Breeders' Cup Juvenile: Curly Jack's form lines show strength
Cave Rock is the “now horse” in the 2-year-old division. Trainer Tom Amoss hopes that isn’t the case in a couple of weeks when he sends out Curly Jack against that multiple Grade 1 winner in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4 at Keeneland.
“The ‘now’ horse changes quite a bit in the 2-year-old season,” Amoss said. “I fully respect the competition. I fully recognize for Curly Jack to be competitive he’s got to improve. That’s what it’s about. We think he’s training well, and we think he has a chance to do that.”
Curly Jack, a son of 2017 BC Juvenile winner Good Magic, was a four-length debut winner at Churchill in June. He finished fifth in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga, a race where Amoss felt his horse was on the worst part of a deep track. The good news regarding the Sanford is it has produced horses who have come back to win six stakes. That list includes Forte, who finished a nose in front of Curly Jack in the Sanford and has since won the Grade 1 Hopeful and Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity. Forte will likely be the second choice behind Cave Rock in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Curly Jack came out of the Sanford to run second, beaten a head by Top Recruit, in the Ellis Park Juvenile before winning the Iroquois by one length. In both races – perhaps more pronounced at Ellis Park – Curly Jack appeared to ease himself up once he made the lead.
“We saw that in the race at Ellis Park, it actually cost us the win,” Amoss said. “We saw it again at Churchill going the two turns. Those are things that come with maturity and understanding of competition. That’s something I look forward to not only in the Breeders’ Cup, but more specifically in his 3-year-old campaign.”
Curly Jack is expected to work at Churchill this weekend before moving over to Keeneland to continue his preparations. Jockey Edgar Morales will makes his Breeders’ Cup debut on Curly Jack, owned by Michael McLoughlin.
Cave Rock, undefeated in three starts including Grade 1 victories in the Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah, returned to the work tab Monday at Santa Anita, breezing a half-mile in 49 seconds. He went in company with National Treasure, the American Pharoah runner-up, who also is pointing to the Juvenile. Both are trained by five-time Juvenile winner Bob Baffert.
“Just maintenance, we’re just keeping them healthy,” Baffert said. “It’s a long way off.”
Trainer Brad Cox confirmed what he had hinted at last week: Loggins and Instant Coffee, second and fourth, respectively, in the Breeders’ Futurity, will skip the Juvenile. Cox does not want to get in a hurry with horses he believes could be top 3-year-olds. Cox will go only with Champagne runner-up Verifying in the Juvenile.
Lost Ark, sixth with trouble in the Breeders’ Futurity, was scheduled to breeze this week at Keeneland, with trainer Todd Pletcher waiting to see how that goes before determining that colt’s status. Pletcher will be represented by two-time Grade 1 winner Forte.
Awesome Strong, who swept the Florida Stallion Series at Gulfstream Park, and Blazing Sevens, the Champagne winner, are the only other confirmed starters. Red Route One and Congruent are possible.
Pre-entries must be made by Monday, and it’s possible a few more horses, whose preference would be to run in the Juvenile Turf, get pre-entered in the Juvenile as well.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.