BC Juvenile Turf – G1

$1,000.00 For Colts And Geldings Two Years Old – 1 Mile – Turf
Keeneland – October 30, 2026

Fall. Keeneland. This is the Breeder’s Cup, which the entire season has been pointing towards. You can’t just plunk down your money and buy your sorry nag’s way into the gate like some wanna be robber baron from a bygone era. Every horse whose name appears below is here on merit. To paraphrase the (very) old Smith Barney commercial they got here the hard way, they earned it! As expected, the race has oversubscribed above the fourteen allowed in the main field. The weather report as of this writing is for clear skies and a firm track. Is there a Derby winner in this field such as Quiet Return the winner in 2022? Let’s dig in.

1. Truth Dancer
Owner/Trainer: La Canada Racehorses (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: F. Pennington (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: La Canada Racehorses (NY) Truce/Dancer Zion (Zionist) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-2-1-2
Earnings: $375.00
What got him here: Won the G1 Summer Stakes
BC Qualifying Position: 1

He has never been off the board in his five races but he never was a winner until he was gelded in mid-June. Since then he has won two straight races. He broke his maiden at Saratoga and followed that up by becoming a G1 winner when he took the Summer Stakes at Woodbine last month which was a “Win and you’re in” race but he didn’t net the free ride as he finished atop the qualifying standings for this race. 

2. Spritzer
Owner/Trainer: Temulac Farm (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: L. Saez (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: Temulac Farm (Ky) Ginger Haggis/Neon Orange(Neon Wolf) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-1-1-1
Earnings: $81.00
What got him here: Third place in the G3 With Anticipation
BC Qualifying Position: 18

Broke his maiden in July in his turf debut. He has run twice on the grass since then finishing third in the G3 With Anticipation on the inner turf at Saratoga and seventh in the G2 Pilgrim. He is going to meet virtually all of the horses he trailed in those two races including the two winners N Y P D and Confidant Moment. The cut back to a mile may help him should he revert to showing early speed the way he did in the With Anticipation. Favorable post.

3. Storm Lugo
Owner/Trainer: Mb Stables (Prior Wins: 2 – Furious 2020, Ello Santa 2024)
Jockey: P. Lopez (Prior Wins: 1 – Classy City 2023)
Breeder: Panionios Racing (WV) Storming/Chica Lugo (Niagra) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-2-1-1
Earnings: $231.60
What got him here: Won the G3 Zuma Beach
BC Qualifying Position: 5

Broke his maiden in his second start at Emerald Downs in early May. He gained black type in his next race finishing third in the Hoover. Following that race he was purchased privately for $160.00 and has raced exclusively on the grass in his two starts since. He was second in his barn and turf debut in the lucrative KD Juvenile Sprint and then became a graded stakes winner when he stretched out to a mile and won the G3 Zuma Beach. That was his last race and he will run under those same conditions again. 

4. The Mighty Bear
Owner/Trainer: Jerry Garcia Racing (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: V. Espinoza (Prior Wins: 2 – Sub Zero 2008, Siberian Prince 2017)
Breeder: Team 7 Illusions (Ky) Dream Sequence/The Great Escape (War Command) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 3-1-1-0
Earnings: $471.40
What got him here: Won the KD Juvenile
BC Qualifying Position: 11

He broke his maiden in his third start at Kentucky Downs. That race just happened to be his first race on the grass as well as his stakes debut in the KD Juvenile. Following him home that day in second and third were Obi Run Kenobi and Average Brian who he will meet again here. Kentucky Downs can be an odd track where form does not carry over elsewhere. The Mighty Bear has worked well at Keeneland so there is nothing to indicate it will be a problem and he has run well on all three tracks he has run on.

5. Lions Pride
Owner/Trainer: La Canada Racehorses (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: N. Arroyo Jr. (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: La Canada Racehorses (NY) Pinks Pride/First Zion (Zionist) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-1-1-1
Earnings: $79.20
What got him here: Second in the G3 With Anticipation
BC Qualifying Position: 13

He broke his maiden in his third start which was his grass debut. That was on a soft track. He has run twice since in two  G3 events. He just missed winning the G3 With Anticipation when he lost by a head to N Y P D who will be breaking outside of him in post twelve. He was a disappointing eight in the G3 Zuma Beach in his next start. Would obviously be a contender if he reverts to his With Anticipation form. 

