Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Coverage Begins
I am super excited to be handling Horse Racing Nation’s coverage of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Here at “First Time Turf,” I not only am mindful of today’s grass stars, but always in search of tomorrow’s next John Henry or Lure. There is nowhere better to start the search for future turf stars than in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Over the next several weeks, I will be previewing the probable starters for this year’s race as well as revisiting some of the best moments of the past. Hopefully, I can help bring some of the great editions to life, as well as, help prepare handicappers for what is always one of the more challenging races over the weekend.
The Juvenile Turf was not an original race during the year-end thoroughbred racing championships, but was unveiled in 2007 when the expanded version of the event was introduced. October 26th at Monmouth Park marked the first time the Breeders’ Cup World Championships became a two-day event. The extra day of championship racing also saw the debut of three new races. The Dirt Mile, the Filly & Mare Sprint and my focus for this year’s event, the Juvenile Turf were all added to the annual fall festivities. Horseplayers certainly had no complaints.
The conditions were far from perfect for the inaugural running of the Juvenile Turf, but the last to first run by 12-1 shot Nownownow was borderline immaculate. Favorite Achill Island came running late as well, but could only manage second for top European conditioner Aidan O’Brien who would later get his revenge. Cannonball for Wesley Ward closed out the trifecta. The first version of the annual two-year old turf title for the boys was in the books, but more thrillers were yet to come.
While 2007 saw an American horse with French connections claim victory; the majority of Juvenile Turf winners have been European runners. The star tandem of trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori took the next two versions of the two-year old grass event with Donativum in 2008 and Pounced in 2009. The Americans were able to procure their only other victory in 2010 when Team Valor and Todd Pletcher’s Pluck took the event in thrilling fashion over the Churchill Downs lawn. The aforementioned O’Brien brought Europe back on top, winning with Wrote in 2011 and George Vancouver in 2012 leading us to last year’s thriller at Santa Anita Park.
I have seen all seven versions of the event, but the 2013 race is the one most memorable to me. It began with Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey owned Bobby’s Kitten setting a brisk early pace under top turf rider Javier Castellano. The first half-mile was so quick it prompted public disgust from Mr. Ramsey towards Castellano after the race’s completion. Perhaps in hindsight one can see that Bobby’s Kitten does not like to relax early, but regardless the quick fractions would setup the breathtaking kick of British bred Outstrip. The Godolphin Racing runner under the crafty handling of Hall of Famer Mike Smith would get to the wire just ahead of fellow Eurpoean Giovanni Boldini to score at a price of $14. Smith saved ground the entire way before exploding in the stretch. The two-year old son of Asi Siempre not only came with one of the best runs during the two day event, but also helped me cash a nice pick three! Hopefully we can have an equally exciting finish in this year’s version.
The field is still far from complete for the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, but this weekend’s plethora of big races should help us sort things out quite a bit. Keep an eye out next week, as I start to preview the probable runners in one of my favorite races during Breeders’ Cup World Championships weekend.