Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Europeans look strong in full field

Benoit & Associates

Know More comes off a second in the Grade 1 FrontRunner on the Santa Anita main track.

ARCADIA, Calif. - European-based runners have won three of the first five runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile turf.
Based on Monday’s post position draw, there’s a good chance it could be four of six by late morning Saturday.

European-based runners made up six of the 15 horses entered for the one-mile Juvenile Turf. The race will be limited to 14 runners and the European-based Rising Legend would need one scratch to get into the field. One European-based runner not entered was Snow King.

[BREEDERS' CUP PPs: Visit DRF's official BC Handicapping Center]

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who won this race last year with Wrote, has the pair of George Vancouver and Lines of Battle in the field.

George Vancouver, a Kentucky-bred son of 2008 BC Classic runner-up Henrythenavigator out of the four-time Grade 1-winning mare Versailles Treaty, comes out of a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes. George Vancouver will break from post 3 under Ryan Moore.

Lines of Battle, a Kentucky-bred son of War Front, comes off a listed stakes victory in Ireland on Oct. 12. He will break from post 14 under Richard Hughes.

Artigiano, who was second to the highly regarded Steeler in the Grade 2 Juddmonte Royal Saint Lodge, was the first European-based runner to hit the racetrack on Monday, galloping twice around the Santa Anita main track.

Other European-based runners entered include Dundonnell and Fantastic Moon.

There are only two California-based runners in the field: Dry Summer, winner of the Oak Tree Juvenile at Del Mar, and Know More, second in the Grade 1 FrontRunner on the Santa Anita main track.

Jeff Mullins, the trainer of Dry Summer, who drew post 11, views the race as a wide-open affair.

“It’s hard to tell what the Europeans are,” Mullins said. “Training here has got to be a little bit of an advantage. The horse is doing good, he can get the distance, now all we needs a little luck.”

Others entered are the Chad Brown duo of Balance the Books and Noble Tune, Gervinho, Joha, Brown Almighty, I’m Boundtoscore and Summit County.