Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Chad Brown looking strong with two major players

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Balance the Books rallies strongly to win the Bourbon.

Chad Brown holds a strong hand for the Juvenile Turf. There were two U.S. Win and You’re In races for this Breeders’ Cup event last holiday weekend, the Bourbon at Keeneland and the Pilgrim at Belmont, and Brown won both, with Balance the Books and Noble Tune, respectively.

Balance the Books was originally supposed to run on Saturday in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity, but the decision was made late last week to reserve him for Sunday’s Bourbon. And as he did when he got his maiden victory in the With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga, Balance the Books unleashed a furious stretch rally, avoiding most of the considerable bumping and checking that was taking place toward his inside, to narrowly get up.

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On Monday, Noble Tune, who was coming off a debut win on firm turf at Saratoga, had no problem with yielding going in his decisive Pilgrim score. The inside-out move that Noble Tune made into the stretch to take command of the Pilgrim was most impressive, prompting Brown to say right after the race that he couldn’t separate Balance the Books and Noble Tune right now, and that both are “very, very nice prospects.”

Also on Monday, Gervinho demonstrated a powerful late kick to win the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita over the same course and one-mile distance as the Juvenile Turf. Gervinho, who inhaled Den’s Legacy in the closing yards, is, like Noble Tune, now 2 for 2. The California-bred is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup, but owner Keith Brackpool and trainer Carla Gaines both said right after the race that the Juvenile Turf would be definitely considered.

The other Win and You’re In race for the division last weekend was the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on the Arc de Triomphe undercard. And as has been the case this year in European Win and You’re In races for the Juvenile Turf, the winner, Olympic Glory, is not expected to travel to Santa Anita. According to the International Racing Bureau, Olympic Glory, who also is not Breeders’ Cup-nominated, probably won’t be seen again until one of Europe’s Guineas events next spring.

The IRB does hope for some clarity regarding European representation in the Juvenile Turf after Saturday’s Future Champions Day at Newmarket.