Horse-by-horse-guide: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

By Peter Fornatale

The Breeders’ Cup kicks on with the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint and it’s a race where the Internationals holds a very strong hand, having won it three years running. From 2019 to 2022, it was won by a Wes Ward trainee. That dichotomy looks very much in play this year once again with the top spots in the market held by Europeans and Ward. But there are some other possibilities here as well.  

Let’s go through this race – and all 14 Breeders’ Cup races – horse-by-horse.  

#1 BRUSSELS  

Jockey: Christophe Soumillion | Trainer: Aidan O’Brien  

He’s been building a good record sprinting and his second to Wise Approach in the Group 1 Middle Park isn’t far off the very best form on offer here. Perhaps a tad disappointing to get beaten in the Cornwallis last time out dropped back to five furlongs for the first time, but he raced on his own and was rallying back on the winner near the line. He clearly has no issue with the minimum trip and is getting better with every run, so not impossible that he can step forward again and find the required improvement. It will be interesting to see if they just gun for the lead from the inside draw.

#2 MILITARY CODE  

William Buick | Charlie Appelby  

Homebred son of Wooton Bassett improved mightily last time at York to just lose to a good rival in Revival Power, who has won since. Both efforts at Group level have been disappointing but I don’t think that necessarily matters. The last race fits well on the clock and he’s been off 69 days, maybe you can even bake in some age-related improvement. There’s no one better than Appelby when it comes to picking the horses who will excel under North American racing conditions and that means he has a huge shot.  

#3 ROYAL TESTAMENT  

Flavien Prat | George Weaver  

Back-to-back winner following a sixth-place finish in a Listed stakes on debut. She took in the Grade 3 Matron last time out and ran well to finish second, tracking the pace from mid-pack and staying on late over six furlongs. I’m not convinced that she wants to drop back to this distance and she looks the stable’s second string behind Lennilu, who she was behind on debut and is five points behind on best Beyers (speed figures).  

#4 ASPECT ISLAND  

Frankie Dettori | James Owen  

Improving sort who made all to win by a wide margin in a nursery at Yarmouth on soft two back and then delivered a fine third in the Group 3 Cornwallis next time out when massively up in class. Clearly going the right way for a shrewd yard, but I’m not sure he has shown the pace to win a race of this nature just yet.  

#5 OBLITERATION  

Jose Ortiz | Steve Asmussen  

Earned a huge figure when winning the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes on dirt, running a 91 Beyer and winning by 10.5 lengths having also impressed on the clock on debut. Very disappointing at short odds next time out in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special when only able to finish second to Ewing, and maybe he recoiled off that big number. I’m happy to forgive that run but the fact of the matter is that he just hasn’t been anywhere near that Sanford number in two starts on turf since, finishing second twice and running mid 70s numbers both times. He should be happier back on dirt, which this obviously isn’t, and it’s hard to see him figuring here.  

#6 INTRICATE SPIRIT  

Joel Rosario | Miguel Clement  

Sole defeat was to Street Beast who runs in the Juvenile Turf and bolted up on his next start in a fast time. Intricate Spirit has won again since himself, taking the Grade 3 Futurity Stakes at Belmont when he went plenty fast enough, zipping through a 21-second opening quarter and a 43-second half mile, and still running on well at the line. An 82 Beyer reads well in the circumstances as he didn’t race efficiently there and he keeps improving, although I think he’ll need a bit more to hold off the closing kicks of superior rivals he will face here.  

#7 MISSION CENTRAL  

Dylan Brown-McMonagle | Aidan O’Brien  

Has improved beyond all recognition since being gelded – well backed on debut as though ability was always there – and bolted up in the Group 3 Round Tower despite racing into the wind. I don’t think things really went right for him went dropped the five furlongs at Doncaster and he proved that run all wrong on Champions Day when cruising through the inaugural two-year-old race on the card, winning with plenty in hand. He needs a little more improvement on the bare form of that effort but he strikes me very much as a horse that’ll love winging around Del Mar off a fast pace.  

