BC Juvenile Turf – Grade I
KEE Race #8 1m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $1,000.000 For Colts And Geldings Two Years Old.

Barcelona Farms took the only other running of the Juvenile Turf at this track with Icicle Dawn who only managed two more wins. This race has tended to be a bit of a graveyard for juveniles mainly because only a select few can get themselves qualified in the relatively short period of time they have and many of the better turf three year olds haven’t appeared on the scene yet. The exception to that is probably Siberian Prince who at five took the Eddie D in September.
Barcelona Farms has a fine record here with three wins and again surprisingly we don’t see Mb Stables on the winners list. The best winning time for this race was 1.33.1 back in 2014 and in general the race is won in the low 1.33’s so the ability of a two year old to run that fast over a mile at this stage of its career is a big thing to look for.

Here is how this field of turfers looks for the 2020 Juvenile Turf:

1 – Rename 1605

Owned by Aer Stables, bred by Jediminds Stables

By O Ke Kanaka Kaua out of Secrete

Form: 221023

His first three races were in dirt sprints and he did well to win the last one in a big ticket CD maiden. With his maiden win out of the way he switched straight to turf routing where he has run three nice races including a huge run for third in the Pilgrim last time. He looks held on his fifth in the El Joven Stakes behind Pollards Vision and then his second in the OT Juvenile Turf to Invalidate but in both cases he had a tough draw so a case could be made ti turn the tables. He was wide again in the Pilgrim last time when he flew home with Joker On Jack from a wide draw to be third under a length from Pollards Vision so considering his draw misfortune has actually performed very well. Today the tables are turned and he goes in the ace draw for a trainer that has had massive success with their juveniles in the past couple of seasons, definitely worth a look.

2 – Dream State

Owned by Mb Stables, bred by Mb Stables

By No Doubt About It out of Hello Helen

Form: 1221

Started life in a $10 FP maiden and was then beaten in two small allowance races before showing a huge improvement to win the Zuma Beach Stakes over a mile from a wide gate. There is really nothing more to recommend him than that win and the fact that like so many Mb Stables horses he seems to be able to work like the wind. He was twelfth in the rankings coming into this race and gets the coveted two gate which certainly bumps him up the order a bit. A winning chance on draw and works and that last bit of form.

3 – Joker On Jack

Owned by Alydar Stables, bred by Alydar Stables

Form: 04142

Won his maiden on dirt and didn’t switch to the turf until his last start in the Pilgrim. Drawn wide and with no turf form he started at over 100/1 but there is no such thing as an outsider at HRP and he flew home from the back to be second beaten just a half length by Pollards Vision. The leader got a big enough break on him that day but he was gaining as they hit the line and it has to be said that he looked a little unlucky. A strong work on the turf on this track confirms that he is more of a turf type and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him run well at long odds again.

4 – Furious

Owned by Mb Stables and bred by Mb Stables

By Fire N Fury out of Nereid

Form:034142

He was having a tough time in maidens until he was gelded and switched to the turf. We wont know which it was which suddenly improved him, it may have been both, but in his fourth start he sauntered home in a big ticket SAR Maiden. After that win he has been kept to the grass and when he was tried for the first time over ground he ran a nose second to his stable companion Evergreen in The Summer Stakes. He was finishing strongly that day and only just failed so you can atleast give him the same chance as Evergreen. There has been some improvement in works which are very solid so he has to be considered a strong chance for a stable that always packs these BC races with talent.

5 – Spankersville

Owned by The Sidley Stud, bred by The Sidley Stud

By Ginger Haggis out of Speedy Game

Form: 403323

Could a maiden win the Juvenile Turf?
Though this colt hasn’t won a race yet he gets into the field with a sneaky chance and it would be a great story if this son of Ginger Haggis could create a bit of BC history. Placed four times in stakes company he was only a length behind Abominable when third in The Cup and Saucer Stakes last time and was running on nicely. Who knows with this decent draw we could be seeing something we haven’t seen before.

6 – San Diego Fire

Owned by First Street Stables, bred by First Street Stables

By Point Of Entry out of El Gran Sarah

Form: 00211

This one has improved with every race so whilst his form isn’t up to some of these his last work and that upward arrow make him a bit of a dark horse. He really was nothing to write home about until his last win in The Armed Forces where he beat his rival Spankersville by just under a length. He went hard in the lead that day and managed to last home and his on pace running style could well be an advantage if the pace isn’t too contested. A roughy but a chance.

7 – Evergreen

Owned by Mb Stables and bred by Mb Stables

By Centrepiece out of Calm and Collected

Form: 01201

After four efforts on the dirt it was decided to turn the attention to the turf for this colt. He had done pretty well on dirt winning a decent maiden before running second in the FL Sire Stakes – Fager but then came across a wet track and was disappointing in the FL Sires Stakes – Affirmed. The switch to turf didn’t look like it was a specific plan, more of a ‘lets see’ sort of thing and he came up trumps in the grade one Summer Stakes beating Furious by a nose at long odds. It is clear this one has ability but he doesn’t scream ‘natural turfer’ to me and whilst his win in the Summer will make him among the favorites for this he did run from a nice draw and get a decent trip in that race. A winning chance but not a stand out one.

8 – Mahogany Storm

Owned by Smokey Stover and bred by Smokey Stover

By Good Authority out of Hawaiian Pirate

Form: 2143

Won a nice sprint maiden on the dirt and was then switched to a turf route for his allowance in which he put up a pretty ordinary performance to finish a well beaten fourth. Something either developmentally happened between the 5th September and the 4th October or the wide draw and a stronger early pace coupled with a tweak of instructions made the difference because he then came out in the Bourbon where he stormed home late to beat Valid Point by a half length. We wont know until today what made the difference that saw him run the same race time but improve three and a half lengths with four pounds more on his back. Whatever the reason he is working good turf times and clearly if things go his way has a potent turn of foot. Another winning chance of circumstances prevail.

