Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31
2-Year-Old Report
Friday, October 30
$1 Million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Grade I)
$1 Million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade I)
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
2-Year-Old Colts & Geldings
2-Year-Old Fillies
1 Mile (Turf)
1 Mile (Turf)
Contact Notes Team (859) 250-0358
Alice Springs – See European Report
Birchwood – See European Report
Cymric – See European Report
Hollywood Don – Rockingham Ranch’s stakes-winning Hollywood Don comes into the
$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf off a third-place finish in his first dirt attempt in the
FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita and has trainer Peter Miller confident a return to turf will aide
the son of Tapit’s return to the winner’s circle.
A winner of the Del Mar Juvenile Turf two starts back on Sept. 5, he will be Miller’s sole
Breeders’ Cup contestant after the defection of Appealing Tale this week from the Dirt Mile.
“I feel really good about him. He’s sound and training really well,” Miller said. “He
shipped well and feels good. I probably would have preferred a little better post, but I think he
has tactical speed to get a position. He has the best figures of the American horses, at least on
Ragozins, but the Euros are always tough.”
Joel Rosario picks up the mount from Brice Blanc, who was aboard for his quartet of
career starts. The pair break from post 11.
“I have won a lot of races with Joel and (agent) Ron Anderson and I go back a long way,”
Miller said. “(Rosario’s) familiarity with Keeneland is also a good thing. It just made sense.”
Illuminate – See European Report
Sapphire Kitten – Trainer Joe Sharp, who just entered his second year as a head trainer,
will saddle his first Breeders’ Cup starter on Friday in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. The Kenneth and
Sarah Ramsey-bred homebred daughter of Kitten’s Joy left Barn 68 and had an easy gallop on
the main track under assistant trainer Dustin Dugas.
“It’s great and a dream come true for me,” Sharp said. “We exceeded our expectations
this year and even though it’s bittersweet because we lost Shore Runner earlier this meet and
thought he could win the Turf Sprint, hopefully (Sapphire Kitten) will get it done for us.
“She’s doing fantastic,” he continued. “I think she’s really getting good at the right time.
She’s lightly campaigned, which is a huge advantage moving forward. The Kitten’s Joys are
usually tough and the horse who beat us had already gone two turns.”
Last out, in only her second start, Sapphire Kitten was a closing second in the Jessamine
at Keeneland on Oct. 7. Harmonize, the morning-line favorite for the Juvenile Fillies Turf,
defeated her that day. Julien Leparoux returns to the saddle when he and Sapphire Kitten break
from post seven.
“Julien rides this turf really well and he rides big races and Kittens Joys as well as
anyone,” Sharp said. “I couldn't pick a better post position and from there she’ll be able to be
placed anywhere. I’m not really a guy who gives instructions.”
Shogun – See European
Time and Motion – Five years after Phillips Racing Partnership and trainer Jimmy
Toner finished second as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Winter
Memories, they return with promising maiden Time and Motion, who exits a third-place finish in
the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont on Sept. 27.
She arrived on Tuesday morning from her New York base and grazed and walked the
shedrow. She is expected to hit the main track on Wednesday morning.
“I don’t worry about her being a maiden in this spot,” Toner said. “I thought highly
enough of her to run her in the Miss Grillo as a maiden and she ran very well, so I don’t worry
about that here. It’s different with 2-year-olds.”
A daughter of Tapit, Time and Motion was fourth on debut in her only other race.
“She could have won both races, but she’s had two trough trips,” Toner said. “We’ll see
what happens, I just hope to make it into the race.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Tin Type Gal defected from the Juvenile Fillies Turf, allowing for
Time and Motion to draw into the race.
Wesley Ward (Sheikh of Sheikhs, Juvenile Turf; Ruby Notion, Juvenile Fillies Turf)
– Abdullah S. Almaddah’s Wesley Ward-trained Sheikh of Sheikhs, who is currently first on the
also-eligible list for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, left Barn 60 and jogged a lap on the main
track under Mike Clarke. The son of Distorted Humor will be making his first start on turf if he
draws into the field by way of a defection. Frankie Dettori is slated to ride from the outside post.
Silverton Hill’s homebred Ruby Notion left the same barn and had an easy gallop around
the turf course under Rafael Hernandez, who will ride the daughter of Great Notion from post
five on Friday.
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