Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: The home team is well stocked
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In the six prior runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, the winner has not had his or her final prep at the track, or even in the region, where the Breeders’ Cup was held.
For the 2018 (Churchill Downs), 2019 (Santa Anita), and 2020 (Keeneland) editions of the Breeders’ Cup, the Juvenile Turf Sprint winners had their final starts at Gulfstream Park, Belmont Park, and Saratoga, respectively. The last three winners of the race, at Del Mar, Keeneland, and Santa Anita, all had their most recent starts in Europe.
There are plenty of European candidates in the mix for this year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint, as well as a Japanese-based runner. Emerging atop the U.S. contingent as the favorite on David Aragona’s line for Daily Racing Form is Governor Sam, a New York-based colt who after a game performance over the weekend has consecutive stakes wins at Monmouth Park, Colonial Downs, and Keeneland.
The Golden State’s home team solidified itself over the weekend, with the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita serving as the regional prep. Pali Kitten and Smash It, both moving from dirt to turf, were separated by a neck and will now look to defend their home turf.
In his second career start, Pali Kitten won a $100,000 maiden-claiming race going six furlongs on the dirt. Doug O’Neill, who trains the Vino Rosso colt for a large partnership, then moved him to turf for the Speakeasy. Pali Kitten is out of the stakes winner Artemus Kitten, a daughter of turf champion and prominent sire Kitten’s Joy.
“Doug is brilliant at placing horses,” co-owner Scott Knight said. Pali Kitten “is 2 and still learning the ropes. He proved today that he was going to run them down.”
Pali Kitten’s pedigree suggests that more distance will be in his wheelhouse. Last early in the Speakeasy field of four, he needed every bit of the five furlongs to get up. The Juvenile Turf Sprint will be contested at the same distance.
Louisiana-bred Smash It, trained by Todd Fincher for another large partnership, took four tries to win his maiden, but improved his Beyer Speed Figure in each of his first three starts while racking up second-place finishes. He finally was resolute on the front end to win at 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt, with a Beyer of 91, one of the top 10 figures for a 2-year-old this season. When he moved to turf for the Speakeasy, his pedigree gave a clue he would handle the surface. He is by Star Guitar, sire of the brilliant Ova Charged.
In the Speakeasy, Smash It threw his head at the start, was left chasing, had to work to make the lead, and was outgamed to the wire.
Although Smash It, for the first time, regressed in terms of Beyers, his figure from the Speakeasy still places him in good stead among the Juvenile Turf Sprint contenders.
Favored Governor Sam owns a career-best figure of 78 and posted a 77 in taking the Indian Summer on Sunday at Keeneland. Pali Kitten earned a Beyer of 79 for his Speakeasy win, and Smash It a 78 – serving notice that the home team is ready for the invaders.
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