Crystal Ocean a heavy favorite in Juddmonte International Stakes

Only the brilliant mare Enable has kept Crystal Ocean from an undefeated season in England this year.

Enable and Crystal Ocean finished a neck apart in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 27 at Ascot in arguably the most exciting flat race this year in England.

This week, they will race on consecutive days at York Racecourse in northern England. Crystal Ocean will be a strong favorite in Wednesday’s Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, while Enable will be an odds-on favorite in Thursday’s Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks for fillies and mares.

The $1.28 million Juddmonte International is run at 1 5/16 miles on turf and is the top race for older horses in England in August. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Crystal Ocean was 6-5 with bookmakers on Monday morning to win his eighth stakes, and his fourth race in five starts this year. Earlier this year, the 5-year-old horse won consecutive Group 3 races before recording his first career Group 1 win in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on June 19 at Royal Ascot.

Trained by Michael Stoute for Evelyn de Rothschild, Crystal Ocean will be ridden by James Doyle, who was aboard for the recent loss at Ascot.

Enable is trained by John Gosden, who starts King of Comedy in the Juddmonte International. King of Comedy was second to Circus Maximus in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-old milers at Royal Ascot in June. Wednesday’s race will be King of Comedy’s first start against older horses and the longest race of his career.

The Juddmonte International distance is not an issue for Japan, a 3-year-old colt trained by Aidan O’Brien, who was third in the Group 1 English Derby at 1 1/2 miles on June 2 at Epsom Racecourse.

Japan won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris for 3-year-old colts and fillies at Saint-Cloud Racecourse on July 14 in Paris, although that was not considered a highly-rated race.

O’Brien also starts Circus Maximus in the Juddmonte International. He was second to Too Darn Hot in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at a mile on July 31 at Goodwood Racecourse and sixth in the English Derby in June.

In the race prior to the Juddmonte International, Logician will be favored to extend his unbeaten streak to four races in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings at about 1 1/2 miles. The race is a key prep to the Group 1 St. Leger Stakes on Sept. 14 at Doncaster Racecourse.

Logician, trained by Gosden for Juddmonte Farms, has won three starts and will have his group stakes debut in the $206,000 Great Voltigeur.