Images courtesy Breeders’ Cup / Eclipse Sportswire
Courtesy of TDN America
Huge upset in Juvenile
Storm The Court (USA) (Court Vision {USA}) a big outsider having most recently finished third to Eight Rings (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) in the G1 American Pharoah S., seized the early lead when heavy favourite Dennis’ Moment (USA) (Tiznow {USA}) went to his knees at the start and led home a shocking parade of longshots at 45-1.
Storm The Court (USA) (inside), on the way to victory
The winner, the longest price in G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile history, stopped the clock in 1:44.93. His sire Court Vision upended the 2011 GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at 65-1. Dennis’ Moment never recovered from his poor beginning, and Eight Rings faded after pressing the pace.
“It’s just so special to do this for this for Exline-Border, they’ve been so supportive through the years,” said winning trainer Peter Eurton, who also upset the 2016 G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at 33-1 with Champagne Room (USA). “It just means a lot–my family, my daughter, my wife, my home.”
Storm the Court brought US$60,000 from bloodstock agent Marette Farrell as an OBS April juvenile. He was pinhooked by Bryan and Holley Rice, who purchased him for US$5,000 as a Fasig-Tipton February yearling.
British Idiom remains unbeaten
In a race that didn’t deserve a loser, British Idiom (USA) (Flashback {USA}) slugged her way past the ultra-game Donna Veloce (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) by a determined neck to remain unbeaten in dramatic fashion in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
British Idiom (USA)
Like last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine Monomoy Girl (USA) (Tapizar {USA}), British Idiom is campaigned in partnership by owners Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group of Stuart Grant, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso’s Bethlehem Stables and is trained by Brad Cox.
“She’s a really good filly and this was a great race,” Cox said. “We were fortunate to come out on top. Javier [Castellano] did a great job. I’m not so sure she liked the racetrack. It looked like she was struggling a bit to me down the backside. She was ready to go today. She’s been touting us the last few weeks and I’m very proud of her.”
British Idiom was purchased at Fasig-Tipton October for US$40,000 (AU$57,863) by Liz Crow.
Structor impresses
Structor (USA) (Palace Malice {USA}), off as the 5-1 third-choice, stayed out of trouble and came rolling late between horses to remain unbeaten in a roughly run renewal of Friday’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.
“He’s just improving so much every week, this horse,” said trainer Chad Brown. “We’ve always thought a lot of him and he’s come in here and has been improving week to week. His last race was very impressive to me. We thought he was sitting on another good race. My staff did a great job bringing this horse along. I’m going to try this horse on dirt at some point. He trains very well on it. He deserves it and he’s got the right running style to potentially run on both surfaces. He’s a class horse. Jose Ortiz did a terrific job.”
Structor becomes the first Group 1 winner for first season sire Palace Malice. He was the most expensive of 36 juveniles sold by the G1 Belmont S. winner in 2019 when bringing US$850,000 (AU$1,230,244) from bloodstock agent Mike Ryan on behalf of Drown and Rachel at OBS March. Structor is the first foal out of the winning mare Miss Always Ready (USA), a full-sister to 2010 G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}).
Motion on top again
Sharing (USA) (Speightstown {USA}), a daughter of G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Shared Account (USA), wrote her own Breeders’ Cup legacy at Santa Anita, kicking clear late to upset the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Sharing (USA)
The victory held unique significance for trainer Graham Motion, who conditioned Shared Account to victory in the 2010 F/M Turf at Churchill. “It’s amazing. Her mother was really the most special filly I’ve trained,” Motion said. “I mean I’ve had some really nice fillies, but she was very special. It’s so hard to win these races. Just to get here, it’s really surreal to be honest.”
Daahyeh (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), a narrow favourite, finished well to tag American Pharoah's (USA) Sweet Melania (USA) for second on the wire.
BC winner for Pharoah
It didn’t take long for superstar freshman sire American Pharoah (USA) to get his first Breeders’ Cup winner, as Breeze Easy’s Four Wheel Drive (USA) broke sharply and went all the way in the G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
“He’s a very, very talented colt,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “He’s done nothing wrong so far, he’s three for three, he’s got a big, big future next year as a 3-year-old. We’re all real excited. It’s always nervous jitters when you’re coming through here trying to get something done, and to actually do it with an American Pharoah–everybody’s got such high expectations for him, and to get it done on the big stage like this in the Breeders’ Cup is just unbelievable.”
As for what’s next for his undefeated pupil, Ward said, “Obviously, for me, it’s well known that I try to go to Royal Ascot, and this colt certainly would be one of the favorites next year to do that as we sit today. He’s done a lot in a short amount of time. I think he deserves a little bit of a break, a little bit of a letdown and then push forward. But what he’s doing right now, being a turf sprinter, there’s not a lot until the springtime.”
