Moore switch comes off as Haffner claims Juvenile Turf
Aidan O'Brien won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for the fifth consecutive time. Pic: Healy Racing
Haffner provided Aidan O’Brien with a ninth win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.
Incredibly the Ballydoyle handler was winning the race for a fifth successive year after Victoria Road, Unquestionable, Henri Matisse and Gstaad but this time around the winner was not originally the first choice of stable jockey Ryan Moore.
That honour had gone to Coventry Stakes hero Great Barrier Reef but he was scratched on the morning of the race by the vet enabling Moore to switch and meaning Christophe Soumillon missed out.
Christopher Head’s Avec Toi set out to make all with Moore content to sit in third on Haffner but the favourite, Joseph O’Brien’s Folsom Blues, missed the start meaning Dylan Browne McMonagle had to go wide into the straight.
With half a furlong to run Haffner had taken it up off Avec Toi and while Folsom Blues made good late ground to claim second, he never looked like reeling in Haffner.
The win gave O’Brien and Moore a double on the night and means once again the master of Ballydoyle is out on his own with the most winners at the meeting with 23 after Bob Baffert had briefly made it level.
“Our horses weren’t right the one day he didn’t run well, they had a low-grade infection,” said O’Brien.
“He won the Acomb at York, the Royal Lodge at Newmarket and we were a little bit worried about the easy mile here but Ryan had him in a great position.
“He’s by Justify so that makes him very exciting for us, the lads have covered all the good mares by him so it’s very exciting.
“Ryan thinks he could get a mile and a quarter next year or even more so he’s a proper Classic contender.
“We hate beating Joseph or any of the lads, we really do, but it’s a business, it’s sport and we don’t give them an inch.
“They are not lucky enough to have the quality of horse that we have, our stock is so much better and while I’d always prefer it if they beat us, we don’t ever let them beat us in any way.”
Moore said: “He’d already won the Group Three Acomb at York which is usually a good race and a Group Two (Royal Lodge) at Newmarket.
“He’s a strong galloper and he gets the mile very well. These Justifys, when they find a stride they find extra.
“He had a nice draw, he got himself in a good spot and while he was a bit idle in front, if anything had come from the back he’d have gone on again, he stays forever.”
Browne McMonagle was left to curse his mount’s slow start as Folsom Blues came from the back to claims second.
He said: “He didn’t start too well but from halfway he came good and finished his race well. He’s a very good colt.”
