Pilgrim winner Imperia part of evenly matched lineup

The Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf has the potential to be an outstanding betting race after 20 horses of comparable talent were pre-entered Monday. The list includes 12 stakes winners – seven of them in either graded or group events – with eight of the pre-entrants having made their last starts in Europe.

Final entries for the Juvenile Turf, a one-mile race at Santa Anita on Oct. 31, will be taken on Monday. If the race that can have a maximum of 14 starters is oversubscribed, Conquest Typhoon and Lawn Ranger will have first preference by virtue of their Breeders’ Cup Challenge race wins in the Summer and Bourbon stakes.

A point system serves as second preference, and panel rankings as the third. If needed, the Juvenile Turf will carry two also-eligibles, said Josh Christian, an official with Breeders’ Cup.

Danny Boy, The Great War, and War Envoy were pre-entered in both the Juvenile Turf and Juvenile, with The Great War’s connections listing the Juvenile as their first preference in a designation that is not binding. Others pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf include International Star, winner of the Grade 3 Grey; Startup Nation, winner of the Grade 2 With Anticipation; and Imperia, winner of the Grade 3 Pilgrim.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2014: See DRF’s top contenders

Hootenanny, a stakes winner at Royal Ascot who was second by a half-length last out in the Group 1 Prix Morny, is the 9-2 early favorite for the Juvenile Turf on the Daily Racing Form line set by Brad Free. The second choice at 5-1 is War Envoy, who was fifth by 1 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 Jean-Luc Lagardere in his most recent out Oct. 5.

Imperia will also start as one of the top choices in the Juvenile Turf. He won his maiden in the Pilgrim at Belmont on Sept. 28 in what was his second career start. In his debut, he was second by a neck in a maiden special weight turf route at Saratoga.

“He ran very well his first start,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Imperia for Godolphin. “He flew home in the maiden race after being blocked most of the race, and waiting. He was impressive, and that was the reason we ran him back in a graded stakes as a maiden.”

The horse rewarded the confidence of his connections when he rallied for a one-length win in the Pilgrim.

“He finished very well, and fast,” McLaughlin said. “He looked great doing it. He just does everything right. He’s a real pleasure to be around. He’s a real professional.”

Imperia is based at Saratoga, and will most likely have his final work for the Breeders’ Cup on Friday or Saturday, said McLaughlin. Javier Castellano has the mount on Imperia, who is scheduled to fly to Southern California on Sunday.

Imperia is sitting fifth on the preference list for the Juvenile Turf, while the bubble horse at No. 15 is Daddy D T, winner of the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.