Breeders' Cup juvenile turf races a pedigree handicapper's delight

by DICK POWELL

If you're like me and enjoy pedigree handicapping, Friday's Breeders' Cup juvenile races on the turf are a rabbit hole you won't want to come out of. The deeper you go, the better they get.

Naturally, Aidan O'Brien's trainees are bred to the nines but the foursome he has in on Friday define what "Black Type" is.

In the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), race six at Del Mar on Friday and the first Breeders' Cup race, O'Brien sends out HAPPILY. By the world's leading sire and one of, if not, the greatest sires of all time in Galileo, you would expect blue hen mares to be bred to him and Happily is no exception.

Happily is out of You'resothrilling, so she is a full sister to five-time Group 1 stakes-winning champion Giant's Causeway and Freud, who is a terrific sire in the Northeast.

You'resothrilling's first foal won the Irish 1000 Guineas (G1). Her next foal was Gleneagles, who won four Group 1 stakes races including both English and Irish 2000 Guineas (G1). Her next foal won a Group 3 stakes race, then she produced a Group 3 stakes-placed full brother to the other foal that shipped here and ran second in the Secretariat (G1).

Not to be outdone by Happily's pedigree is SEPTEMBER. Deep Impact is Japan's leading stallion by a wide margin and the Coolmore operation that O'Brien trains for has been sending mares there to be bred to him. On Saturday, O'Brien won his record 26th Grade/Group 1 stakes race when SAXON WARRIOR won the Racing Post Trophy (G1) at Doncaster.

September is out of the great Peeping Fawn, who won four straight Group 1 stakes races at three and was co-champion three-year-old filly in Europe. She has an even deeper pedigree since she is a half-sister to Thewayyouare, who was a Group 1 stakes winner at two, and this is the immediate female family of Belmont S. (G1)-winning filly Rags to Riches, Belmont winner JAZIL, and Peter Pan (G2) winner Casino Drive.

Both Happily and September are literally priceless since there is no way to determine their value as they would never be sold publicly.

In the Juvenile Turf (G1), O'Brien sends out U S NAVY FLAG. He made his debut on May 1 and was winless in his first six starts. Finally, in start number seven, he won the Round Tower (G3) and then back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Middle Park and Dewhurst. This will be his 10th start of the year.

By War Front, U S Navy Flag is out of Misty for Me, who won four Group 1 stakes in Ireland and France and was third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) in 2011.

Misty for Me's first foal was Cover Song, who won the Autumn Miss (G3) at three on the turf at Santa Anita. Her next foal was full brother ROLY POLY, who won three Group 1 races and is racing on Saturday in the Filly & Mare Turf. Misty for Me is also a full sister to champion juvenile filly Ballydoyle.