Newmarket: Breeders' Cup berths for 2-year-olds up for grabs

Saturday is 2-year-old day at Newmarket in England, with three group stakes – two Group 1’s and a Groups 2 – carded for the juvenile set.

It’s the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes that’s a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race, offering an automatic fees-paid berth in the BC Juvenile Turf as well as travel expenses to the race at Keeneland. Wrote, who was third in the 2011 Royal Lodge, came back to win the BC Juvenile Turf in 2011 at Churchill Downs.

Two colts both unbeaten in a pair of starts – Deauville for trainer Aidan O’Brien and Foundation for trainer John Gosden – appear to be standouts among six in the Royal Lodge, a one-mile race over turf expected to be good to soft. Foundation makes his group stakes debut after a pair of easy wins going one mile at Haydock Park, while Deauville won the Group 3 Tyros at Leopardstown last out. Second by a half-length in that race was Sanus Per Aquam, who came back to finish second, beaten two lengths, in another Leopardstown Group 3.

Ryan Moore rides Deauville for Coolmore and Fitriana Hay. Widely considered the world’s best rider, Moore was injured this summer and just returned to race-riding on Thursday.

The Group 1’s on the card are the Cheveley Park for fillies and the Middle Park for colts, both over six furlongs. Shalaa is the big horse in the Middle Park, with four straight wins this year, including a last-out score in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville. Trained by Gosden, Shalaa won the Morny over very soft ground he probably tolerated more than enjoyed. His top opponents are Gimcrack Stakes winner Ajaya and Coventry Stakes winner Buratino, but Shalaa, owned by Al Shaqab Racing, will be difficult to contain in the Middle Park.

The Cheveley Park lacks such a standout, with Besharah the tepid choice in antepost betting. Besharah has accomplished the most among eight entrants but in so doing has raced the most, with Saturday’s event her seventh start of the season. She comfortably won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes last out, her second straight group stakes win, but earlier this year going six furlongs at Newmarket she was beaten a nose by Illuminate, who makes her first start since that win, her third from as many tries, in the Cheveley Park. Also in the race is Lumiere, who was second to Besharah in the Lowther in just her second career start.

Neither the Middle Park nor the Cheveley Park has greatly impacted the Breeders’ Cup grass races for 2-year-olds. Vorda won the 2013 Cheveley Park and attracted some support in the Juvenile Fillies Turf but could only finish seventh at Santa Anita.

Win and You’re In Rockfel on Friday at Newmarket

Newmarket’s card on Friday includes the Group 2 Rockfel for 2-year-old fillies over seven furlongs, a Win and You’re In race for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Hawksmoore is the antepost favorite for the Rockfel after a win in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood, but she is ground dependent, having won twice over softer courses while struggling home sixth over faster going in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket.

Promising Run, Thetis, and Doubly Motivated all are one-time winners who could have a say with improvement Friday.