Breeders' Cup Juvenile Maiden Watch: Risk It romps at Saratoga

The 2023 Breeders’ Cup is 2 1/2 months away, and while key contenders for some races are well-established, it’s possible the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner hasn’t even started yet.

Case in point? Eight of the last 15 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners debuted on or after Aug. 17. And three of them didn’t race for the first time until September.

That’s why we’re launching Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Maiden Watch. Based on history, there’s a good chance the 2023 Juvenile winner either debuted last week or will debut during the next few weeks. Every Monday, we’ll highlight high-profile maiden winners from around the country so you can stay up to speed on emerging Breeders’ Cup Juvenile contenders.

We’ll start with Risk It, a flashy debut winner at Saratoga last Saturday. The son of Gun Runner was much the best for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, dashing to the lead through splits of :22.60 and :46.00 before drawing away to win a six-furlong maiden special weight by 4 1/2 lengths. He closed his final quarter-mile in a respectable :24.75 to record a final time of 1:10.75 and is reportedly bound for the Sept. 16 Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, a notable steppingstone toward the Breeders’ Cup.

Barely more than half an hour later, Dancing Groom impressed in an off-the-turf maiden special weight contested over one mile on the Saratoga dirt. Coming off a sixth-place finish in his July 22 debut sprinting six furlongs, Dancing Groom relished stretching out in distance, settling in midpack behind fractions of :24.03 and :47.70 before launching a sustained rally to dominate by five lengths in 1:39.24. Trained by Antonio Sano, Dancing Groom is a son of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Vino Rosso out of a mare by Preakness (G1) hero Bernardini, so he’s bred top and bottom to improve with maturity.

We must also take a moment to highlight the victory of Alder at Ellis Park. The son of 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Hard Spun was declared a non-starter in his July 15 debut at Ellis because—according to the Equibase result chart footnotes—he “appeared to be tangled in the gate” and “unseated his rider.”

Alder encountered no such difficulties in the five-furlong maiden special weight last Sunday at Ellis. The Brad Cox trainee successfully left the starting gate, tracked an opening quarter-mile in :22.48 from fourth place, and then took command down the homestretch to crush his rivals by 6 1/4 lengths in :58.42. A bright future may be ahead for this Godolphin homebred.