9 – Rouge Wave

Owned by Sir Daniel Martin, bred by Bbb Racing

By Rogue Lawyer out of First Wave

Form: 0243110

Another that seemed to improve after being gelded he broke his maiden at the fifth attempt when scoring in a big ticket SAR maiden over the mile. With a complete reversal of running style he went from front runner to closer in the With Anticipation and scored an impressive win with a huge late run. I was very impressed with that win and therefore surprised to see him back to five and a half furlongs in his next start and not surprisingly he couldn’t muster the pace to win by ran very well closing hard to get within a length of the winner. This trainer has had success in this race before and i rather like their chances of a repeat here.

10 – Extremo

Owned by Acber Farms, bred by Acber Farms

By Amazing Class out of Hooter

Form: 0123

Won his maiden on dirt and then ran like a router when second in the Soaring Free Stakes over six and a half furlongs. A wide draw greeted him in the Summer Stakes in his last start and after being taken well back he flew home to be in the photo finish ending up third beaten two noses. That was a huge effort and you have to give him a very similar chance to the first two and could even argue that he had the most to overcome and actually ran the best race. Sadly of course he has to do it again today but if he gets the breaks he could well find a way through late.

11- Brutal Return

Owned by Estero Farms, bred by Estero Farms

By Brutal out of Book Return

Form: 3102

He was gelded after his maiden win in his second race but after stalking the pace was a little disappointing in the Sanford next out and was sent to the paddocks for a while so the trainer could assess him. That assessment was not only thorough but it brought a great improvement as the horse switched completely to turf routing from dirt sprinting and looked like a different horse. Again traveling close to the pace he battled on really gamely to be second under a length off the winner in the With Anticipation. Now that still isn’t the best form in the race but it represented such an improvement that you have to expect there is more to come.  The works are good enough but the draw tricky and whilst he can’t be ruled out it is hard to get overly enthusiastic.

12 – Invalidate

Owned by Barcelona Farms, bred by Team 7 Illusions

By Coco out of She is Diabolical

Form: 0113

The trainer has a great record in this race so this entry cannot be treated lightly. After two impressive wins over the mile he went to the Bourbon and ran a very nice race to be third after making the running. If he can get a sit just behind the pace as he did when taking the OT Juvenile Turf he could be a lively hope for the trainers unprecedented fourth win in the race.

13 – Marty McFly

Owned by Greeko Holdem, bred by Greeko Holdem

By Growl out of Inconvenient

Form: 021230

Has been very consistent and it must be noted that he is working better than his form at the moment suggesting that maybe he hasn’t had the luck of some in his lead up races. Drawn wide and second in the El Joven Stakes splitting Pollards Vision and Spankersville he then found a wide draw again in the With Anticipation where he was third behind Rouge Wave and Brutal Return. He got a better draw in the Pilgrim last time but again got well back only to fly home too late to end up a length back in fifth. That running style will need some luck in this race especially from this draw but if the trainer can come up with the right combination of clicks to get him a clearer run or indeed he gets the breaks when he needs them there is no reason why he can’t be in at the finish.

14 – Pollards Vision

Owned by La Canada Racehorses, bred by Fractious

By Pinkman out of Had A Vision

Form: 22111

This one has an impressive and progressive record and certainly looks the type to do well today. He took a couple of seconds on the way to his maiden success but once that was secured was taken to the turf and that proved to be his making. A strong winner of the El Joven Stakes he then, in his last start, took on the grade two Pilgrim where he made all from a mid gate to beat Joker On Jack by a half length. That was a very strong win and by the looks of his works he has kept on improving suggesting his odds will be less than his last two wins which accumulated to nearly 300/1 with the bookies.
The outside draw of course is a huge punch in the stomach for his trainer but he likes being on the speed and if they don’t try and race him early and he can get to the front without expending too much energy then just maybe he can still do it.

AE Cherokee Falcon

Owned and bred by Chili King Stables

By Cherokee Scope out of Atlanta

Form 0312

The chances are he wont get a run but if he does he is not the worst. His last two good runs were both from perfect draws so i am not sure from the wide gate he will find a way home even if he does get a start.

Summary

It never ceases to amaze me how breeding works or doesn’t work at HRP when i look at these big two year old races and see such a wide range of sires and mares with such a range of success and failure. Every year the sires and mares change with little or no correlation to the year before but if nothing else it does give hope to those smaller operations that can still manage to breed themselves a BC runner even if they don’t go with the hype of the top stallions. I am not one to discuss breeding and i do realize the bigger operations and star stallions do turn out a much higher percentage of winners but i still like the fact that the smaller and less well known players and their equine charges can still breed a good one.
I tend to concentrate on form for these races but even that can look like a muddy picture in these juvenile races, especially when it comes to turf. So how are we going to find the winner of this race? Well its about assessing how a horse ran taking into consideration its draw, the race pace and the trip it got in its previous races. Once that is assessed we must try and work out how this race will go, will it be fast, slow, will it suit the speed horses or will it suit the closer’s. You will have your own idea’s but after a good look over these runners i am thinking along the lines of Joker On Jack, Rouge Wave and Mahogany Storm. Evergreen could also come into it and if the race engine plays the game i still like Pollards Vision to run a race.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES