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Brown's Zulu Kingdom Battles Europeans in Juvenile Turf

Appleby runs a pair for Godolphin in Al Qudra and Aomori City.

Zulu Kingdom rallies to victory in the Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack

Zulu Kingdom rallies to victory in the Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack

Coglianese Photos/Walter Wlodarczyk

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

Video

"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.

Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T)

Del Mar, Friday, November 1, 2024, Race 10

  • Grade IT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $1,000,000
  • 2 yo Colts and Geldings
  • 5:25 PM (local)
PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainerM/L
11Satono Carnaval (JPN)Rachel King122Noriyuki Hori20/1
22Dream On (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateJose L. Ortiz122Mark E. Casse20/1
33Noble Confessor (KY)Tyler Gaffalione122Todd A. Pletcher15/1
44Al Qudra (IRE)James Doyle122Charles Appleby4/1
55Zulu Kingdom (IRE)Flavien Prat122Chad C. Brown8/1
66Iron Man Cal (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateAntonio Fresu122Philip D'Amato30/1
77Seagulls Eleven (IRE)Luis Saez122Hugo Palmer15/1
88Minaret Station (KY)Cristian A. Torres122William Walden30/1
99The Waco Kid (IRE)Tom Marquand122Hugo Palmer20/1
1010Mentee (KY)John R. Velazquez122Todd A. Pletcher15/1
1111New Century (GB)Oisin Murphy122Andrew Balding5/2
1212Aomori City (FR)William Buick122Charles Appleby10/1
1313Henri Matisse (IRE)Ryan L. Moore122Aidan P. O'Brien6/1
1414Tenacious Leader (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateIrad Ortiz, Jr.122Todd A. Pletcher15/1
1515Sabertooth (MD)Kazushi Kimura122Tim Yakteen30/1
1616Kale's Angel (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduatePaco Lopez122Peter Miller30/1