BC Turf – Grade I
1 1/2 Mile Dirt Graded Stake Purse $5,000.00 Three-Year-Olds And Upward. At KEE
BC Turf looks like another battle amongst the usual marathon gang. Kegger has been remarkable all year and he’s my choice to be crowned King, but Mistborn is so close in second that the Prince has jealous eyes on the crown and, just learning the marathon is the versatile Jerk Pork ready to go deep, stalk or run on the lead, just could be Mordred looking for his chance to steal the crown for his own. But there are so many others; Gold Vault right behind Mistborn last out, last year’s winner Chagrin Falls ready for a rematch, another new to marathons Convincing already with a marathon win in three tries.
Here’s the BC Turf handicap:
Horse Owner Odds SRF
Kegger Ajm Stables *8-5 100
Mistborn Mb Stables 9-5 98
Jerk Pork TwinTowersRacing 2-1 100
Gold Vault The Sidley Stud 4-1 93
Chagrin Falls Mo Mentum Farm 5-1 99
Convincing Diablo Diablo 6-1 102
Reign Supreme Mb Stables 6-1 102
Lunar Artist Nakamura Stables 6-1 103
Tom Kha Gai High Voltage 6-1 101
Fanatical Empire Bigchief Stables 20-1 98
Dangerous Fugitive Night Rider Stables 8-1 101
Charlie Jace Mb Stables 30-1 99
State Cavier Diablo Diablo 10-1 94
Gaelic Commander High Voltage 50-1 95
1 Fanatical Empire Bigchief Stables 98
Recent marathon winner, Fanatical Empire has been occasionally visiting marathons since ’24 when he managed a third in his first encounter with older as a three-year-old in the Grade I Hirsch Turf Classic at AQU. He has been largely absent or unsuccessful until recently when he won his most recent marathon, the Grade III Singspiel Stakes at WO. This could signal a return a return to marathon form, but I’ll need a race for him to prove it… this race.
2 Jerk Pork TwinTowersRacing 100
Jerk Pork is just learning the marathon business and showing himself to be a quick learner with a second in the $2,000.00 Grade II KD Turf Cup at KD last out, his first time at 1 1/2 miles. He was all speed in that race, but on his way up he ran third in the 1 1/4 AP Million as a deep closer. I think with his versatility and newfound ability at marathon distances, he has a great chance here.
3 Gold Vault The Sidley Stud 93
Gold Vault was closest to Mistborn in the Hirsch and third behind him in the KD Turf Cup and is a full-time marathon runner with multiple graded stakes wins on turf marathons giving him a leg up on most of the rest of the field. Gold Vault was a dirt horse for the first 23 races of his life until he tried the turf Niagara Stakes and won. He’s been a turf marathoner ever since.
4 Convincing Diablo Diablo 102
Convincing comes here off a victory in the 1 1/2 mile Grade II Sycamore at KEE. He is new to marathon racing; the Sycamore was only his third marathon, but the three races show how inclined he is to the marathon. His first attempt was at 1 3/8 miles in the $225.00 Chorleywood Stakes at CD where finished a closing fourth and the second race was the 1 3/8 Grade II DMR Handicap. The progress to a win so quickly makes me think he has a clear shot at competing with the old timers.
5 Chagrin Falls Mo Mentum Farm 99
Last year’s BC Turf returning winner Chagrin Falls has had a short year of only five races but with rich results of four places. After his BC victory, he rested until late January when he went to GP to win the $1,000.00 Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf. Late in the year. He ran second in the Grade I Manhattan at SAR, won the Grade II Read Stakes at DMR and ran third in the $2,000.00 Grade III Mint Million. He’s in incredible form for an eight-year-old and a real threat to repeat.
6 Mistborn Mb Stables 98
Winner of three of his last four races, Mistborn won the Grade I Hirsch Turf Classic laughing by three lengths. The Hirsch was as tough as they come and Mistborn waltzed over a rain-reduced field, but don’t take my word for it, ask the ten horses that watched his behind cross the finish line ahead of them in the Gade II DMR Handicap just the race before. From the looks of his current form, he looks one of the best chances at this 1 1/2 miles.
7 Kegger Ajm Stables 100
Kegger has been in remarkable marathon condition recently starting with a second in the Grade II BEL Gold Cup, followed by a second in the Gade II Bowling Green at SAR, then a win in the Grade I Clement Turf also at SAR and another second in the Grade II Sycamore at KEE. All of which should lead to the favourtism of the race.
8 Dangerous Fugitive Night Rider Stables 101
Seven-year-old
Dangerous Fugitive comes here off a spectacular deep close third in the Grade I Pattison Canadian International at WO This venerable old timer is a little inconsistent these days, but he wins enough at this distance to make him dangerous.
Charlie Jace just won the $2,000.00 Grade II KD Turf Cup in his return to turf racing after a long stretch on dirt. Ironically, he won the first turf race of his life when he switched from dirt once before. Unfortunately, his return would have been much more impressive if he had not lost his next race.
10 Gaelic Commander High Voltage 95
Sophomore Gaelic Commander has never gone this far. His shorter races on turf are marvelous. He won the Grade III Transylvania at KEE at 1 1/16 miles, he won the $275.00 Audubon Stakes at CD at 1 1/8 miles and he won the Grade I BEL Derby at 1 1/8 miles. His two big problems are his inexperience with marathon distances, especially the long distance of this race and I think the sophomores are up against it in this race.
11 State Cavier Diablo Diablo 89
State Cavier recently won the Grade II United Nations at MTH. He is remarkably consistent in the money for a seven-year-old. I think the reason he got so far down on my handicap as I rushed through it was the two poor performances after the recent win. I doubt if I had time to work up a proper handicap, he would be anywhere near here.
12 Reign Supreme Mb Stables 102
As a sophomore, Reign Supreme took on older for the first time in the Grade I Pattison Canadian International and ionically ran second to another three-year-old. This was not his first marathon, though, as he had just the race before won the 1 5/16 mile Grade II Nashville Derby. I think the sophomores are up against it in this race. Of all the horses that came out of the Pattison, I think this one has the best chance here because of his versatility.
13 Lunar Artist Nakamura Stables 101
Lunar Artist, a sophomore, comes here off his first marathon, the Grade I Pattison Canadian International, which he won. Now, this could be something very special since he won his first 1 1/2 mile turf race, he may turn out to be a monster. Unfortunately, we need to wait at least one race to find out, and this is that race, and I think the sophomores are up against it in this race.
14 Tom Kha Gai High Voltage 101Tom Kha Gai is an interesting sort, at six years old, he has only occasionally visited marathons during his lifetime. His first was an encouraging third way back in ’24 in the Grade III Sycamore at KEE. His first win came in May 2025 in the Grade III San Luis Rey Stakes at SA. After a long absence, he has recently returned to marathon racing with a narrow loss second in the Grade I Clement Turf at SAR and a one-length beat down fourth in the Grade I Pattison Canadian International at WO.
Categories: BC 2026, THE BREEDERS CUP
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