Since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf became a grade 1 in 2011, four years after its inaugural running, trainers Aidan O'Brien, Charlie Appleby, and Chad Brown have combined to win 10 of the 13 renewals.
O'Brien leads the way with six victories, most recently with Unquestionable in 2023 and Victoria Road in 2022; Appleby has three winners, with the latest being Modern Games in a wagering-snafued running at Del Mar in 2021; and Brown struck in 2019 with Structor.
All three trainers will have opportunities to add to those tallies when they run stakes-winning 2-year-olds Nov. 1 in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar. Appleby, who trains privately for Godolphin, runs a pair in Al Qudra and Aomori City, O'Brien has Henri Matisse, and Brown starts Zulu Kingdom. Al Qudra and Zulu Kingdom seemed drew best of these posts 4 and 5, respectively, while Aomori City (post 12) and Henri Matisse (post 13) are more apt to lose ground from their starting positions, owing to a short dash to the first of two turns.
Zulu Kingdom, a bay son of Ten Sovereigns owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Bill Strauss, and Michael Caruso, has the snazziest record of the quintet, unbeaten in three starts. Imported to the United States from France after a June 4 debut victory at Saint Cloud, he has since scored a pair of victories in New York for Brown. He took the Aug. 29 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course, followed by the Sept. 28 Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
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"This horse was sent over to me early in the summer, and he came in really fine condition," Brown said during an Oct. 23 media teleconference. "He blended into our program beautifully. And in his two starts, as you've seen, he's worked out nice, cozy trips, but he settled nice again, like an experienced horse with a lot of maturity. "
Al Qudra, a son of No Nay Never, also has experience in North America as the runner-up in the Sept. 14 Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine after winning two of five starts in England.
"He's stayed in America since that run and has done very well since," Appleby said in a social media post from Godolphin on X. "So he obviously goes into the Breeders' Cup there on Friday with race experience to hand and a good level of form as well."
Aomori City—fourth last out in the Sept. 15 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (G1) at The Curragh in Ireland, three lengths behind runner-up Henri Matisse—previously won two of three starts in England, including the Vintage Stakes (G2).
Appleby described him as having "good, solid form" and added, "We always felt that he's a horse that is neat and he's traveled strongly."
As for Henri Matisse, O'Brien aims for a bounce-back performance after the Wootton Bassett colt underperformed over soft turf and when adding blinkers in his last start when a fifth in the Oct. 6 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at Longchamp. That race followed his runner-up finish in the National Stakes, which had been preceded by three victories in as many starts in Ireland for owners Merriebelle Stable, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier.
O'Brien said Henri Matisse "backed out of it" after encountering early trouble at Longchamp, noting the colt has shown immaturity at times.
"We're going to leave the blinkers off him, and hopefully what he would have learned in France will stand him in good stead for the Breeders' Cup," O'Brien said.
Among other entrants, the Andrew Balding-trained Summer Stakes winner New Century is a leading challenger, pegged as the 5/2 favorite, breaking from post 11.
OFFICIAL: Post Positions for the $1 Million #BreedersCup Juvenile Turf at @delmarracing on #FutureStarsFriday. #BC24 @roodandriddle
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Del Mar, Friday, November 1, 2024, Race 10Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Satono Carnaval (JPN) Rachel King 122 Noriyuki Hori 20/1 2 2Dream On (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Mark E. Casse 20/1 3 3Noble Confessor (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1 4 4Al Qudra (IRE) James Doyle 122 Charles Appleby 4/1 5 5Zulu Kingdom (IRE) Flavien Prat 122 Chad C. Brown 8/1 6 6Iron Man Cal (KY) Antonio Fresu 122 Philip D'Amato 30/1 7 7Seagulls Eleven (IRE) Luis Saez 122 Hugo Palmer 15/1 8 8Minaret Station (KY) Cristian A. Torres 122 William Walden 30/1 9 9The Waco Kid (IRE) Tom Marquand 122 Hugo Palmer 20/1 10 10Mentee (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1 11 11New Century (GB) Oisin Murphy 122 Andrew Balding 5/2 12 12Aomori City (FR) William Buick 122 Charles Appleby 10/1 13 13Henri Matisse (IRE) Ryan L. Moore 122 Aidan P. O'Brien 6/1 14 14Tenacious Leader (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1 15 15Sabertooth (MD) Kazushi Kimura 122 Tim Yakteen 30/1 16 16Kale's Angel (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Peter Miller 30/1
