2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Participants will soon become clear
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf typically comes together late. This year should be no exception.
Seven races – three overseas, four in North America – that reasonably could yield runners for the one-mile, $1 million contest remain to be run, and since these 2-year-olds have so little established form a lot can change between the last week in September and the first week in November.
One significant horse already with a ticket is Dakota Gold, who won the $500,000 Nownownow Stakes, his grass debut, by 2 1/2 lengths. Racing one mile over a Monmouth course rated “good” after a winning Saratoga dirt-sprint maiden debut, Dakota Gold earned a robust 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
“It was a big race,” said Danny Gargan, who trains Dakota Gold for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. “The only concern I had going in is he’s quick, would he relax. He really did, and that was impressive.”
Dakota Gold has returned to Saratoga, where he based much of the summer, and Gargan said he’ll prepare him there for the Juvenile Turf. “He breezes fine on dirt, but we can work on turf here. If the weather goes, I’ll take him down to Belmont.”
The mount on Dakota Gold, who ships to California on Oct. 31, remains open for the Juvenile Turf, Gargan said.
This weekend brings four races of Juvenile Turf consequence: The Jean-Luc Lagardere on Sunday at Longchamp Racecourse, the Pilgrim on Sunday at Belmont, the Laurel Futurity on Saturday, and the Zuma Beach on Sunday at Santa Anita. That leaves the Group 2 Autumn and the Group 1 Dewhurst on Oct. 9 at Newmarket in England, and the Oct. 10 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland as the last stakes races with Juvenile Turf implications.
Annapolis, who looked especially talented winning his career debut and lone start in a Saratoga turf route, is one to watch in the Pilgrim. The only other North American-based runners in the initial Juvenile Turf top 10 list are Grafton Street and Tiz the Bomb.
Grafton Street, a maiden, closed solidly for second behind sharp winner Albahr in the Summer Stakes and will start again before the Juvenile Turf, possibly in a maiden race, trainer Mark Casse said. Tiz the Bomb, winner of the Kentucky Juvenile Mile, is likely for the Bourbon, according to trainer Ken McPeek.
In the Summer at Woodbine, Albahr, the Godolphin-owned, Charlie Appleby-trained early Juvenile Turf favorite, locked down one of five automatic fees-paid entries into the race through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. Royal Patronage, who is under Juvenile Turf consideration, won the Royal Lodge at Newmarket and Atomic Jones won the Champions Juvenile at Leopardstown. Both are BC Challenge races. The Lagardere and the Bourbon also are part of the series.
Seven overseas entrants contested the 2020 Juvenile Turf at Keeneland and five ran in the 2017 Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, won by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Mendelssohn. O’Brien has won the Juvenile Turf four times, more than any other trainer, and is all but certain to have a runner this year. Who, exactly, isn’t yet clear – just like so much regarding the Juvenile Turf at this early stage.