Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: How's Al Today gives American team hope
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He was the juvenile star of the Kentucky Downs meeting in late summer, winning an allowance race and the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile, both by at least four lengths, in less than two weeks.
The wins have made How’s Al Today the leading American-based hope for what should be a highly competitive running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at a mile on Oct. 30 at Keeneland.
Typical of past runnings, the Juvenile Turf has a strong European influence.
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The race drew 25 pre-entries. A committee of racing officials met earlier this week to rank the candidates. They selected an initial field of 14 runners, the maximum that can start, with nine European-based runners and five from North America.
How’s Al Today, who races for Al Gold and trainer Riley Mott, will start after a break of more than seven weeks, since he won the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sept. 9 for his third win in four starts.
The European team is led by Great Barrier Reef, Al Hudaiba, and Folsom Blues.
Great Barrier Reef is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has won a record eight runnings of the Juvenile Turf, including the last four.
Great Barrier Reef finished third in the Grade 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on Oct. 10 in England. He raced in traffic briefly with a furlong remaining and was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Darkness Falls, who is not pre-entered for the Juvenile Turf. Great Barrier Reef won the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Al Hudaiba, trained by Charlie Appleby, has already had a successful trip to North America, winning the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at a mile on Sept. 12 at Woodbine as the 3-5 favorite despite running erratically in the final furlong. Al Hudaiba drifted to the outside while leading.
Folsom Blues, trained by Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son, has strong credentials – a seven-length win in the Group 1 National Stakes at seven furlongs at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 13 and a second by 1 1/4 lengths as the 7-10 favorite to the filly Amusingly in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Oct. 4.
Great Barrier Reef and Folsom Blues will start at a mile for the first time in the Juvenile Turf.
The list of candidates includes Force Noir, a European-based longshot who also was pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf Sprint with that race noted as a first preference. If Force Noir does not start in the Juvenile Turf, a berth will become available for Liam’s Law, winner of the With Anticipation Stakes on turf on Sept. 5 at Saratoga for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Liam’s Law is unbeaten in two starts on turf. He was one of six stakes winners placed on an also-eligible list, a group that includes Observed, winner of the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 5, and Canada, who won the Cup and Saucer Stakes for Canadian-breds on Oct. 4 at Woodbine in his turf debut.
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