If a North American-bred wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T), it may be via Japan. Eight of the original 12 pre-entries to the five-furlong grass event for 2-year-olds are from Europe, while the seven on the also-eligible list race in North America.
Breeders' Cup announced Oct. 24 on X that European Celandine was out, moving Gate to Wire from the also-eligible list into the main body of the race.
The Japanese entrant, Ecoro Sieg, is a North American-bred son of Twirling Candy . The colt could sport the most unusual path to a win in the race, which is having only its seventh running.
Bred in Kentucky by Caldara Farm and William R. Hilliard Jr., Ecoro Sieg sold to Japanese interests for $250,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. He has been sensational in two starts in Japan, which included the Canna Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse. His 1:07.2 for 1,200 meters in that race broke a 23-year-old course record and was the fastest time at the distance for a 2-year-old in Japan Racing Association history.
The European contingent brings both quantity and quality. Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who has won 18 Breeders' Cup races, but not the Juvenile Turf Sprint, has pre-entered Whistlejacket and Ides of March.
Whistlejacket earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In berth when he won the Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville. In seven starts, he has three wins, three seconds, and one fourth, all at sprint distances.
Ides of March is coming off back-to-back victories at The Curragh. He broke his maiden by three lengths in his third start and then added the Round Tower Stakes (G3) by 3 1/4 lengths.
Kentucky-bred Shareholder is the other European-raced runner who earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series berth, with a length win in the Norfolk Stakes (G2). Whistleblower finished fourth in the Norfolk and then won the Prix Morny while Shareholder was eased over soft ground.
Trainer Michael Appleby won last year's Juvenile Turf Sprint with Big Evs, who is slated to return this year in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). Appleby has Big Mojo in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, owned by RP Racing, which also owns Big Evs.
Big Mojo in four starts has won the Molecomeb Stakes (G3) at Goodwood. Most recently, he finished second by a neck to Aesterius in the Flying Childers Stakes (G2) at Doncaster after beating that rival in the Molecomb.
Aesterius, trained by Archie Watson, has also been pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. A winner in four of six starts, Aesterius won the Prix d'Arenberg (G3) at Longchamp 12 days before the Flying Childers.
The four United States-raced horses now in the main body of the field come from the barns of Todd Pletcher (Mentee and Gate to Wire), George Weaver (Governor Sam), and Mike Maker (Out On Bail).
Mentee, who has first preference in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth to the Juvenile Turf Sprint in the six-furlong Futurity Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack, his turf debut. Gate to Wire ran second. Mentee is a full brother to 2023 champion 2-year-old male Fierceness, who is pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
Governor Sam defeated Out On Bail by a neck in the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland over 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. Governor Sam sports a four-race winning streak, including three consecutive stakes victories, all on turf. Out On Bail has won two of six races, including the Skidmore Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Saratoga Race Course.
Del Mar, Friday, November 1, 2024, Race 6Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Out On Bail (NY) Luis Saez 122 Michael J. Maker 20/1 2 2Aesterius (IRE) James Doyle 122 Archie Watson 9/2 3 3Big Mojo (IRE) Tom Marquand 122 Michael Appleby 4/1 4 4Magnum Force (IRE) Colin Keane 122 Ger Lyons 15/1 5 5Arizona Blaze (GB) Umberto Rispoli 122 ADRIAN MURRAY 15/1 6 6Jet Sweep Joe (KY) Billy Loughnane 122 Paul McEntee 30/1 7 7Whistlejacket (IRE) Ryan L. Moore 122 Aidan P. O'Brien 5/1 8 8Ecoro Sieg (KY) Christophe Lemaire 122 Hideyuki Mori 7/2 9 9Shareholder (KY) William Buick 122 Karl Burke 12/1 10 10Governor Sam (KY) Paco Lopez 122 George Weaver 12/1 11 11Gate to Wire (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Todd A. Pletcher 30/1 12 12Ides of March (IRE) Lanfranco Dettori 122 Aidan P. O'Brien 8/1 13 13Pali Kitten (KY) Kazushi Kimura 122 Doug F. O'Neill 20/1 14 14Smash It (LA) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Todd W. Fincher 20/1
