Royal Dornach won't ship for BC Juvenile turf, clearing way for others

ARCADIA, Calif. – Royal Dornoch, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In qualifier to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, won’t be making the trip from Ireland to Santa Anita, Breeders’ Cup racing officials said Sunday.

Royal Dornoch won the Royal Lodge Stakes to qualify for a slot in the Juvenile Turf but won’t be taking it, though he was among the pre-entered horses in the race last week.

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His trainer, Aidan O’Brien, still has the likely Juvenile Turf favorite in Arizona, who comes off a second-place finish in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on Oct. 19.

O’Brien reportedly would send the recent maiden winner New World Tapestry for the race, but that horse seems unlikely to make the field. American Theorem and Encoder, two of the 14 horses originally selected to run, won’t start; between those two plus Royal Dornoch coming out, Billy Batts, Gear Jockey and Proven Strategies can get into the Juvenile Turf from the list of alternative horses that can run if selected starters don’t.