Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Big Mojo works left-handed at Southwell
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English-based trainer Mick Appleby not only saddled his first Breeders’ Cup starter last year, he saddled his first North American starter, period.
Big Evs won the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita and makes another trip to California this year for the Turf Sprint at Del Mar. He will be joined by stablemate Big Mojo, who will run in the Grade 1, $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint. The pair are owned by Paul and Rachael Teasdale’s RP Racing and will be ridden by Tom Marquand.
Although Big Evs was a bit more precocious than Big Mojo, they have contested some of the same races during their juvenile campaigns. Prior to the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Big Evs won the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot; the Group 3 Molecomb at Goodwood; and, after finishing 14th against top older horses in the Group 1 Nunthorpe, won the Group 2 Flying Childers at Doncaster.
Big Mojo didn’t begin his career until July, thus missing the Royal Ascot meeting, but won his maiden in the Molecomb. After finishing fourth in the Group 2 Gimcrack at York, fading late in his lone try at six furlongs, he cut back again to finish second by a neck in the Flying Childers to Aesterius.
Last Thursday, Big Evs and Big Mojo shipped to Southwell, the same track where City of Troy recently turned in a public work for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, in order to train around a left-handed turn. Big Evs also got left-handed training prior to last year’s Breeders’ Cup. Marquand was aboard Big Evs and Big Mojo for their separate works.
“He went round like a motorbike,” Marquand told the British press of Big Mojo. “It will be very different in America, but he’s had that experience now and he felt good for it.”
Appleby also was pleased with Big Mojo’s work.
“He went round the bend really well and that was the main thing to get him going round at speed,” the trainer said. “He did very well and changed legs at the right time, so really good.”
Big Mojo’s familiar foe Aesterius recently had a left-handed work at Kempton, while his Karl Burke-trained and Wathnan Racing-owned stablemate Shareholder worked at Southwell.
Shareholder won his first two starts, including the Group 2 Norfolk at Royal Ascot, a Win and You’re In for the five-furlong Juvenile Turf Sprint. He then finished ninth in the Group 1 Prix Morny while trying to stretch out from five furlongs to six over good-to-soft turf that may not have been to his liking.
Aesterius was fifth behind his stablemate in the Norfolk, but he has won 3 of 4 starts since, with his only loss coming at the hands of Big Mojo. He was second, beaten less than a length, in the Molecomb, then won the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg and the Flying Childers.
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