2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile: Chris Davis duo sufficiently prepped without a work
DEL MAR, Calif. – So much attention in the week leading up to the Breeders’ Cup is on how well the horses fare in their final workouts a week out from their race.
In that regard, little attention will be paid to American Sanctuary and Tough to Tame entering Friday’s $2 million Juvenile as trainer Chris Davis opted not to give either horse an official timed workout a week out from the race.
American Sanctuary had his last work on April 23 at Keeneland. Tough to Tame’s last breeze came on Oct. 24, also at Keeneland.
“Both horses are fit,” Davis said Monday at Del Mar. “We have the two highest-prepped horses in terms of races run. I don’t think a half-mile breeze over here six days out is going to make a bit of a difference.”
American Sanctuary has run five times, the same number of starts as the Todd Pletcher-trained Double Thunder. Tough to Tame has four starts, the same number as Pappacap and Oviatt Class.
Monday morning at Del Mar, American Sanctuary and Tough to Tame both had strong gallops over the main track, where they went a little quicker than a two-minute clip, which would be 15-second eighths, for the final three furlongs. Sophie Doyle, who will ride Tough to Tame in the Juvenile, was on both horses.
American Sanctuary has one win from five starts, but had a troubled trip when fourth behind Rattle N Roll in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. He will be ridden by Florent Geroux, whom Davis said he’s known “before he was Florent Geroux.”
“He lived across the street from my parents,” Davis said. “Being from Chicago, that’s where he started cutting his teeth. I remember when some of his biggest clients were barely wanting to put him on a maiden [$5,000 claimer]. I know he’s going to give me every effort.”
Tough to Tame will run in the Juvenile off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Iroquois on Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs.
“We know we’re going to be kind of higher odds but I think they’ll outrun their odds,” Davis added.
◗ Jasper Krone did not travel to the U.S. from Japan. he had been pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf and the Juvenile. With the defections of Jasper Krone and Rattle N Roll, who was not entered due to a minor injury, the Juvenile field figures to be at 12 when post positions are drawn Monday afternoon.