Prince of Monaco to skip American Pharoah for BC Juvenile

The unbeaten 2-year-old Prince of Monaco is likely to skip Saturday’s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita in favor of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the same venue on Nov. 3, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday.

Prince of Monaco, rated as the nation’s leading juvenile male, has won three races, including a sweep of the two graded stakes for the division at the Del Mar summer meeting – the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths at six furlongs on Aug. 13 and a hard-fought win by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 10.

“Right now, I might wait for the Juvenile,” Baffert said. “The horses that ran at Del Mar, you sometimes need to give them a little extra time.

“In sports, it’s called analytics. We call it a gut feeling.”

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Prince of Monaco has worked twice since the Del Mar Futurity, including five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on Saturday.

While Prince of Monaco has a secure position at the top of the juvenile male division, Baffert is more concerned about Breeders’ Cup prospects for the 3-year-old colt Speed Boat Beach, who finished second by a head in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs on Saturday in his first start of 2023 and debut against older horses.

Speed Boat Beach disputed the pace throughout and led briefly in the stretch before losing to the multiple stakes winner Dr. Schivel. Baffert is hopeful that Speed Boat Beach will gain a berth in the BC Sprint at six furlongs on Nov. 4. The race will have a maximum of 14 starters.

“He ran unbelievable off a layoff,” Baffert said. “We’ll try to get in the Breeders’ Cup with him. He needs to be lucky.

“He ran a good race and got away well. He got beat by a nice horse.”

Baffert has a leading contender for the BC Distaff with Adare Manor, who beat three rivals easily in Sunday’s Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

Plans are less certain for Defunded, who was second to Slow Down Andy in Saturday’s Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. Slow Down Andy earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Classic with the win.

Defunded has been beaten in his last three starts after winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on May 29 at Santa Anita over the same course and distance as the BC Classic.

“It would be nice to have gotten a Win and You’re in” berth, Baffert said.

Last year, Defunded won the Awesome Again but was not sent to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup. Defunded later won the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar that fall.

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