Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Spain Burg no longer a small-town girl

Spain Burg gained attention around Europe when she won three of her first four starts, all at small tracks in southwest France from April to August.

When Spain Burg won her English debut in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Sept. 23, a wider audience took notice – and her value soared. Last Saturday, Spain Burg was purchased by Dean Reeves of Suwanee, Ga., for approximately $1.68 million at the Arqana Arc sale in France.

Reeves bought Spain Burg as a long-term broodmare prospect but intends to run her in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. Spain Burg earned a fees-paid berth in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with the win in the Rockfel, which is part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2016: See DRF’s top contenders

Reeves made a last-minute trip to France last week to personally inspect the filly before the sale.

“I really liked Spain Burg and decided to buy her,” he said in a phone interview this week. “I usually set an idea of where the horse would fall. It was in my range. She was a nice filly with good form and good ratings there. There were a lot of top buyers there to look at the horse. I knew she would draw a lot of attention.”

Spain Burg was the second-most-expensive horse of the sale.

Reeves was assisted with the purchase by bloodstock agent Jamie Lloyd, a former trainer in Southern California who is based in England. Lloyd said on Tuesday that he made an offer on Spain Burg earlier this year but was unsuccessful.

“They knew what they had,” Lloyd said.

:: Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Results, replays, charts, and more

Ridden by Frankie Dettori in the Rockfel, Spain Burg closed from the back of an eight-horse field to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Fair Eva, a Group 3 winner in England in July.

Spain Burg is not expected to arrive in the United States until the end of the month. Until then, she will be based with trainer Nicolas Clement in France. In the United States, Spain Burg will be trained by Kathy Ritvo, who trained Mucho Macho Man for Reeves. Mucho Macho Man won 9 of 25 starts and earned $5,625,410 in a career highlighted by a win in the 2013 BC Classic at Santa Anita.

Spain Burg, by the Johannesburg stallion Sageburg, is one of the leading hopes from Europe for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, along with Brave Anna, the winner of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket last month. The North Americans include Victory to Victory, who won the Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, and New Money Honey, who won the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park on Sunday.

Reeves said he is looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup, and beyond, with Spain Burg.

“Hopefully, we can run well there,” he said. “She is a Group 2 winner in England. Down the road, hopefully she’ll be able to race at 3, 4, or 5.”