Euro juveniles plenty capable

The expansion of the Breeders’ Cup 2-year-old program to include the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint for the first time this year has understandably led to a larger team of foreign runners at Churchill Downs.

This year, for the first time since the Breeders’ Cup went to a two-day format in 2007, all five of the 2-year-olds races are being held on Friday. The three $1 million turf races, including the Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf, both run at a mile, will have widespread foreign participation, with runners from England, France, and Ireland.

Foreign-based runners represent six of the 12 runners in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs, with two more European runners on the also-eligible list. There are five foreign runners among the 14 fillies in the main body of the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf, and five overseas shippers among the 14 in the main body of the $1 million Juvenile Turf.

Juvenile Turf Sprint

Last year, the $200,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint was not an official Breeders’ Cup race at Del Mar and was run on the undercard of the Saturday program at five furlongs. The first four finishers in the field of 12 were from Irish and English stables.

This year, the Europeans are a mix of favorites and longshots.

The well-traveled Soldier’s Call, trained in England by Archie Watson, can be considered the best chance of the Europeans. Already a winner of 4 of 7 starts, Soldier’s Call won the Windsor Castle Stakes against 27 rivals at Royal Ascot in June in his third start, and the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg on good-to-soft turf at Chantilly, France, at five furlongs Sept. 1.

More recently, Soldier’s Call won the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at five furlongs on good-to-soft turf at Doncaster, England, on Sept. 14, and ran third, beaten a head, against older horses in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp Racecourse on Oct. 7 in Paris.

It is worth repeating: Soldier’s Call nearly beat older horses in the five-furlong Prix de l’Abbaye and was a wellregarded 6-1 chance of 16.

Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien runs the capable Sergei Prokofiev, a $1.1 million yearling purchase at Keeneland who has won three times in seven starts, including two stakes. Sergei Prokofiev won the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at five furlongs on good-to-firm turf on Oct. 12 at Newmarket, overcoming traffic issues to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Well Done Fox, another BC Juvenile Turf Sprint runner.

Well Done Fox, trained by Richard Hannon, had been second in the Flying Childers Stakes and won minor stakes earlier this year at Sandown Park and York.

Pocket Dynamo was a troubled fifth in the Cornwallis Stakes and represents a live longshot in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Trained by Robert Cowell, Pocket Dynamo encountered the same traffic in the Cornwallis Stakes as Sergei Prokofiev, but was not as fortunate in the final quarter-mile, losing by five lengths.

Pocket Dynamo was second in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot to the Americantrained Shang Shang Shang, who is part of the Juvenile Turf Sprint field.

The other two European

runners in the main body of the field for the Juvenile Turf Sprint are the longshots fillies Queen of Bermuda and So Perfect.

Comedy and Van Beethoven are on the also-eligible list.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

In the 10 runnings of the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, European runners have won only twice. The five Euros in this year’s race face a difficult chore of beating the expected favorite, the New York-based stakes winner Newspaperofrecord.

O’Brien, winless in this race with 11 runners, seems to have the best chance with two-time stakes winner Just Wonderful, who gained a fees-paid berth with a win in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at seven furlongs on Sept. 28 at Newmarket.

On Sept. 1, Just Wonderful won the Group 3 Flame of Tara Stakes on good-to-soft turf at the Juvenile Fillies Turf distance of a mile at The Curragh in Ireland.

La Pelosa and Lily’s Candle have won top-class races at a mile in the last two months. La Pelosa has already been to North America, winning the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 16 at Woodbine for trainer Charlie Appleby and Godolphin Racing. She returned to England and was based there through October.

Lily’s Candle was the 27-1 winner of the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at a mile on firm turf Oct. 7 at Longchamp, and won a minor stakes at seven furlongs on soft turf at Vichy, France, in early August.

The mile will be a test for The Mackem Bullet, who was second by a nose in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York Racecourse in August and second by a neck in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, run on good-tofirm turf. Trainer Brian Ellison was bullish about her chances in early October, stating the distance is not a concern.

Those fillies are multiple winners with established form. East, trained by Kevin Ryan, is a more difficult read. Undefeated in two starts, East beat maidens in a six-furlong race on soft turf Sept. 24 at Hamilton, Scotland, and beat males in the

Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon on firm turf Oct. 5 at Saint-Cloud in Paris.

Juvenile Turf

The brief history of the onemile Juvenile Turf has shown the Europeans to be dominant, with 7 of the 11 wins going to horses from England or Ireland. O’Brien has won the race a record four times, including two of the last three runnings.

This year, England, Ireland, and France are represented in the field.

O’Brien starts Anthony Van Dyck, the expected favorite who was not helped by drawing the outside post. Anthony Van Dyck won consecutive group stakes in Ireland in August and was third to top European 2-year-old Too Darn Hot in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at seven furlongs Oct. 13 at Newmarket. Anthony Van Dyck can be handy, which should help his chances to avoid traffic issues.

Godolphin’s Line of Duty, trained by Appleby, bloomed in late summer and early fall, winning a maiden race Sept. 4 at Goodwood and then the Group 3 Prix de Conde at about 1 1/8 miles on good-to-soft turf Oct. 1 at Chantilly.

The English shippers Arthur Kitt and Marie’s Diamond have more to prove.

Arthur Kitt won the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, but was second and fifth in group stakes in September, including a runner-up finish by four lengths to Too Darn Hot in the Group 3 Solario Stakes at Sandown Park.

Marie’s Diamond, who has already had nine starts, is a three-time winner who began his career in late April. Marie’s Diamond was fourth in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes on Sept. 29 at Newmarket and has never raced beyond six furlongs.

The French runner The Black Album won the Group 3 Prix la Rochette on Sept. 2 at Longchamp for his first stakes win. The form of the race was flattered when Lily’s Candle won the Prix Marcel Boussac. She was fourth behind The Black Album in the Prix la Rochette.