BREEDER'S CUP JUVENILE TURF SPRINT

Whether the new Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will be popular among horsemen got a resounding answer when pre-entries were released for the 5 1/2-furlong, $1 million race.

The 28 pre-entries more than doubled the race's maximum field size of 12.


"I just wish it was here sooner," said trainer Wesley Ward, who pre-entered six and has four in the field.

Ward said he would have loved for his trainee Lady Aurelia, the 2016 European champion 2-year-old filly, to run. With nowhere to run her in the United States that fall, Ward left her in Europe—after two wins there—where she finished third in her final start of that campaign.

"She probably would have been undefeated and then champion in two countries," Ward said of what might have been.

Even though Breeders' Cup officials expected the race to overfill—previously it was an undercard race—president and CEO Craig Fravel said the pre-entries were a surprise. 

"We were certainly happy to see that," Fravel said. 

The final field is full at 12, with four also-eligibles. While Breeders' Cup races typically allow 14 runners, the positioning of the starting gate at Churchill Downs for the sprint on turf only allows 12.

Commissioner
Over its 35 years, the Breeders' Cup has tried some races, kept some, abandoned others, or moved them to the undercard—the Marathon (G2) falls into the latter category. Though the Juvenile Sprint on dirt only had two runnings, the Juvenile Turf Sprint appears to be a safe bet for future years.

Fravel said the new race also didn't impact the other 2-year-old races for turf horses. He noted that the Juvenile Sprint cannibalized potential starters from the Sentient Jet Juvenile (G1), but that problem didn't occur with the Juvenile Turf Sprint relative to the Juvenile Turf (G1T) or Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).

The Juvenile Turf Sprint "opens itself up to a bigger pool of horses, because you have all the Europeans that want to run as well, whereas any dirt race kind of restricts it to domestic runners," said Breeders' Cup board member and WinStar Farm CEO Elliott Walden. "What we talked about in the board meeting is that, one, we want the Breeders' Cup to be the world championship—we don't want it to be just an American championship."

Second, Walden said the increasing interest in turf racing in the United States provided another reason to elevate it from the undercard, "so it made sense on a lot of fronts."

Breeders' Cup officials hope the race is graded next year and more prep races are created for it. Ward believes those races will come, which in turn could help Thoroughbred auctions as more turf-pedigree horses can stay on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

"I think in years to come, now that (the Juvenile Turf Sprint is) on the owners' and trainers' minds, it'll be something that they point for," Ward said.

Malibu Moon
Walden said another benefit of the Juvenile Turf Sprint could be adding a sixteenth of a mile to the Juvenile Turf, which is a mile, now that there's a dedicated juvenile turf sprint.

"I think a mile is too short with 14 horses going in that first turn," Walden said, "especially when half the field doesn't go left."

Trainer Peter Miller, who has the top two finishers from last year's Turf Sprint (G1T) back at Churchill Downs for that race in Stormy Liberal and Richard's Boy, along with Conquest Tsunami, likes the addition of the new race.

"I think turf sprints are some of the most exciting races in the country," Miller said. "Australia has a $10 million turf sprint (The Everest). I think the turf sprint is finally getting its due as one of the most exciting races in horse racing."