Newmarket stakes might affect BC

Two-year-olds take the spotlight on a Saturday card at Newmarket that includes a pair of Group 1 races as well as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race for the BC Juvenile Turf.

The Group 1’s, both at six furlongs, are the Middle Park for colts and the Cheveley Park for fillies, while the Win and You’re In is the Group 2 Royal Lodge over one mile. The Royal Lodge winner gets an automatic fees-paid entry into the Juvenile Turf in addition to travel expenses, though no Royal Lodge winner ever has run in the Juvenile Turf. Wrote finished third in the 2011 Royal Lodge before winning the Juvenile Turf at Churchill. In 2012, Artigiano was second in the Royal Lodge and sixth in the Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.

The two favorites in this year’s edition are Nelson and Herculean, though it another horse, Roaring Lion, whose name has come up already with regard to a Breeders’ Cup start. The John Gosden-trained Roaring Lion has scored easy wins in his two trips to the post, one on the Newmarket course, but will be stepping into much deeper water Saturday. Nelson already is a Group 3 winner in Ireland for trainer Aidan O’Brien, while the Roger Charlton-trained Herculean caught the eye blitzing a seven-furlong maiden race Sept. 8 at Ascot.

Course conditions could be a major factor Saturday, with the going at Newmarket listed as good-to-soft as of Thursday and more rain forecast for Friday.

The Royal Lodge (post time 8:50 a.m. Eastern) is the first race on the Saturday card, followed immediately by the Cheveley Park and the Middle Park.

Alice Springs finished fourth in the 2015 Cheveley Park before a runner-up finish in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland, and the race also yielded Breeders’ Cup also-rans Vorda (2013) and The Gold Cheongsam (2012).

Clemmie, a Ballydoyle production with Ryan Moore named to ride, is the early favorite for the Cheveley Park, despite the fact she was taken out of an intended start Sept. 10 in the Moyglare Stud Stakes because of a sodden turf course and faces the prospect of soft ground again Saturday. Heartache handles cut in the ground, but her best form has come at five furlongs. Threading is up in class after two easy wins to start her career, and trainer Mark Johnston won this race two years ago with Lumiere.

The Middle Park looks a stronger, deeper race than the Cheveley Park. Sands of Mali won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes by almost three lengths in his most recent race and has a win over soft ground, while Unfortunately exits a win in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville. Beckford and Sioux Nation both have been mentioned for the BC Juvenile Turf.