Even before last week’s holiday weekend, the inaugural $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint on Nov. 4 was appearing to lack the depth of richer, more prestigious Breeders’ Cup races.
Now, following the dominance displayed by Secret Circle in winning the Jack Goodman Stakes at Santa Anita on Monday, in which he established himself as a clear favorite for the Juvenile Sprint, significant growth to the field would appear unlikely.
Several horses could join the Turf Sprint field after stakes wins over the Columbus Day weekend, but the connections of California Flag, Havelock, and Hoofit – geldings all – were noncommittal after their respective triumphs in the Morvich, Woodford, and Phoenix Stakes.
California Flag, the 2009 Turf Sprint winner, won the Morvich for a record third time, but he was eighth in the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs last fall.
“We didn’t do very good last year, but it’s hard not to run for a million,” trainer Brian Koriner said.
Another spot in the starting gate filled for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint when Amazombie circled the field under jockey Mike Smith to capture last Saturday’s Win and You’re In Ancient Title at Santa Anita. The victory was sweet for trainer Bill Spawr, who owns Amazombie in partnership with Thomas Sanford, in light of the gelding’s controversial disqualification in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap earlier this year at Hollywood Park.
Harmonious, a two-time Grade 1 winner, will start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, but the three-time Group 1 winner Blue Bunting will not make the trip from Europe.
Those developments add a longshot closer to the Filly and Mare Turf, but deny the race England’s top 3-year-old filly this year.
Harmonious, 4, was third in the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1. She is winless in five starts this year, all graded stakes, and has never been worse than fourth for owners Marty, Pam, and Emily Wygod.
Team Valor International could have two runners in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, if the well-known partnership decides to supplement the promising import Lucky Chappy to the Grade 1 race.
In his North American debut last Sunday in the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland, Lucky Chappy got away slowly and then lagged behind the field before closing strongly for third.
My Miss Aurelia’s smashing victory in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park on Oct. 8 catapulted the undefeated filly into the favorite’s role for a Breeders’ Cup race that runs true to form – favorites have won the Juvenile Fillies eight of the last nine years.
Although Havre de Grace is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Classic against males on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, her trainer, Larry Jones, said she most likely also will be entered in the Ladies’ Classic, to be run Nov. 4.
Jones, speaking at Keeneland after his arrival here Sunday, reiterated that the Classic is the preferred target for Havre de Grace for both he and owner Rick Porter. The decision to enter the Ladies’ Classic could not even be described as Plan B. It’s more like Plan Z. But Jones is keeping the option open, just in case.
Even though the Alcibiades at Keeneland was meant as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, last week’s race ended up producing at least two potential starters for the Grade 2, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Al Stall Jr. says he is 50/50 on whether to run Cease in the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon.
“Five hundred thousand is $500,000,” Stall said. “It’s either that, or give him a good breather for next year, when we’d be looking at $500,000-type races with him. I’ll train him the next two weeks and see how he does.”
