For many the B C Juvenile is the most exciting and anticipated race of the BC series. This 1 1/16 mile test offers $2,000.000 in purse and a place in the history books. Great names such as Commander Phil, Gunga Din and Timepiece have stood in the winner’s circle after this race. Owner’s names from that history resonate and are represented in this running. Timepiece was owned and bred by Serenity Stables who sends out Pentagon and Sanny Village, owner of last year’s winner, Divine And Broke, sends out two today, Custer Of The West and the maiden Double Jolly King. Also sending two is Blushing Meadows with Atomic Titty Twister and Bottoms Out.
With the highest points, highest earnings and one of the highest SRF numbers, Nakamura Stables’ Symboli Rudolf will likely be favoured as he leads fourteen talented juveniles to the starting gate. LionKing Stables’ improving Phooeys Ideal looks to be contentious along with Jerry Garcia Racing’s Ned Isakoff and Sarah Stables’ Snowmizer, but ultimately, nearly every horse in the race has a respectable chance to take his place in history.
13 – Nakamura Stables’ Symboli Rudolf, winner of 4 of 5, including Grade I FrontRunner Stakes, $489.600 earnings. Bl c by Knowledge Geek-Lexies Daydream, by Lexington Daddy.
The Grade I FrontRunner Stakes was Symboli Rudolf’s first test at a route distance after winning three of his first four starts, including the Grade III Sanford, and he passed with flying colours, winning from off the pace in impressive time. In five races he has lost by a total of a neck, running second in the Grade II SAR Special. This certainly looks the winner.
11 – LionKing Stables’ Phooeys Ideal, second in Grade I FrontRunner Stakes, $123.720 earnings. B c by Hong Kong Phooey-Buffalo Girl, by Hollywood Moon. Bred by Zz Equine Racing.
Stretching out to 1 1/16 mile in the Grade I FrontRunner Stakes, Phooeys Ideal gave a game performance to finish within a length of the top one. A little improvement from that first router, and this one could be the upset in here, and a 1:36 4/5 work says he’s improving.
10 – Jerry Garcia Racing’s Ned Isakoff, second in Grade II Champagne, $177.840 earnings. B c by Il Miglio Fabro-Never Laffin, by Laffin Policeman.
Lightly-raced Ned Isakoff registered a 98 SRF in running second in the Grade I Champagne in the slop. He’s either a mudder or a very promising juvenile. I say promising juvenile and think he’ll be a factor at the wire. With the guidance of one of the most savvy trainers in the virtual world, he should be in the money.
3 – Sarah Stables’ Snowmizer, winner of Grade I Breeders Futurity at KEE, $345.320 earnings. B c by Catch A Rising Star-Winter Bird, by Vermont.
Snowmizer is another which impressed when stretching out to his first route in the Grade I Breeders Futurity locally on the third. His running style makes this race right up his alley. A 1:37 prep for this makes him a strong threat.
1 – Stald Gullis’ Plucky Springer, winner of Grade I Champagne, $445.520 earnings. Ch c by Plucky Mach-Spring Season, by Victory Rain. IIIII
Plucky Springer won the Grade I Champagne with a tremendous late rush through the slop and scored a 99 SRF in the process. If he gets buried at the start from the inside post position, he has the running style to overcome and the quality to be close at the wire.
9 – Sanny Village’s Custer Of The West, winner of Grade III Iroquois, $132.000 earnings. B g by Rene-Jessie Girl, by Highly Respected. Bred by Blushing Meadows.
In only his fourth race, Custer Of The West stretched out to 1 1/16 mile in the Grade III Iroquois at CD and came home first. He’s been impressive thus far, but has to prove himself strong enough to take on Grade I caliber competition. I’ll rate him this high because I think he can.
4 – Broken Spoke Stables’ Carneyman, in the money in three straight graded stakes races, $216.000 earnings.
Carneyman is one of two horses in this race that have run at 1 1/16 miles, running in the money in the Grade III Iroquois and second beaten only a neck in the Grade I Breeders Futurity. The SRF numbers in those races were a bit low, and he has to improve a bit to be a factor.
5 – Blushing Meadows’ Atomic Titty Twister, second in the Hopeful, $197.880 earnings. Bl c by Rene-Uncle Ho, by Prince Of Darkness.
After running second in the Grade I Hopeful at SAR, Atomic Titty Twister was a strong-finishing third in the $500.000 FL Sire Stakes – In Reality at GP….two in the money runs in two top caliber races. Here he must prove that he can take the final step and win at this level.
2 – Blushing Meadows’ Bottoms Out, in the money in back to back graded stakes, $144.000 earnings. Ch g by Copper Bottom-Crying Out Loud, by Charley Farley.
Bottoms Out is the other juvenile which has had two 1 1/16 mile runs, and his record is nearly identical to Carneyman only he ran second in the Grade III Iroquois and third in the Grade I Breeders Futurity, and he faces the same problem of needing to improve to be a factor.
8 – Gdp Inc’s Black Mach One, winner of Grade I Champagne, $235.300 earnings. B c by Plucky Mach-Blackhart, by Relampago.
After winning the Grade III Bashford Manor and the Grade II SAR Special, Black Mach One came up a little short in the Grade I Champagne with a steadily closing fourth. A 1:36 3/5 work indicates he hasn’t lost a step, and this could be the best longshot bet in the race.
15 – Sanny Village’s Double Jolly King, second in the Grade I DMR Futurity, $102.760 earnings. Bl c by Beauty King-Buzzgirl, by Buzzword. Bred by Gdp Inc.
A rare also-eligible to enter the race, Double Jolly King is also an even rarer thing in a BC race, a maiden. In just three races, the black colt has placed in two stakes races, including a second in the DMR Futurity. He has yet to go around two turns, but has a running style that is encouraging toward that end. If a maiden were to win the Juvenile this year, it wouldn’t be all that much of a surprise.
6 – Downwind Stables’ Water Mummy, winner of DMR Futurity, $248.600 earnings. Gr g by Mummy-Delaware River, by General Assembly.
After winning the DMR Futurity, Water Mummy disappointed by running up the track in the Grade I Champagne, but he has a big excuse for that day, sloppy going. If that was the problem, then this winner of half his races has a real shot here. He’s been training aggressively and fast and, with the good post, could finish much higher than I have placed him.
7 – Mb Stables’ Grandeur, winner of Grade I Hopeful, $276.600 earnings. Ch c by Chai Latte-Lucky Baby, by Lucky Billy.
Grandeur has much the same sort of report as Water Mummy. After running second in the Grade III Sanford and winning the Grade I Hopeful, he encountered the slop and distance of the Champagne as the favourite. Again, throw that race out, and you have a real contender here.
12 – Serenity Stables’ Pentagon, winner of Grade II Best Pal Stakes, $181.300 earnings. B c by Exclusive Notice- Slewshe, by Special Slew. Bred by Blushing Meadows.
Pentagon won three of his first four, including the Grade II Best Pal Stakes when things started going wrong for him. He ran up the track in the Grade II SAR Special and really up the track in the biggest stumbling block of the year, the sloppy Champagne. His works have been sharp enough since to rate him an outside chance.
Categories: BC 2015-17, THE BREEDERS CUP
