Brown’s Zulu Kingdom Battles Europeans in Juvenile Turf

Because the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf grew to become a grade 1 in 2011, 4 years after its inaugural working, trainers Aidan O’Brien, Charlie Appleby, and Chad Brown have mixed to win 10 of the 13 renewals.

O’Brien leads the way in which with six victories, most lately with Unquestionable  in 2023 and Victoria Street  in 2022; Appleby has three winners, with the most recent being Trendy Video games  in a wagering-snafued working at Del Mar in 2021; and Brown struck in 2019 with Structor .

All three trainers can have alternatives so as to add to these tallies once they run stakes-winning 2-year-olds Nov. 1 within the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar. Appleby, who trains privately for Godolphin, runs a pair in Al Qudra  and Aomori Metropolis , O’Brien has Henri Matisse , and Brown begins Zulu Kingdom . Al Qudra and Zulu Kingdom appeared drew greatest of those posts 4 and 5, respectively, whereas Aomori Metropolis (put up 12) and Henri Matisse (put up 13) are extra apt to lose floor from their beginning positions, owing to a brief sprint to the primary of two turns. 

Zulu Kingdom, a bay son of Ten Sovereigns  owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Invoice Strauss, and Michael Caruso, has the snazziest document of the quintet, unbeaten in three begins. Imported to america from France after a June 4 debut victory at Saint Cloud, he has since scored a pair of victories in New York for Brown. He took the Aug. 29 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course, adopted by the Sept. 28 Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

“This horse was despatched over to me early in the summertime, and he got here in actually high-quality situation,” Brown mentioned throughout an Oct. 23 media teleconference. “He blended into our program superbly. And in his two begins, as you have seen, he is labored out good, cozy journeys, however he settled good once more, like an skilled horse with a whole lot of maturity. “

Al Qudra, a son of No Nay By no means , additionally has expertise in North America because the runner-up within the Sept. 14 Summer time Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine after profitable two of 5 begins in England.

“He is stayed in America since that run and has carried out very properly since,” Appleby mentioned in a social media put up from Godolphin on X. “So he clearly goes into the Breeders’ Cup there on Friday with race expertise at hand and a great degree of type as properly.”

Aomori Metropolis—fourth final out within the Sept. 15 Vincent O’Brien Nationwide Stakes (G1) at The Curragh in Eire, three lengths behind runner-up Henri Matisse—beforehand gained two of three begins in England, together with the Classic Stakes (G2).

Appleby described him as having “good, stable type” and added, “We all the time felt that he is a horse that’s neat and he is traveled strongly.”

As for Henri Matisse, O’Brien goals for a bounce-back efficiency after the Wootton Bassett  colt underperformed over delicate turf and when including blinkers in his final begin when a fifth within the Oct. 6 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at Longchamp. That race adopted his runner-up end within the Nationwide Stakes, which had been preceded by three victories in as many begins in Eire for house owners Merriebelle Steady, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier.

Amongst different entrants, the Andrew Balding-trained Summer time Stakes winner New Century  is a number one challenger, pegged because the 5/2 favourite, breaking from put up 11.

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— Breeders’ Cup (@BreedersCup) October 28, 2024