Bourbon (Grade 2) (BC)- $400.000 Purse
KEE- For Two Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
October 5, 2025
On Sunday, the Bourbon will hold the distinction of being the final “win and you’re in” race for any of the BC races. It’s one of three such races for the BC Juvenile Turf, coming just a couple days after the Pilgrim is run at AQU. Only once has the winner of the Bourbon ended up winning the BC Juvenile Turf, and you have to go back all the way to 2012 when Spanish Gem was able to do so for Mm Racing. Last year’s winner was Darrow, for Mb Stables. While he struggled in the BC, he’s gone on to have a strong three-year-old season. Here’s a look at those looking to be the next one added to the Bourbon’s winners list:
1- Hide In Plain Sight (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Didn’t do much prior to being gelded, but responded with a six length win at SAR to break his maiden right after it. That dominant performance led to him being entered into the Grade 1 Summer Stakes last month, where he ran a different type of race tactically, and came on for fourth. I wonder if we’re going to see him be a little more aggressive out of the gate here.
2- Indistinguishzzaire (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by D Z Gaskin)- Picked up by the trainer in private sales for $50.000 after making one start, and would break his maiden at CD a couple weeks later. He’s been entered into stakes twice since then and has finished in the second half of the field each time. His margin to the leader isn’t necessarily that bad, as we know how close virtual racing finishes can get.
3- Jigsaw (Pan Farms, ridden by M Franco)- Won on debut at FL in late May, and after two decent runs on the main track that followed, Jigsaw was moved to the turf. He would run in the Grade 3 With Anticipation, and ran second, showing his potential, but ten days later he was sold in private sales. Pan Farms paid $150.000 for him and has had a month to prepare him for this.
4- Superior Palace (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Made his debut in June at GP, and came away with the win. From that, it was off to the Grade 2 SAR Special where he did not cash a check but bounced back with a runner up in the $100.000 Fager for FL-Breds. Now, he’s about to do something different as he tackles the turf for the first time. Has solid works on the grass coming in.
5- Captains Breath (Blazin D, ridden by P Husbands)- Unlike the two starting to his immediate inside, he did not win on debut. Or at any time afterwards. Captains Breath is indeed a maiden, and this will be his fifth career start, and he’s already been in two stakes. Second in the OT Juvenile Turf last month, and perhaps the conventional maiden win can wait until after the BC unless it happens here.
6- Fight Clubber (Barcelona Farms, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- I’m surprised that there’s only two horses in this field that ran in the $1,000.000 KD Juvenile last month. Fight Clubber is one of them, he took home the grand prize, something that will immediately make him one of the favorites here. He’s won two of four overall and has hit the board every time he has been out there. Appealing, but it’ll come at a short price.
7- Harbor Lights (Riggins Racing, ridden by G Corrales)- Broke his maiden in his first start, coming in April at CT, and has been running in stakes ever since. His best result in one of these races came in late June at the $250.000 Bashford Manor, where he was third and got his picture taken with the winner. This will be his first start on the grass, and he had a strong work at SA in anticipation of it.
8- Launch Code (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by T Gaffalione)- This is another horse that will be running on the turf for the first time. When we last saw him, he ran at CD in the Grade 3 Iroquois, where he did not cash a check. He was better before that against CA-Breds, placing second in the Graduation Stakes in August.
9- Phantom Thunder (Red Fox Farms, ridden by J Lezcano)- Here’s the other horse in the field that ran in the $1,000.000 KD Juvenile, but Phantom Thunder did not hit the board, running fifth. That race was a big jump for him, coming after he broke his maiden at FE. He was competitive enough in the KD Juvenile for me to be confident that he will run well here and perhaps collect a piece of the purse.
10- Get My Punch On (The Sidley Stud, ridden by R Bejarano)- Purchased by the trainer for just $6.000 in private sales after two starts were made, and now looks to become a major bargain. He’s run twice for The Sidley Stud, running second at FE before breaking his maiden there a month. He hasn’t proven himself yet, as after all, he’s making a big jump here, though he is working well.
11- Kynsli (Royalty Stables, ridden by B Curtis)- Our final runner will be making his third career start here. Won on debut at SAR against NY-Breds, and he was then thrust into the $1,000.000 KD Juvenile Sprint, where he was a respectable fifth. This will be his first time running longer.
Prediction: 6-3-9-5
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES