Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Citrus Springs another Irish hope for owner Reeves
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Last fall, Dean Reeves was part of an ownership group that won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar with the Irish import Balantina, a 20-1 outsider. In 2023, Reeves was part of a consortium that owned Porta Fortuna, another shipper from Ireland who was second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.
This year, the Ireland-to-America theme continues for Reeves, but with a different structure. Reeves is the sole owner of Citrus Springs, a contender in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 30 at Keeneland.
Citrus Springs has had a different preparation than Porta Fortuna or Balantina, who were trained by Donnacha O’Brien. Porta Fortuna won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes in England before the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Last year, Balantina was second and third in two Group 3 races before recording her first stakes win in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.
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Citrus Springs has experience in this country. After winning her third start by five lengths in a seven-furlong maiden race at Gowran Park in Ireland on Aug. 12, Citrus Springs won her stateside debut in the $750,000 Juvenile Fillies Stakes at a mile on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.
Trained by Donnacha’s brother Joseph, Citrus Springs was the 7-2 third choice in a field of nine in the one-mile race at Kentucky Downs.
“I thought she ran really well against that group,” Reeves said earlier this week from his home in Atlanta.
“She finished well and got the job done. That’s a nice little purse to pick up.”
With the win, the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile became a realistic goal.
Citrus Springs, who is by the top dirt runner Olympiad, was purchased for $300,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s sale of 2-year-olds in training in March. She earned $443,550 with the win at Kentucky Downs, plenty to finance the $30,000 in pre-entry and entry fees to start in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.
After the Kentucky Downs race, Citrus Springs was transferred to trainer Miguel Clement in New York. There is an expectation that Citrus Springs will prefer the conditions of racing in this country compared to Europe.
“That was the plan,” Reeves said. “Joseph had said all along that she would handle firm turf much better. He had suggested I leave her here.”
Reeves is hoping the Kentucky Downs stakes win can propel Citrus Springs into contention in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“I think she’ll like Keeneland if she gets a firm surface,” Reeves said.
To Reeves, the maiden race win at Gowran Park against 15 rivals was an accomplishment on its own.
“To beat 15 horses over there is pretty strong,” he said. “That gives you an idea of where you stand.”
While Citrus Springs has switched stables, Joseph O’Brien is expected to have a contender in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Green Empress, who won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last Sunday.
Green Empress joins Sun Goddess, trained by Joseph’s famous father, Aidan; Amusingly, who beat males in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp; and Domestic Agenda, winner of the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park last weekend, as leading contenders in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The Juvenile Fillies Turf is one of three $1 million races for 2-year-olds on grass on the first day of the Breeders’ Cup races on Oct. 30, joined by the Juvenile Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs and the Juvenile Turf at a mile.
The Juvenile Turf field is led by How’s Al Today, winner of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf on Sept. 9 in his turf stakes debut for trainer Riley Mott. Joseph O’Brien is expected to start Folsom Blues, who won the Group 1 National Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 13 and was second to Amusingly last weekend.
Two other domestic hopes emerged with stakes wins last weekend – Let Em Know in the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, and Agate in the Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland.
The Juvenile Turf Sprint is led by the Clement-trained Brickyard Belle, who vaulted to the fore of the list of contenders with a commanding win in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes for fillies at six furlongs on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park. Brickyard Belle closed from seventh of eight to win by a half-length and remain unbeaten after two starts.
The European stakes winners Libertango and Nabati as well as Adonius, winner of the Indian Summer Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland in his first start in the United States, have appealing credentials in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Adonius won for the fourth time in his sixth start in the Indian Summer, overcoming a slow start to win by a head.
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