's Sept. 30 program also includes the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old colts and the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) for juvenile fillies. Clemmie is favored in the latter.