Breeders' Cup Juvenile Race

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) finally produced a winner that would deliver a Kentucky Derby (G1) victory with Street Saver winning the derby in 2007. With only one Kentucky Derby winner to date, this $1.5 million race of the Breeders' Cup thoroughbred championship events is regarded more as a measure of 2-year-old form, as it is basically intended to be among the Breeders' Cup races, and less as a reliable yardstick of classic potential.

In the past 20-plus years, the Juvenile has only been able to field one Derby winner, and has only produced a couple classic winners - Preakness Stakes (G1) 1995 victor Timber Country and 2007 victor Curlin, have in fact, won this race. With regularity, however, the Derby winner and other classic winners have been in the beaten Juvenile field, suggesting that classic winners were either not sufficiently precocious to win the Juvenile or found its distance to be too short for their best efforts. The Breeder's Cup Juvenile has been run at 1 1/16 miles since 2003. It was originally a 1-mile race in 1984, 1985, and 1987, and was run at 1 1/8 miles in 2002.

Chief's Crown won in the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile held in 1984 at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. He finished second or third in all of the following year's classics, as well as triumphed in the Travers Stakes (G1) against 3 year olds and the Marlboro Cup Handicap (G1) against older horses. He had the 3 year old title and Horse of the Year honors in his sights until he finished fourth as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Classic (G1) in 1985.

Coming in at second to Chief's Crown in the 1984 Juvenile was Tank's Prospect, who won the following year's Preakness Stakes. Tiring to finish third, beaten only by 1 1/2 lengths, was Spend a Buck, the Derby 1985 winner, who was voted 3 year old male champion and Horse of the Year.

Subsequent editions of the Breeder's Cup Juvenile would see this pattern being repeated. Alysheba, finishing third in the 1986 Juvenile, won the following year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and was also voted 3 year old male champion. Bet Twice, who finished fourth in that same year's Juvenile, triumphed over Alysheba at the Belmont Stakes (G1) in the next year.

Pine Bluff, who placed seventh in the 1991 Juvenile, won the following year's Preakness Stakes. Sea Hero, seventh in the 1992 Juvenile, won the 1993 Kentucky Derby. Tabasco Cat, finishing third to Brocco in the 1993 Juvenile, became a dual classic winner in 1994 for D. Wayne Lukas, the leading trainer of Juvenile winners. Point Given, who came off a close second-place finish in the 2000 Juvenile, won the 2001 Preakness, Belmont, and Travers Stakes. Retired with an injury after Travers, Point Given was voted Horse of the Year and champion 3 year old male in 2001.

The Juvenile event of the Breeders' Cup races held in 1991 at Churchill Downs was arguably the most memorable running of the series.

Losing an equally close decision was the best sire of the late 1990s, Storm Cat, who simply failed to last the one-mile distance of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 1985 at Aqueduct. Capote, winner of the 1986 Juvenile, would never win again but would become a successful sire, getting 1996 Juvenile winner Boston Harbor.

The Juvenile event of the Breeders' Cup races held in 1991 at Churchill Downs was arguably the most memorable running of the series. French-trained Arazi broke from the outside post position, blew by the field on the final turn, and romped to a 5-length victory. Voted 2 year old male champion off that one North American start, Arazi was hampered by knee problems early in his 3 year old season. He finished eighth as the favorite in the 1992 Kentucky Derby.

Similarly, Favorite Trick was voted Horse of the Year in 1997 following an overwhelming victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. His contemporaries, however, would catch up with him at age three, leaving him to finish eighth in the Kentucky Derby.

At the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Wilko snagged the championship at 28.30 odds with jockey Lanfranco Dettori. 2005 Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes champ Afleet Alex won second at 3.00 odds with jockey Jeremy Rose, and Sun King placed third at 6.90 odds with jockey Edgar Prado.

In 2003, 27-1 longshot Action This Day made another memorable finish at the Juvenile event of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships when he shocked the crowd with a last to first run. Jockey David Flores kept him back in last early, then on the turn, split rivals passing seven horses in upper stretch. Inside the final furlong, Action This Day collared his stablemate 9-1 shot Minister Eric and won going away by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:43 3/5.

Breeders' Cup race betting at OFF TRACK BETTING online racebook.

Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships