JUVENILE

Alpha – The 2yo son of Bernardini galloped 1 1/4m under exercise rider Rob Massey Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.

After romping to a six-length debut victory at Saratoga, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained colt recovered well from a troubled start to finish second behind runaway winner and Juvenile morning-line favorite Union Rags. His trainer doesn’t know what to expect from the Kentucky-bred colt.

“I don’t know about him. He’s only a 2yo and it’s only his third start. If he breaks well, he could be forwardly placed. If he breaks just OK, he could be towards the rear,” McLaughlin said. “But he will run well. He’s a real pro and does everything right.”

Garrett Gomez will ride Alpha for the first time.


Creative Cause – Trainer Mike Harrington seemed relieved Thursday morning as his 2yo prospect returned to his normal attitude during his 1m gallop over the Churchill Downs track.

“Yesterday, he was very inquisitive about things, looking all around and not being the aggressive horse that he usually is,” Harrington said. “But this morning, he was back to normal, aggressive as ever and acting up a bit.”

That works for Harrington. “Everything is lovely right now,” he said. “He seems happy and feeling good.”


Daddy Long Legs – Aidan O’Brien could possibly have an eye on next year’s Kentucky Derby with his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile contender Daddy Long Legs. The Ballydoyle handler gave a hint that Saturday’s contest could be a bit of a finding out mission.

“He may have been more suited for the Turf but if we are going to come back in the spring this is probably a better opportunity. He has an American profile similar to that of Johannesburg,” O’Brien said.


Dullahan – The Breeders’ Futurity winner galloped 1 1/2m Thursday just after the renovation break. Trainer Dale Romans has said all week that the Even the Score colt has never trained better.


Fort Loudon – Trainer Stanley Gold has completed his morning preparations for Fort Loudon, the Jacks or Better Farm homebred that swept the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder this year and will start in Saturday’s Juvenile.

“He went out to the track and stretched his legs for the last time today,” Gold said. “I’ll just walk him tomorrow, and then Saturday is race day.”

Of immediate concern to Gold on Thursday morning was the impending rain, which was forecast to fall throughout the day.

“I don’t like that,” Gold said, pointing toward a darkening sky. “I think we’ll be OK with Fort Loudon’s race on Saturday, but I’m not so sure about Awesome Belle (Juvenile Fillies) since she goes tomorrow.”

While Gold displayed some anxiety about the possibility of a wet track in advance of Thursday’s rain, the outward post (12) assigned Fort Loudon is of little concern to the trainer.

“You just never know; horses on the inside might bunch up early, and then you’re happy to be on the outside,” Gold said. “But then again, the 10 or the 11 can drift out into you, and then you’re cursing the outside post.

“But those are all potential excuses that you can’t worry about ahead of time. They have to just play out.”


Hansen – Kendall Hansen, M.D. and Sky Chai Racing’s Juvenile contender has only two races under his belt and he has yet to win a Graded stake or run in a dirt race, but trainer Mike Maker is fully confident he will put in a big effort on Saturday.

“He’s already won around two turns, but the competition is going to be greater,” Maker said. “He’s trained well on dirt the whole time, so we’re not really concerned about the surface change.”
 

Optimizer – The son of English Channel will be in new territory when he heads for the starting gate Saturday.

“He’ll be in blinkers for the first time and he’ll be on dirt for the first time,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday morning. His first two starts were on turf, of which he broke his maiden at first asking at Saratoga, and his most recent came on Keeneland’s Polytrack, where he finished third in the Breeders’ Futurity.

“I don’t think this horse has any distance limitations,” Lukas said. “He usually drops way out in his races, but I think he’ll relish the long stretch here.”


Prospective – Even though Prospective led the contingent of Mark Casse-trainees who finished 1-2-3 in the Grey Stakes at Woodbine last out on Oct. 9, he was no lock to run in this year’s Juvenile.

“He had to work his way into the race and he did,” said Casse. “I put him with a workmate and the other horse couldn’t keep up, and Prospective isn’t much of a work horse. I am very pleased with how he’s been training on the (dirt) track here. He just gets better and better. He’s training really good and he earned his spot. There may be some horses who are better than he is in this race, but there are none who are training any better.”

Prospective, who has a pair of wins and one second from three lifetime starts on the Woodbine Polytrack for owner John Oxley, breezed 5f in 1:02 at Churchill Downs on Oct. 24 and came back seven days later and turned in a breeze of 1:01 1/5 under Shaun Bridgmohan.

“He went the last three-eighths in thirty-five-and-change,” said Casse, who will saddle his ninth and 10th Breeders’ Cup starters this year and is looking for his first win although he has one second (Sealy Hill in the 2008 Filly & Mare Turf) and one third (Delightful Mary in the 2010 Juvenile Fillies).

Propsective’s Grey Stakes victory was at the 1 1/16m distance of the Juvenile so having to negotiate two turns won’t be new to him. By Malibu Moon out of Spirited Away, his grandsires are Breeders’ Cup Classic winners A. P. Indy (1992) on top and Awesome Again (1998) on his dam side, so he is bred to handle the distance.

On Thursday, Prospective galloped 1 ½m as he advances to his start on Saturday. Northern Passion, also owned by Oxley, will start in the Juvenile Fillies on Friday.


Take Charge Indy – The A.P. Indy colt had an easy gallop Thursday and continues to impress trainer Patrick Byrne with his long fluid stride.

“He’s doing super,” said Byrne. “I love how he’s getting over the track. It would actually be OK with me if this rain continues. He has a really good off-track number and I think he would handle it well.”
 

Union Rags – The undefeated morning-line favorite for the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile had another good morning Thursday, galloping 1 1/2m and taking a leisurely stroll through the backside.

Trainer Michael Matz has said all along that Union Rags and his other undefeated Breeders’ Cup starter Somali Lemonade in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, have brought themselves here by proving themselves in both their training and races.

“When we entered him in the five-eighths race (at Delaware Park July 12), we were thinking that we just wanted to see a good effort because a race is worth several works,” Matz said. “He did more than we expected, which is why I put him in the Saratoga Special. He’s very mature for his age. He just has pure raw talent with common sense.”

When asked how he thought the race might shape up, Matz replied, “Your guess is as good as mine. He’s had three races at three different tracks with three different styles. We just hope he has a good trip and doesn’t have to go too wide in the first turn.”