Croninthebarbarian Set for Sunday's Bourbon

Ol Memorial Stable’s Croninthebarbarian, winner of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile last month, will face eight rivals Sunday in the 24th running of the $250,000 Dixiana Bourbon (G3) for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

The Dixiana Bourbon is a Win and You’re In race for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) to be run Oct. 31 at Santa Anita. The Dixiana Bourbon will go as the eighth race on Sunday’s 10-race program with a 5:08 p.m. ET post time.

Trained by Garry Simms, Croninthebarbarian is undefeated in two races on grass. Leandro Goncalves has the mount Sunday and will break from post position eight.

Chief rivals to Croninthebarbarian are undefeated runners Conquest Tsunami and Can’t Happen Here.

Conquest Tsunami, trained by Mark Casse, also is entered in Saturday’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1). The Stormy Atlantic colt is 4-for-4 and in his lone grass start won an allowance test going seven furlongs in August at Woodbine. Julien Leparoux has the mount and will break from post position seven.

Can’t Happen Here is owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence and trained by Chad Brown, the same team that won the 2012 Bourbon with Balance the Books. Can’t Happen Here won his debut outing going 1 1/16 miles on the grass at Saratoga in August with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. Ortiz retains the mount Sunday and will break from post position three.

The field for the Dixiana Bourbon, from the inside out, is as follows: Majestico (Juan Saez), Lawn Ranger (Chris Landeros), Can’t Happen Here (Ortiz Jr.), Danny Boy (Corey Lanerie), Thirtysilverpieces (Robby Albarado), Less Than Perfect (Willie Martinez), Conquest Tsunami (Leparoux), Croninthebarbarian (Goncalves) and Chief Kitten (Joel Rosario). All starters will carry 118 pounds.

Source: Keeneland