Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Hard to pin down which Euros are coming
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Divisional races in California, Kentucky, and France this past weekend failed to bring into focus the complexion of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. While they didn’t establish a pecking order, the North American races at least provided a stronger sense of who figures to participate, something that can’t be said of the European front.
The connections of several horses entered in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere were said last week to have designs on the Juvenile Turf. Some still might, but not with horses that raced in the Lagardere. Aidan O’Brien won the Lagardere with Camille Pissarro, a 12-1 shot, while his favored Henri Matisse struggled home fifth.
Henri Matisse, O’Brien said afterward, probably made his last start of 2024, while Camille Pissarro as of Wednesday still was among the entries for Saturday’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Final Dewhurst declarations were due Thursday, and Camille Pissarro almost certainly won’t race at Del Mar.
Rashabar, second to Camille Pissarro, also had made previous Juvenile Turf lists, but his connections said he wouldn’t start again until 2025.
In fact, the only O’Brien-trained horse listed by Breeders’ Cup this week as a possible Juvenile Turf runner is the Group 1-winning sprinter Whistlejacket. When O’Brien said last month that Whistlejacket could come to Del Mar, one assumed he meant for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. No O’Brien-trained horses made that list this week, though English bookmakers on Wednesday hadn’t even priced up Whistlejacket, whose jockey carries the silks of American owner Peter Brant, for the Juvenile Turf.
Seagulls Eleven remained in the Dewhurst as of Wednesday while also occupying a spot on the Breeders’ Cup’s list of plausible Juvenile Turf runners, though his Hugo Palmer-trained stablemate The Waco Kid appeared for the first time this week. After The Waco Kid sharply won the Tattersalls Stakes on Sept. 26, Palmer rued failing to enter him in the Dewhurst. Perhaps America could serve as a consolation prize.
The leading European hopes as of this week last raced in North America. New Century and Al Qudra finished first and second, respectively, in the Summer at Woodbine. New Century, trained by Andrew Balding, held down antepost Juvenile Turf favoritism on Wednesday, with Al Qudra also well supported. Al Qudra’s trainer, Charlie Appleby, also has Aomori City as a possible Juvenile Turf participant.
Neither O’Brien nor Appleby returned Tuesday text messages asking whom they might run in the race.
New Century’s 93 Beyer Speed Figure from the Summer dwarfs anything put up this past weekend. At Keeneland, 38-1 shot Minaret Station swooped to a 1 1/2-length win Sunday in the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. He earned a 78 Beyer and could be the first Breeders’ Cup runner for trainer William Walden, son of WinStar Farm CEO of racing operations Elliott Walden, a former trainer himself.
In California, three horses photo-finished in the Zuma Beach, where Artislas crossed the line first before stewards disqualified him to third for fouling Iron Man Cal and Sabertooth. Iron Man Cal figures to start in the Juvenile Turf, while Sabertooth, a nose behind him Sunday, also remains in the mix. Both horses were assigned a 79 Beyer.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Mentee, who won the Futurity on Oct. 4, a six-furlong turf sprint, by more than three lengths with an 83 Beyer, also is considered a possible Juvenile Turf runner.
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