O'Brien's fingerprints all over Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

The cup runneth over – as in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

The $1 million race on Breeders’ Cup Friday drew 21 pre-entrants this week for the one-mile race in which 14 can start. At least a couple of excluded horses figure to find their way into the starting gate, however, since American Theorem, who was selected into the main body of the field, has the Juvenile as his first preference, and Encoder, another horse among the top 14, is expected to opt for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

If those two defect, Billy Batts and Gear Jockey can get into the race.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, and more

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won this race four times in its 12-year history and has three horses in the top 14. Fort Myers easily brings up the rear of that trio, but Arizona could be the race favorite and Royal Dornoch also will be well supported if he runs. Royal Dornoch also holds an entry to the Group 1 Vertem Futurity on Oct. 26 in England, but O’Brien has 10 others still eligible to that race and Royal Dornoch stands a decent chance of winding up in California.

All of O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup starters arrive at Santa Anita on Tuesday.

Arizona, like past O’Brien-trained Juvenile Turf winners Mendelssohn and George Vancouver, comes into the race after racing competitively in but losing the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. Arizona set the pace in the Oct. 12 Dewhurst and fought on bravely for second after being turned back by the undefeated Pinatubo, the leading 2-year-old in Europe this year.

The Dewhurst is a straight-course seven furlongs while Royal Dornoch won the straight-mile Royal Lodge Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In for the Juvenile Turf.

Other BC Challenge race winners pre-entered are Decorated Invader, who captured the Summer Stakes at Woodbine, and Peace Achieved, who won the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland.

A mildly troubled third in the Summer and a significantly compromised and fast-closing second in the Bourbon was Vitalogy, who will get plenty of support in the Juvenile Turf despite the two losses since being imported from Ireland.

Structor won the Pilgrim Stakes for trainer Chad Brown, who has yet to win the Juvenile Turf, while Pilgrim runner-up Andesite starts for trainer Brad Cox. Hit the Road won the local Juvenile Turf prep, the Zuma Beach, in an eye-catching performance and is getting a jockey change from Victor Espinoza to Flavien Prat.

The other pre-entrants selected into the field are Florida-based stakes winner Graceful Kitten; Pilgrim third Our Country; and War Beast, who was second in the Zuma Beach.