Horse Profile: Arizona Blaze

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

After missing narrowly with Valiant Force a year ago, Kia Joorabchian’s AMO Racing and trainer Adrian Murray return with Arizona Blaze. Unlike that stablemate, Arizona Blaze has waged a lengthy two-year-old campaign (since March!) while maintaining a consistent level of form. 

Arizona Blaze is by Europe’s leading freshman sire Sergei Prokofiev, a Scat Daddy son who was eighth in the 2018 Juvenile Turf Sprint for O’Brien. Arizona Blaze’s dam is by speed influence Equiano, a two-time winner of the King’s Stand (G1) at Royal Ascot. 

Sold for about $103,000 as a Goffs UK Premier yearling, Arizona Blaze got his sire off to a fast start by winning on the first day of the Irish flat season at the Curragh. He showed speed and courage to withstand a tussle on the heavy going, and a stewards’ inquiry, to justify favoritism. 

Arizona Blaze was no match for Whistlejacket in the May 6 First Flier S. back over the same course and five-furlong distance, where he vied early before succumbing in second. But Murray said that he’d gone easy on him since his March 18 debut, and he wasn’t primed. 

Up to six furlongs on good ground in the Marble Hill (G3), Arizona Blaze was a different proposition. The 7-1 chance led, got headed by O’Brien’s odds-on Camille Pissarro, but came again to outgame him. 

Although an initial mention was for Royal Ascot’s Coventry (G2) over the same distance, Arizona Blaze instead reverted to five furlongs in the Norfolk (G2) and finished a hard-trying third. He may not have been helped by racing alone on the stands’ side, but he soldiered on and edged fourth-place favorite Whistlejacket.

A return to six furlongs was indicated, and Arizona Blaze wheeled back 10 days later in the Railway (G2). He went a shade too fast on the Curragh’s good-to-yielding ground (faster than he went in the Marble Hill on better going) and wound up third to Henri Matisse (Juvenile Turf). 

Arizona Blaze was third again over the same track and trip in the Phoenix (G1), where he and Whistlejacket matched strides early and softened each other up. The filly Babouche capitalized in a fast 1:09.33. 

Getting class relief in a lucrative Goffs sales race at York, Arizona Blaze just missed by a head as the favorite carrying top weight of 135 pounds. Jockey David Egan believed that a slightly slow start cost him the race, but he secured a chasing position, struck the front, and just got nailed by 22-1 shot Diligently (in receipt of seven pounds). 

Plans called for Arizona Blaze to revert to five furlongs in the Flying Childers (G2), which would have served up a clash with Aesterius, Big Mojo, and Magnum Force. Unfortunately, Arizona Blaze scratched with a bruised foot. 

Back in action for the Oct. 4 Legacy S. over Dundalk’s Polytrack, Arizona Blaze raced farther off the pace and stayed on for fourth in a blanket finish. As the 136-pound highweight, he conceded 10 pounds to the 66-1 upsetter Lady with the Lamp and favorite Revoke.

Arizona Blaze is eligible to be sharper for that Dundalk prep, featuring a left-handed turn. He’d never been out of the trifecta in his previous seven starts, over varying ground conditions, and that makes him a valuable exotics player.