#8 HAVANA ANNA  

Gavin Ryan | Donnacha O’Brien  

Improving filly who has been unlucky not to win more than two races. Got off the mark at third asking when taking a maiden and stepped up to stakes level with aplomb next time out, dispatching a subsequent dual Listed winner by 3.5 lengths in a fast time. She was only just touched off by Afjan on soft ground in France next time and recorded a career best returned to six furlongs in the Group 1 Cheveley Park on her most recent outing. She gave True Love a real race there and the pair pulled clear of a 111-rated rival, while shaping as though the drop to five furlongs would perhaps suit her better than her conqueror. That form looks the best on offer when you consider she’ll be getting a weight allowance.  

#9 TRUE LOVE  

Christophe Soumillon | Aidan O’Brien  

Looked the stable’s best juvenile filly when bolting up in the Queen Mary having been very well backed and was imperious in the Railway Stakes next time out. Reported to be lame when beaten in Group 1 company in the Phoenix Stakes next time but bounced back to winning ways in the Cheveley Park last time out, with good money coming for her late. Was strongest at the line over further there but I feel that she was maybe not quite at maximum fitness and that she can step forward again. She also already has a verdict over Lennilu, who is amongst the best of the home team, so there’s plenty to like about her, but she also could find this test a little sharp and is well found in the market.  

#10 CY FAIR  

Irad Ortiz, Jr. | George Weaver  

Showed strong promise in a maiden and Listed stake at Saratoga before he headed north to take in the Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine. Initially prominent following a good break, he was shuffled back to last early on but was full of run at the top of the lane and found a devastating kick when asked for his effort on the wide outside by Civaci. Career Beyers of 80-82-82 are impressively consistent and we know he has a strong kick off a fast pace, which he will almost certainly get here.  

#11 SCHWARZENEGGER  

John Velazquez | Wesley Ward  

As you’d expect from this stable, this horse is fast. On both starts he’s gone through a quarter in 21 seconds and a half in 44 seconds, getting nailed on debut when looking all over the winner but holding on last time out in the Indian Summer. Ran a 77 Beyer on both starts which is quite a bit below the best in this field. Will look to say hasta la vista to this field from the get-go and dropping back half-a-furlong and moving to a sharper track is probably a bigger deal for this horse than it normally would be. The wide draw will make his assignment tricky.  

#12 LENNILU  

Luis Saez | Patrick Biancone  

Very interesting member of the home team. Winner of her first two starts, she ran a blinding race in the Queen Mary Stakes when just behind True Love, rallying very well when headed. She’s had two runs since back in the US, the first of which saw her scramble home on dirt off a break which probably wasn’t her bag. She is better than that and proved it next time out in the Hollywood Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park. She showed good tactical speed to overcome a wide draw to sit handy and always moved well off furious early fractions, inhaling the front-runner and never troubled afterwards. The 82 Beyer she ran there is very good and I think she can go faster if needed, and we know she’s not far off the best Euros in here on that Royal Ascot run.

#13 LATER THAN PLANNED

Umberto Rispoli | Philip D'Amato

First on the also-eligible list. Shaped with promise on debut in Ireland before getting off the mark over a mile at Del Mar on first start for the yard. Struggled in a Grade 3 over that distance next time out but seemed to enjoy cutting back to five furlongs next time out in the Speakeasy. Deep closing sort should get the race run to suit but Beyers need a big jump up.

#14 SHOULD'VE

Joel Rosario | Wesley Ward

Impressive speed on debut to win over an extended six furlongs at Kentucky Downs and didn't run at all badly in the Matron when stumbling at the start. Showed plenty of speed there before being nabbed late on and should be just as effective over this trip, if not more so. Could go well at big odds should the fates oblige and she draws in.

#15 BOBROVSKY

Junior Alvarado | Dale Romans

Finished in a heap with several of these and those type of blanket finishes often indicate a race where the form isn't great. He looked a contender for this after the stalk and pounce win the Skidmore in a fast-paced affair. But much more is going to be required.

#16 ROGUE LEGEND

Flavien Prat | Wes Ward

Another one who was part of that crowded finish in the Indian Summer. Very hard to build a case for all in all but did show plenty of promise back at the Royal meeting when dead-heating for third in the Windsor Castle.

#17 BACIO

Frankie Dettori | Wes Ward

Very unlikely to compete. Was run down by Later Than Planned in the Speakeasy and hard to see him reversing that form.