Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Joseph O'Brien with strong chance to end father's streak
:quality(75))
Coverage presented by
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No one has dominated a Breeders’ Cup race the way Aidan O’Brien has the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He has won eight of the 19 runnings of the one-mile turf race, including the last four.
While O’Brien is back with another quartet of runners for this year’s 20th edition of the $1 million Juvenile Turf to be run Friday at Keeneland, it may be another O’Brien who has the horse to beat.
Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s 33-year-old son, brings Folsom Blues to this year’s Juvenile Turf. While he’s had some difficulty defeating Europe’s top 2-year-old turf fillies – he finished second to both Sun Goddess and Amusingly in Group 1 stakes in Ireland and France – he has handled the males pretty well.
Folsom Blues was a monster six-length winner of the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at The Curragh in September, avenging a defeat to Florida Bay from earlier in the year. While the National was run over yielding turf, Joseph O’Brien believes Folsom Blues “is ground versatile and tactically versatile,” he said. “He’s been very consistent.”
Regular rider Dylan Browne McMonagle is reunited with Folsom Blues, who breaks from post 10.
Aidan O’Brien’s quartet of Juvenile Turf runners this year includes Great Barrier Reef, Haffner, Florida Bay, and Man’s Best Friend.
Great Barrier Reef won his first three starts and was beaten a neck in his fourth start, all at six furlongs. In the Group 1 Dewhurst at seven furlongs, he finished third in a race where things tightened up on him late in the race.
“He got seven [furlongs] well in the Dewhurst, got into a little bit of interference, so he could have been a little bit closer,” O’Brien said. “That would suggest he’d have a good chance of getting the mile around here. He’s a very off-handed, relaxed horse.”
Great Barrier Reef drew post 14, the same post O’Brien’s Gstaad won the 2025 Juvenile from at Del Mar. He will be ridden by O’Brien’s main rider, Ryan Moore.
Haffner may not have liked the yielding ground in the Vincent O’Brien but did bounce back to win the Group 2 Royal Lodge going a mile at Newmarket 13 days later.
“I think he gets a mile well and he’s a very good mover,” O’Brien said. “I’d say he’s definitely not a soft ground horse.”
Haffner will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon from post 4.
Man’s Best Friend finished third behind Amusingly and Folsom Blues in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Man’s Best Friend breaks from post 11 under Colin Keane.
Florida Bay, set at 20-1 on the morning line, did finish ahead of Folsom Blues in the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown in July. He was able to shake free on the lead that day while Folsom Blues, who was taken back to last, came with a late run. Having been defeated in his last three starts, Florida Bay could be let go at a price under Wayne Lordan from post 3.
“He’s a bit underrated,” O’Brien said. “He’ll go forward, he has pace, he has a nice draw, he should get a mile around here, so he has a better chance than anyone thinks.”
The North American contingent is led by How’s Al Today, who, after two runs on dirt, really stepped up his game winning two races at Kentucky Downs in 12 days in eye-catching fashion.
“We thought he felt a little turfy in a couple of his gate works prior to his debut, but the works were good enough to justify running him on the dirt,” trainer Riley Mott said. “He won so we were forced to run him back on dirt in the Saratoga Special. After that we worked him on the turf and he worked really well, so we were not surprised but pleased to see him get over it well.
“We’re hoping he can take that Kentucky Downs form to Keeneland,” Mott added. “I guess that’s the only turf course he’s ever run on so I guess he’s got to prove himself over a proper turf oval.”
Agate, who finished third behind How’s Al Today in the Juvenile Mile at Kentucky Downs, came back to win the Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland. Agate, who has to overcome post 13, is trained by Kelsey Danner, who sent out Ground Support to a third-place finish in last year’s Juvenile Fillies Turf.
:: ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save big.
Liam’s Law, a son of Colonel Liam trained by Todd Pletcher, is 2 for 2 over the turf with a front-running maiden victory on July 12 followed by another front-running score in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes, which came against only two rivals. He looks like the main speed in the race.
“I think he’s maybe not getting much credit because that race was only a three-horse field and he made the lead, but both of his wins on the turf have been very good,” Pletcher said.
Oscar, trained by Miguel Clement, won his debut at Saratoga by a nose and then came back to run second in the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine.
“He’s versatile, he’s got great speed if you want to use it, he can get position and he also has a very nice turn of foot, which is something to think about,” Clement said.
Clement has named William Buick to ride. Clement said Buick has beaten him in three Grade 1 stakes the last five weeks.
Let Em Know, trained by Whit Beckman, had a troubled trip when fifth in the Summer and came back with a clean run from an outside draw to win the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont. Let Em Know breaks from post 7 in this full field of 14.
“He needs to be outside, he needs to get his momentum going,” Beckman said. “When he makes the lead, I know he likes to fight. He broke well in the Pilgrim. I hope he can break that well again.”
The Juvenile Turf goes as the final race on a 10-race card that begins at 11:55 a.m. and includes five Breeders’ Cup races for juveniles.
– additional reporting by Marcus Hersh