Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Trainers confirm Iron Orchard, Percy's Bar
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Iron Orchard and Percy’s Bar are both being pointed to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 31 at Del Mar, according to their respective trainers.
Iron Orchard won the Frizette on Oct. 4 at Aqueduct to remain unbeaten in three career starts, while Percy’s Bar finished first in the Alcibiades on Oct. 3 at Keeneland but was disqualified for interference and placed second to the elevated Tommy Jo.
Iron Orchard is based at Saratoga. She was winning her second stakes – and first start against open company – in the one-turn Frizette.
“She came out of it really good, and we’re pointing for the Breeders’ Cup,” trainer Danny Gargan said Tuesday. “She’s in an online auction that doesn’t end until Thursday, but we plan on running.
“It’s kind of quick back. She’ll only breeze one time, anywhere from eight to seven days from the race, somewhere in there, and then there’s a plane on Oct. 26.”
Gargan said Joel Rosario has the mount on Iron Orchard. He was aboard the daughter of Authentic when she rallied from off the pace to take the Frizette.
Prior to the start, Iron Orchard had wired her rivals in a maiden race and the Seeking the Ante, both at Saratoga. She will be making her two-turn debut in the Juvenile Fillies.
“We changed her training last time from the last race and she relaxed more than we expected,” Gargan said. “The way she ran the other day, I don’t think two turns will be a problem, But before that, we questioned it. It just depends on how she keeps progressing.
“She had a quick turn of foot when she was asked the other day. So if she gets to sit and relax, I think we got a chance to get a mile and a sixteenth. She won going a mile and came from off of it. Her father won the [Kentucky] Derby, and the mare is bred to go long, so we just have to hope. You never know until you get out there.”
Percy’s Bar made her two-turn debut in the Alcibiades.
“I think she improved going two turns,” trainer Ben Colebrook said.
Percy’s Bar set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile race, then bumped with Tommy Jo in the stretch, according to the official chart. From there, Percy’s Bar went on to finish first by 2 3/4 lengths.
“She ran a big race, just unfortunate circumstances,” Colebrook said. “What are you going to do? It is what it is. There was contact and the stewards did what they thought was right. That’s just the way it is in America. International rules, she probably stays up because she was kind of much the best, I thought. But it is what it is. We’ll go on to the Breeders’ Cup.”
Colebrook was in England at a yearling sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket earlier this week and planned to return to Keeneland ahead of a scheduled work for Percy’s Bar.
“She’ll have one work on Saturday, when I get back, and that will probably be it,” he said of preparations for the Breeders’ Cup. “We ship her out on Oct. 27. She’s dead fit. There’s not much more we can do. We’ll just keep her happy and healthy.
“We’re excited to be going to the Breeders’ Cup. That’s on our agenda as long as everything between now and then goes well. She wouldn’t have to do much training out there, just kind of jog and gallop, maybe stand in the gate and paddock school. All that kind of stuff. Mentally, one of her strongest assets is how smart and easy going she is.”
Colebrook said Luan Machado has the mount on Percy’s Bar. He’s ridden the daughter of Upstart in each of her races, including her runner-up finish to Tommy Jo in the Spinaway. Percy’s Bar won the Debutante at June at Churchill Downs.
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