2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Albahr has credentials, but Modern Games may have the goods
DEL MAR, Calif. – Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby have two chances to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday. Four years ago at Del Mar, their one horse in the Juvenile Turf, Masar, lost all chance when jockey William Buick came out of a stirrup on the far turn.
Masar finished sixth that day and clearly had the quality to win; he captured the Derby at Epsom the next June. Both this year’s colts, Albahr and Modern Games, have strong merit in a spectacularly competitive 14-horse renewal of the $1 million Juvenile Turf.
Albahr is a Grade 1 winner ridden by Frankie Dettori, but if you think he’s the “A” team, you might want to think again. Albahr won three in a row in England before capturing the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine but never was tested against anything close to top competition overseas. His exercise rider, the former star jockey Kieren Fallon, called Albahr “tough as nails” during a brief conversation this past weekend. Appleby praises Albahr’s grit and determination – but it’s Modern Games who has more talent.
His jockey, Buick, essentially rides first call for Appleby’s stable and will be aboard Modern Games for the fourth time in a row Friday. Through those four starts, Modern Games has steadily improved, hitting a peak Sept. 23 at Newmarket with a 2 1/2-length win in the Group 3 Somerville Stakes over seven furlongs. Run down a straight course, the Somerville has a testing uphill finish and that’s where Modern Games drew away from runner-up Trident, who’d been second behind top European 2-year-old sprinter Perfect Power in the Group 1 Prix Morny. And while Modern Games finished fifth debuting in a turning race at Haydock Park and since has raced only down straightaways, Appleby has no doubt the colt will handle Del Mar’s course.
“He travels,” said Appleby, meaning Modern Games has speed, gets into the bridle, and takes his jockey right into the race – which will be a necessity breaking from post 1. “He’s very athletic, light on his feet, and quick. I have no doubt he’ll adapt to the bends.”
Modern Games, on overseas ratings, checks in second among four Europeans behind Dubawi Legend, who exits a second-place finish in the Group 1 Dewhurst, won by Europe’s leading 2-year-old, the Appleby-trained Native Trail. Dubawi Legend’s debut victory at Doncaster so caught the eye that he immediately garnered attention as a prospect for the 2000 Guineas in 2022, but the colt lost some luster when he was a one-paced third as the favorite in the Grade 3 Acomb Stakes at York.
Dubawi Legend probably wasn’t totally right from a physical standpoint in that Aug. 18 start, and trainer Hugo Palmer, after giving his colt plenty of time to get back to his best, showed confidence running back Oct. 9 in the Dewhurst. There, Dubawi Legend set the pace and fought back when Native Trail came to him, eventually succumbing but holding a clear second. There’s an assumption that European speed isn’t American speed, but Dubawi Legend’s camp sees him as quick enough to lead the Juvenile Turf, and jockey James Doyle must ask his mount out of the gate breaking from post 14.
Aidan O’Brien, who has trained the Juvenile Turf winner four times, tries lightly raced Glounthaune. Glounthaune won his six-furlong debut April 17 at The Curragh over Castle Star, who went on to establish himself as a Group 1-level 2-year-old, but didn’t start again until Oct. 9. Glounthaune returned in the Dewhurst and stumbled significantly just after the start, never really getting into the race and finishing sixth. O’Brien brought him back a week later to win a Group 3 at Leopardstown. Glounthaune now goes for the Juvenile Turf on firmer footing instead of a race in France where the ground was much softer.
“He had a little setback so missed the middle of the year,” O’Brien said on a teleconference last week. “He was off-balanced and very green in the Dewhurst; it just didn’t work for him on the day, but he learned a lot.”
Annapolis looked like the leading American hope before an October injury sent him to the sidelines. The horse he beat by a head in the 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim Stakes, Portfolio Company, led for much of the Pilgrim and should be a pace player under Flavien Prat since he pulled hard for his head when racing behind horses in his first two starts.
“He’s fast, takes a hold of the bit,” trainer Chad Brown said. “Even though he’s [by] Kittens Joy, he’s looking for a little cutback in distance, I think.”
Dakota Gold is listed at 8-1 on the morning line and would offer value at those odds. A New York-bred trained by Danny Gargan, Dakota Gold beat open maidens at Saratoga debuting in a dirt sprint, but Gargan always had him pegged as a turf horse. Switched to grass for the $500,000 Nownownow at Monmouth Park, Dakota Gold took a considerable step forward, racing professionally from a stalking position before swooping to a sharp victory. Gargan took the colt back to Saratoga and has given Dakota Gold five subsequent works there, bringing a maturing, dangerous horse to Del Mar.
“He’s gotten bigger and stronger, really coming into himself. He looks good and his coat’s good,” Gargan said after Dakota Gold trained for the first time here Tuesday.
Tiz the Bomb might be even more physically advanced than Dakota Gold and after a blowout dirt maiden win has captured two rich Kentucky turf stakes, including the Bourbon, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. Tiz the Bomb last Sunday worked a sharp half-mile in the Keeneland slop before shipping to Del Mar.
“He’s a lovely horse, so balanced and fast,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “I could make a case to run him in the Juvenile” on dirt.
Slipstream, based in New York with trainer Christophe Clement, has won two grass races in a row by open lengths and tries two turns Friday for the first time. Mackinnon, California’s best hope, had a strong dirt work over the weekend, is 3 for 3 in grass routes, and has been improving with every start. Stolen Base, second in the Bourbon, and three Mark Casse-trained entrants – Grafton Street, Coinage, and Credibility – need improvement that’s not impossible to imagine. England-based Great Max has kept strong company overseas, but his 20-1 morning-line odds feel about right.
Two also-eligibles, Ready to Purrform and Detroit City, stand poised to start if anyone defects.
It’s a deep, fascinating contest, open to a wide range of handicapping opinions – just like a Breeders’ Cup race should be.