Unbeaten Native Trail looks to have significant edge in Dewhurst Stakes

There are some good colts, as one would expect from such an important race, in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday at Newmarket in England. But for now, Native Trail might simply be better.

It’s not only his 3-for-3 record that points Native Trail out in the one-mile Dewhurst, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, offering automatic fees-paid entry into the BC Juvenile Turf plus travel expenses to Del Mar.

Native Trail won his debut, at Sandown Park, by four lengths over Royal Patronage, who since has captured the Group 3 Acomb at York and the Group 2 Royal Lodge at Newmarket. Native Trail had to scrap winning his second race, the seven-furlong Superlative at Newmarket, where he proved narrowly best over the useful colt Masekela. But at The Curragh on Sept. 12, he roasted odds-on, unbeaten favorite Point Lonsdale through the final furlong of the Group 1 National Stakes, drawing clear for a 3 1/2-length score.

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Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, Native Trail, by Oasis Dream out of Needleleaf, by Observatory, can cement his apparent position as Europe’s leading 2-year-old male in Saturday’s straight-course mile. And he definitely looks the part. Physically advanced for his age, Native Trail has finished strongly in all his races and is likely to see out his first trip over one mile, a sterner test than the raw distance since Saturday’s race finishes uphill.

Bayside Boy, mentioned as a BC Juvenile Turf possibility, would be the most obvious challenger. A New Bay colt trained in England by Roger Varian, Bayside Boy sparkled on debut, burying odds-on favorite Find in a Newbury maiden contest while posting late-race sectional times hinting at high-level ability. Masekela handed him a narrow defeat second out, coming back after Bayside Boy had passed him in the listed Denford Stakes, also at Newbury. But in the Champagne over a straight seven furlongs at Doncaster, Bayside Boy resolutely ran down odds-on favorite Reach for the Moon for a Group 2 success.

Twice-started Straight Answer and second-time starter Glaunthaune merit attention. Straight Answer, a Juddmonte Farms homebred trained in Ireland by Ger Lyons, improved on a game debut maiden victory to romp in the listed Blenheim Stakes on Sept. 20 at Fairyhouse, where he went wire to wire, drawing clear late in the six-furlong contest. Glaunthaune, Aidan O’Brien’s lone Dewhurst runner, hasn’t raced since making a winning debut in April at The Curragh, where he edged Castle Star, most recently a fine second behind leading 2-year-old sprinter Perfect Power in the Group 1 Middle Park.

The Dewhurst goes at 9:55 a.m. Eastern as part of a juvenile-heavy Newmarket card you can watch and wager on at DRFBets.com.