Gstaad gets tough draw as O'Brien eyes another win in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has dominated the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf - and that’s an understatement. O’Brien has won seven of the 18 runnings of the race and just eight other trainers have won the race. However, if O’Brien wants a fourth victory in a row in this race, he’ll need some racing luck. 

O’Brien’s lone runner in the 13-horse field is Gstaad, who on Monday night drew post 13. Gstaad, winner of the Group 2 Coventry at Royal Ascot in June, is the 9-5 favorite but will be in search of his first win since that race. After the Coventry, Gstaad came up a neck short in the Group 1, six-furlong Prix Morny, then came up a head short in the Group 1, seven-furlong Vincent O’Brien National. Last out, Gstaad ran second by three-quarters of a length in the Group 1 Dewhurst at Newmarket. The Coventry, Morny, and Dewhurst all came over good-to-firm or firm turf, something he’ll certainly get in Friday’s one-mile contest. 

The good news for O’Brien is that the outside post isn’t a kiss of death in this race. While varying race tracks can cause different results when it comes to post position, this race has historically produced winners from a wide range of post positions. 

The 13 post has won this race twice, while there’s also been a winner from post 14. That post 14-winner was the O’Brien trained Hit It a Bomb in 2015. Last year, O’Brien saddled Henri Mattise to victory in this race from post 13. For all of O’Brien’s victories in this race, jockey Ryan Moore has been aboard. Moore will miss this year’s event with an injury and Christophe Soumillion will be aboard Gstaad.

Of the 18 runnings of this race, 12 European-based horses have won. However, the Europeans don’t have the numbers advantage on Friday. The two other European runners in the field are North Coast, trained by O’Brien’s son Joseph, and Ardisia, who’s run 11 times this year. 

North Coast was fifth in the Vincent O’Brien last out but two starts ago, he won the Group 3 Tyros Stakes. Dylan Browne McMonagle will be aboard North Coast, who drew post 6 and likely needs to take a step forward to have a chance to win. 

Ardisia has won five times, with those wins coming in allowance races and listed stakes. He has yet to run beyond six furlongs and drew post 10 with Oisin Murphy aboard for trainer Hugo Palmer. 

The American hopefuls are topped by a quartet of graded stakes winners. Argos, trained by Riley Mott, won the Grade 1 Summer last out at Woodbine. In that race, Argos rallied from four lengths back to get up by a head. Jockey Flavien Prat retains the mount from post 9 with morning-line odds of 6-1.

Bottas has been impressive in two starts for trainer Miguel Clement. Last out, Bottas showed a solid turn of foot to win the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Aqueduct by a head. Manny Franco gets back aboard from post 12 with odds of 6-1. Clement will be in search of his first Breeders’ Cup win since taking over for his late father Christophe, though Clement will also start Intricate Spirit in the Juvenile Turf Sprint earlier on the card. 

Hey Nay Nay, winner of the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, and Stark Contrast, winner of the Zuma Beach, are the other two graded stakes winners in the field. Street Beast won a rich allowance and stakes at Kentucky Downs. 

Outfielder, trained by Wesley Ward, has been highly touted since his debut. After winning a maiden turf sprint, Ward sent Outfielder to the Morny, where he ran fourth. Back stateside, Outfielder won a dirt sprint allowance at Keeneland last out. 

Heeere’s Johnny, Third Beer, Let’s Be Frank, and Gordon Pass complete the field, with Caro Buono being the lone member on the also-eligible list.

The Juvenile Turf goes as the final race on Friday’s 10-race card, with a post time of 8:25 p.m. Eastern.

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