6. Pinnacle Deport
Owner/Trainer: TwinTowersRacing (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: M.J. Sanchez (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: TwinTowersRacing (NY) Atomic Icon/Pinnacle Report (Pinnacle West) (Prior Wins: 1 – Siberian Prince 2017) 
Record: 5-1-0-2
Earnings: $67.80
What got him here: Third in the G2 Pilgrim
BC Qualifying Position: 15

His first four races were on the dirt and he was a winner in a MSW at five and a half furlongs. After a sixth place in the Overnight Stakes at Woodbine he was switched to the grass for the G2 Pilgrim. He ran an impressive third that day where he was making up a lot of ground late. In this race he will get a sixteenth of a mile to work with if he wants to try to make his way through another large field in the stretch. 

7. Confidant Moment
Owner/Trainer: La Canada Racehorses (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: L. Contreras (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: La Canada Racehorses (NY) Memento/Zion Confidant (Zionist) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-2-2-0
Earnings: $229.52
What got him here: Won the G2 Pilgrim
BC Qualifying Position: 3

He has been no worse than second in his four grass races and is on a two race winning streak. He broke his maiden in early September at Saratoga and then won the G2 Pilgrim a month later. Gets a decent post position to try to work out a stalking trip and extend that winning streak. His SRF speed figure of 97 in his last race was a marked improvement over any of his other figures so he seems to be developing at the perfect time. 

8. Royalty Awaits 
Owner/Trainer: First Flight Stable (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: F. Prat (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: First Flight Stable (NY) King Party/The Queen Of England (Condottieri) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 3-2-0-0
Earnings: $115.80
What got him here: Won The Bongard for NY-breds/Earnings
BC Qualifying Position: N/A

He has run exclusively on the turf in all of his three races with two of those races resulting in him being led into the winner’s circle. Unlike Royalty Awaits to his inside he has never run an SRF speed figure below 90 and has shown improvement in each race since his winning debut. He became a stakes winner in his last start when he beat eight others home in The Bongard for NY-breds at Belmont Park. He has never raced beyond six and a half furlongs and will be tested by the mile distance today but he won his last race in the right way and his running style indicates he might relish the added ground. 

9. Luminary
Owner/Trainer: Mb Stables (Prior Wins: 0) – Furious 2020, Ello Santa 2024)
Jockey: R. Santana Jr. (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: Mb Stables (Cal) Exemplary/Lucky Lights (Chase My Tail Lights) (Prior Wins: 1 – Furious 2020)
Record: 6-2-0-1
Earnings: $333.40
What got him here: Won the G2 Borbon
BC Qualifying Position: 2

He won in his second start when he took a MSW at Churchill Downs by open lengths. His subsequent races speak to the high regard the barn held him in as he followed up his initial win by running in the Bashford Manor (third), G2 The SAR Special (ninth) and G1 The Hopeful (fifth). After the two disappointments at Saratoga he was gelded and moved to the grass. The result of those moves was a win in the G2 Bourbon which makes him one of the top contenders in this race. 

10. Average Brian
Owner/Trainer: Mb Stables (Prior Wins: 2) – Furious 2020, Ello Santa 2024)
Jockey: R.M. Hernandez (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: Martyparty (Cal) Cop With Coffee/Brienne The Snake (Snakie) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 4-0-2-1
Earnings: $186.00
What got him here: Second in the G2 Pilgrim
BC Qualifying Position: 6

He draws directly outside of his more accomplished stablemate and although he is still a maiden his results indicate talent and he should not be dismissed out of hand. His two turf races resulted in a half length loss in the KD Juvenile behind The Mighty Bear. His last race was a second to Confidant Moment in the G2 Pilgrim. Great results for a horse picked up for $7.04 at auction back in March.

11. Obi Run Kenobi
Owner/Trainer: The Sidley Stud (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: S.X. Bridgmohan (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: The Sidley Stud (WV) Irn Bru/Tulip (Residency) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-1-1-1
Earnings: $165.36
What got him here: Second in the KD Juvenile
BC Qualifying Position: 17

Since breaking his maiden he has put together a weird bad race, good race, bad race running line that makes it hard to gauge where he is in relation to the rest of this field. His good race was very good. That day he was only a half length in second behind The Mighty Bear in the KD Juvenile. He needs to show that he can duplicate that Kentucky Downs form.

12. N Y P D
Owner/Trainer: Serenity Stables (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: S. Elliott (Prior Wins: 0)
Breeder: Mo Mentum Farm (NY) Great Caviar/Script (Cross Of Lorraine) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 5-2-0-1
Earnings: $185.88
What got him here: Won the G3 With Anticipation
BC Qualifying Position: 7

He won the G3 With Anticipation in September at Saratoga in his turf debut. He followed that win up with a third place in an optional claiming race at Fort Erie. Odd to see a two year old go from a G3 winner to running third for an $18.00 purse. Purchased just two weeks ago for $300.00 he will make his debut for his new barn. Hard to pick him off of his latest race but you can’t ignore the race before that either. 

13. Commanding The Sky
Owner/Trainer: Barcelona Farms (Prior Wins: 3 – Half Moon Bay 2009, Got A Pal 2011, Icicle Dawn 2015)
Jockey: Jam Rodriguez (No wins in this race)
Breeder: Barcelona Farms (Cal) Commanding The Gale/Black Sky (Black Friday) (Prior Wins: 4 – Half Moon Bay 2009, Got A Pal 2011, Icicle Dawn 2015, Ye Charley 2016)
Record: 4-2-0-0
Earnings: $78.30
What got him here: Won the G3 OT Juvenile Turf
BC Qualifying Position: 10

He started his career with two off the board finishes sprinting on the dirt. He was gelded in June and since then he is undefeated in two grass races including winning the G3 OT Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in his last race. Barcelona Farm looks to add to their historical dominance of this race with this homebred who looks sharp coming into this race. Post thirteen with only a furlong into the first turn does not go into the “pros” column though. 

14. Trigger Happy Jack
Owner/Trainer: South Shore Stables (Prior Wins: 0)
Jockey: J.R. Velasquez (Prior Wins: 1 – Hollywood Estrella 2019)
Breeder: South Shore Stables (NY) Dear Mr Fantasy/Got Me Wrong (Proud Chai) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 3-2-1-0
Earnings: $137.60
What got him here: Second in the G2 Bourbon
BC Qualifying Position: 8

Homebred gelding won his debut on the dirt at four and a half furlongs. He then moved to a yielding turf course and won against winners at Belmont Park going a mile and a sixteenth. Stepped up into stakes company looking to extend his undefeated streak to three in his next start but fell a little short finishing second to Luminary in the G2 Bourbon. Obviously talented and versatile but draws on the far outside and will have to use his speed early just to gain a favorable position early. 

AE: Iconic Kitty
Owner/Trainer: Williams9 
Jockey: TBD
Breeder: Pennsville Farm (Cal) Exemplary/American Kitty (Residue) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 2-2-0-0
Earnings: $37.80
What got him here: Undefeated/Earnings/Entered
BC Qualifying Position: N/A

SCRATCHED

AE: Last Call Legend
Owner/Trainer: Williams9
Jockey: TBD
Breeder: Acber Farms (La) Whisky A Go Go/Royetta (Whoa Whoa Whoa) (Prior Wins: 0)
Record: 4-2-0-2
Earnings: $37.20
What got him here: Third in LA Cup Juvenile for LA-breds. Earnings/Entered.
BC Qualifying Position: N/A

Gelding finds himself in his third barn in his short career. He has run well for all three, never having been off the board in all four of his races. He won at first asking and was then auctioned off for $6.01. He won his second race in a $20.00 claiming race and then tried turf for the first time where he just missed making it three for three losing by a nose. The reward for nearly being undefeated – back to the auction block where he was picked up by Williams9 for $5.01. In his first and only start for his new barn he made his stakes debut and gained some black type finishing third in the LA Cup Juvenile restricted to LA-breds. If he makes it into the field he will get a big class test and even though his races to date have been against seemingly lesser competition he has shown up each time to compete well. 

With the short run to the first turn I am guessing that there will be a lot of competition for early positioning resulting in fast early fractions. With that in mind I am looking for contenders who have drawn well that can settle and take advantage of that scenario. Royalty Awaits fits that bill. I think the added distance will suit him perfectly and I like his steadily improving form curve so I will make him the pick. I went back and forth several times between him and Confidant Moment so put him second with Truth Dancer and Luminary behind those two.

Categories: BC 2026, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, THE BREEDERS CUP