2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Weekend races add confirmed starters
Several potential starters saw action in three countries on Oct. 10 as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf continues to come into focus.
At Keeneland, Tiz the Bomb earned guaranteed fees-paid entry into the Juvenile Turf when he won the Bourbon Stakes, which is part of the BC Challenge Series. Running his turf record to two wins from two starts, both in rich stakes races, Tiz the Bomb closed stoutly under Brian Hernandez Jr. and won the Bourbon by a half-length over Stolen Base, despite breaking through the gate before the start. Tiz the Bomb pushed open his starting-gate stall and ran briefly down the course before Hernandez gathered him in and led his mount back to be reloaded.
“Most of the time horses don’t recover from that,” said Hernandez, who rode a patient race, waiting until about the three-sixteenths pole to really ask his mount for run.
“Brian got him to settle. He’s got a big, long stride, this horse, and he showed the turn of foot he has,” trainer Ken McPeek said.
Bourbun runner-up Stolen Base will be aimed toward the Juvenile Turf, as well, trainer Mike Maker said in a text message, while third-place Credibility is less likely for the Juvenile Turf than his Mark Casse-trained stablemate Grafton Street. Second in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes, which gave him the qualifying points that could help him get into the Juvenile Turf, Grafton Street won a maiden race over Woodbine’s Tapeta course on Oct. 10 in his Juvenile Turf prep.
In New York, Slipstream captured the Futurity Stakes over six furlongs at Belmont for his second straight grass win and will attempt to successfully stretch out to two turns in the Juvenile Turf, his connections said afterward.
And in England, Dubawi Legend, the runner-up Saturday in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, is being pointed to the Juvenile Turf by trainer Hugo Palmer. Dubawi Legend was a blowout debut winner before finishing third in the Acomb Stakes on Aug. 18. In the seven-furlong, straight-course Dewhurst he set the pace before being overhauled by Godolphin’s unbeaten favorite, Native Trail.
While Native Trail and a second impressive Oct. 10 Newmarket stakes winner for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, Coroebus, are done racing for the year, these connections have two potential Juvenile Turf runners in Albahr, the Summer winner, and Modern Games.
Royal Patronage, winner of the BC Challenge Royal Lodge Stakes, isn’t coming to Del Mar and starts instead in the Vertem Futurity at Doncaster.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien always has something to run in the Juvenile Turf, but its not yet certain whom he’ll choose to send to Del Mar.
Closer to home, Dakota Gold, who won the $500,000 Nownownow at Monmouth with a 90 Beyer Speed Figure on Sept. 26, was scheduled to have his first workout since that race over Saratoga’s turf training track on Oct. 15, trainer Danny Gargan said.