Ward trio among 12 set to run in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

The $1 Juvenile Turf Sprint drew 26 pre-entries – most among the 14 Breeders’ Cup races, set for Nov. 1-2 – but even 100 more couldn’t obscure the notion that Wesley Ward brings a strong hand to the five-furlong race.

Ward trains Four Wheel Drive and Kimari, who could be the two favorites, as well as Cambria, who also made the 12-horse cutoff. Ward also has Karak among the 14 alternates.

Both the Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday and the Turf Sprint on Saturday are limited to 12 starters because they are being run at five furlongs with a short run to the turn, whereas as many as 14 can start in the other Breeders’ Cup grass races, all of them longer. There will be raceday also-eligible lists.

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Six of the 12 main-body runners in the Juvenile Turf Sprint are European horses, and a seventh, Alligator Alley (preference No. 13), most likely also will get to run. That’s because Fair Maiden, who made the main body, likely will be scratched in favor of her first preference, the Juvenile Fillies. Next on the alternates list are Encoder (No. 14), trained by John Sadler, and Miss J McKay (No. 15), whose connections will supplement the Maryland-bred filly for $100,000 if she gets in.

The three Ward runners in the main body have a combined record of 8 for 9, with the only blemish coming from Kimari, who wrapped three victories around a just-miss runner-up finish amid a field of 25 in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in June.

“My horses have proven themselves worthy,” Ward said. “They rose to the top of the ranks in America.”

The Ward contingent is scheduled to be flown Monday from Kentucky to California.

The other American runners in the main body are Another Miracle for Gary Contessa and Chimney Rock for Mike Maker.

The International Racing Bureau confirmed Wednesday that the top seven European choices are indeed scheduled to be flown overseas in the coming days. They are A’Ali, Al Raya, Band Practice, Dr Simpson, Dream Shot, King Neptune, and Alligator Alley. They are booked on three separate charters scheduled to arrive Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Monday evening.

Beyond Miss J McKay on the alternates list are Freewheeler (No. 16) and Bulletproof One (No. 17), the respective runners-up in the Futurity at Belmont and Speakeasy at Santa Anita earlier this month. Karak, the fourth pre-entry for Ward, has little hope of making the race as No. 23.