Locals Try to Break Through in Juvenile Turf

With a yearly litter of Kittens making their mark and a grudging acceptance of more turf runners as stallions in North America, perhaps horses from this continent can begin reversing a powerful trend that has emerged in the first seven runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT).

That trend, of course, is that foreign-bred or trained horses have dominated the one-mile event coast to coast over surfaces from yielding to firm. With jurisdictions carding more juvenile turf events in the second half of their racing seasons in an effort to prepare horses for the Breeders’ Cup, perhaps more consistent top results will be realized by the local team.

The first Juvenile Turf, run in the monsoon at Monmouth Park in 2007, was a mix of connections domestic and foreign. Winner Nownownow, a Kentucky homebred by the French-based Fab Oak Stable, was by the North American sire Whywhywhy out of the French-bred mare Here and Now. He was trained in the Breeders’ Cup by Frenchman Francois Parisel, who was standing in for the suspended Patrick Biancone.

Nownownow raced exclusively in the U.S. as a 2-year-old and won the With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga Race Course as a maiden before taking the Juvenile Turf at oddes of 12-1. Call him a hybrid winner.

In 2008 the Great Britain-bred Donavitum (GB) proved best at Santa Anita Park at nearly 6-1. He had won the Tattersalls Timeform Million (Eng-I) before the Juvenile Turf but was less thought of than the Irish-bred Westphalia, at 3-1, who finished second. Coronet of a Baron was the best domestic finisher as he checked in third.

Pounced had just one win in three tries before the Breeders’ Cup in 2009, but his second in a French group I was enough to gain favored status at 2-1 in the Juvenile Turf. The Kentucky-son of Rahy broke his maiden in England for Lady Serena Rothschild. England-based trainer John Gosden, who also conditioned Donavitum, proved he hadn’t lost his touch at Santa Anita, winning the Juvenile Turf there two years in a row after having trained there in the 1980s. Bridgetown led the domestic runners, finishing second.

At Churchill Downs in 2010 the only North American-bred, raced, and trained horse to win the race to date prevailed. He was Pluck, owned by Team Valor International and conditioned by Todd Pletcher. The son of More Than Ready  , although out of a South African-bred mare, brought one in for the home team at 6-1. In an unusual quirk, he was followed home by locals Soldat  , Willcox Inn  , Madman Diaries, andBanned. Master of Hounds in sixth was the highest-placed foreign runner.

The next year brought a return to form when Irish-bred Wrote  , conditioned by Aidan O’Brien and owned by a Coolmore syndicate, came home by daylight at 11-1 at Churchill. Wrote had run third in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Eng-II) but six runners in the field were more fancied at the windows. Canadian-based Excaper finished second.

George Vancouver won handily in 2012 back at Santa Anita at 9-1. He had just a maiden win in six previous starts but was group I-placed in both England and France coming in.Noble Tune ran second.

Last year Outstrip proved best at Santa Anita at 6-1. He had won a group II in England and placed in a pair of other group events there before coming to the U.S. The Kittens, progeny of stallion Kitten's Joy  , should have left a bigger mark. Bobby's Kitten, sent off at 7-5, was put through suicidal early fractions of :22 1/5 and :44 3/5 and justifiably tired to finish third behind Giovanni Boldini.

On Oct. 5,Luck of the Kitten won the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita and is being pointed to the Juvenile Turf. Perhaps his owner/breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who stand Kitten’s Joy, can lead a comeback for North America before the Juvenile Turf turns into racing’s version of the Ryder Cup.