Watch for Strong Current in Juvenile Turf
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Photo: Keeneland Photo
Current
Considering his career just started in mid-August, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bob LaPenta, and Dixiana Farms' Current has shown versatility that could prove useful in the expected field of 14 for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.
In three starts at three tracks, Current already has two wins at one mile or longer. The son of Curlin delivered his second-out maiden win on the turf at Belmont Park after stalking from second early. Then last month in his stakes debut, Current rallied from 10th to win the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) by a nose on the Keeneland turf.
"He's been training very professionally," said Ginny DePasquale, assistant for trainer Todd Pletcher, after the Bourbon. "We've really thought a lot of this horse."
In going for his second Juvenile Turf win—his first came at Churchill in 2010 with Pluck—Pletcher also will send out With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) winner Opry. A son of Declaration of War campaigned by Cheyenne Stables and Gaillardia Racing, Opry will look to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in the Pilgrim Stakes (G3T), where he was the 8-5 favorite. Pletcher thought Opry ran into some bad racing luck in that test, won by Juvenile Turf rival Forty Under.
"In his last race, he had to travel a little bit wide," Pletcher said. "I think Javier (Castellano) had to commit to making a move earlier than he wanted to protect his position."
Since being moved to turf by Jeremiah Englehart, August Dawn Farm's Forty Under has two wins in as many starts. After a victory Aug. 25 in a maiden test on the Saratoga Race Course inner turf, the son of Uncle Mo won the Pilgrim on the Belmont inner turf, defeating Juvenile Turf rival Somelikeithotbrown by three-quarters of a length.
Foreign-conditioned horses have won five of the past seven editions of the Juvenile Turf, with trainer Aidan O'Brien accounting for four of those wins—including last year with Mendelssohn . This year, O'Brien will send out group 2 winner Anthony Van Dyck, the 4-1 morning-line favorite, and Broome, who just missed winning the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Sponsorise Par Manateq (G1) in his previous start Oct. 7 at Longchamp.
The other international trainer with a Juvenile Turf winner in the past seven years is Charlie Appleby, who this year will send out Line of Duty, a promising son of Galileo who won the Prix de Condé (G3) Oct. 1 at Chantilly. In 2013, Appleby saddled Godolphin's Outstrip to a Juvenile Turf win at Santa Anita Park.
Churchill Downs, Friday, November 02, 2018, Race 8Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Arthur Kitt (GB)
Richard Kingscote
122
Thomas Dascombe
20/1
2
2Uncle Benny (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Jason Servis
15/1
3
3Much Better (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
122
Bob Baffert
10/1
4
4Forty Under (KY)
Manuel Franco
122
Jeremiah C. Englehart
5/1
5
5Line of Duty (IRE)
William T. Buick
122
Charles Appleby
10/1
6
6Henley's Joy (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Michael J. Maker
8/1
7
7Somelikeithotbrown (NY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Michael J. Maker
12/1
8
8Opry (KY)
Javier Castellano
122
Todd A. Pletcher
15/1
9
9The Black Album (FR)
Mickael Barzalona
122
Jane Soubagne
30/1
10
10War of Will (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Mark E. Casse
12/1
11
11King of Speed (KY)
Gary L. Stevens
122
Jeff Bonde
8/1
12
12Current (KY)
John R. Velazquez
122
Todd A. Pletcher
5/1
13
13Marie's Diamond (IRE)
Florent Geroux
122
Mark Steven Johnston
20/1
14
14Anthony Van Dyck (IRE)
Ryan L. Moore
122
Aidan P. O'Brien
4/1
15
15Tracksmith (KY)
Adam Beschizza
122
Joe Sharp
30/1
16
16Order and Law (KY)
Feargal Lynch
122
Louis C. Linder, Jr.
30/1
