Breeders' Cup Spotlight: Juvenile Turf
By Anthony Stabile
VegasInsider.com
The Juvenile Turf
1 mile(T); $1 million; 2YO; 5:00pm Friday
The History
You’re witnessing it. This will be the inaugural running of the event.
The Best
In a Saratoga meet that was chock full of sparkling maiden winners, perhaps none shined brighter than Prussian. After his 6 ¾ length debut score he was anointed the early chalk for this race and made his followers proud with a handy score in the G3 Summer at Woodbine. Trainer Bill Mott is having a fantastic season and has probably been secretly praying for this event for years considering his prowess with grass horses.
Another colt that’s two for two is the Christophe Clement trained Gio Ponti. After breaking his maiden in a sharp 1:22 for seven furlongs at Belmont, Gio Ponti looked very professional taking the $150K Bourbon at Keeneland in his most recent with an inside run to victory.
Old Man Buck has taken a curious route to Monmouth, winning a pair of turf starts, including the $200K Cradle Stakes was switched to the turf this season primarily to serve as a prep for this race, at River Downs before a third place finish over Polytrack in the G1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland last out for trainer Ken McPeek.
Not surprisingly, a strong European contingent has shown up for this. Achill Island and Domestic Fund were both second in G2 events last out while Strike the Deal is a G2 winner that was second by a half length in a G1 most recently. And don’t forget G3 winner Ibn Khaldun who’s riding a three race win streak
The Rest
Cherokee Triangle looked like a monster winning a Louisiana Downs stakes by 10 ¾ lengths on the lawn last out when second time blinkers. Nownownow broke his maiden in a grass stakes at Saratoga before finishing second in the Bourbon to Gio Ponti. Preachin Man will be making his turf debut with a win in a minor stakes at the Meadowlands under his belt as will Texas Fever, winner of the G3 Ky. Cup Juvenile over Polytrack in his most recent. The Leopard won the Pilgrim at Belmont in his turf debut last out.
There are eleven horses still looking for a spot in this event. In order of preference, they are: Shore Do, Your Round, Globetrotter, Annie Skates, Moral Compass, Cowboy Cal, Why Tonto, Horse Doctor, Cannonball, Overextended, Austintatious.
The Scenario
Prussian, Texas Fever, The Leopard and Preachin Man all figure to be forwardly placed. Domestic Fund, Cherokee Triangle and Old Man Buck figure to be mid-pack. Achill Island, Ibn Khaldun, Nownownow, Gio Ponti and Strike the Deal figure to come from the back of the pack.
The Strategy
Prussian, Gio Ponti and Old Man Buck figure to take plenty of action and I’d be surprised if some of the Euros, especially Ibn Khaldun and Achill Island didn’t get a lot of play. I’d be very surprised if the favorite was under 3-1 in here making any win bet very attractive. If you’re an exotics person, a trifecta part-wheel with three horses in the first and second spots may be the way to go.
The Bomb
The Leopard cost $2.5 million, won his turf debut in a stakes yet still figures to be over 15-1. Trainer Todd Pletcher hasn’t been great on Breeders’ Cup Day, but that price is.
Nownownow edges Achill Island to take BC Juvenile Turf
October 26, 2007
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) -Nownownow edged Achill Island by a half length in the first running of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday at Monmouth Park.
Julien Leparoux, winning his first Breeders' Cup race in five tries, angled the colt six-wide for the stretch run to score the narrow win.
The winning trainer is listed as Francois Parisel, who is regular trainer Patrick Biancone's assistant. Biancone begins a one-year suspension Nov. 1 for violating drug rules and his seven Breeders' Cup horses were turned over to Parisel, who earned his first official victory in a million-dollar race.
Owner Fabien Ouaki of Paris said Biancone will not share in any of the purse money, but said, ``I'm sure he is proud. Life is like a pingpong ball. He will come back. He is a horseman.''
Prussian, unbeaten entering the race, took the lead from Preachin Man entering the backstretch and carried the field to the final turn before the closers narrowed the gap. Any of five horses appeared possible winners in the lane but the victory went to the horse coming widest of all.
Nownownow improved to 2-for-6 and paid $27.20, $8.60 and $6.
It was a tough loss for Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien and Achill Island, the 5-2 favorite bred in Ireland and making his U.S. debut. Achill Island returned $5.20 and $4.20, while Cannonball paid $7.80 to show.
Strike the Deal was fourth followed by Domestic Fund, Texas Fever, The Leopard, Gio Ponti, Your Round, Prussian, Cherokee Triangle and Preachin Man.
The time was 1:40.48 for the one mile on the rain-soaked yielding grass course.