BC Juvenile Eligibles Promising
Square Eddie, Munnings, Elusive Bluff Benefit From Vineyard's Defer
Oct 20, 2008
Champagne and Roses may come together next year for Vineyard Haven, at least that seems to be the game plan of the juvenile colt's trainer, Robert J. "Bobby" Frankel. Several top flight juveniles, Square Eddie, Elusive Bluff, and Munnings, will benefit from Vineyard's no-show at the BC World Championships October 25 when they compete in the showcase race for two-year-olds, the BC Juvenile.
Frankel, who holds majority ownership in Vineyard Haven, a Florida-bred, barely keeps his excitement over Vineyard Haven secret. He has high hopes for this colt, a gray son of Lido Palace (Chile) -- Princess Aloha, by Aloha Prospector, on the Triple Crown Trail. "These were the preliminaries; next year is the main event," Frankel said of his charge's 2008 races.
Vineyard Haven won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and the $400,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) after a maiden triumph at Calder Race Course in June. Dehere is the last colt to win both those grade ones. He did it in 1993. Vineyard Haven beat the Champagne favorite Cribnote by 5-3/4 lengths, after scorching him wire to wire in the Hopeful by 2-1/4 lengths.
The Champagne is a launching pad for two-year-olds pointed to the Triple Crown races. War Pass was last season's Champagne champion and the next year's Kentucky Derby favorite until injury permanently sidelined him.
Munnings and Cribnote
Munnings wiggled out a second place finish over Cribnote in the Champagne and is a juvenile on the rise approaching the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. His training comes at the hands of the three-time Trainer of the Year Todd Pletcher, and his regular rider is Garrett Gomez
Cribnote, before taking second fiddle to Munnings in the Champagne, had finished second to Vineyard Haven in the Hopeful. The two are well-pedigreed. Read the Footnotes, a former Triple Crown racer, sired Cribnote. The colt's dam is Totebook, by Notebook.
Munnings is by the Eclipse Award champion Speightstown, who paired with La Comete, by Holy Bull.
Square Eddie and Elusive Bluff
On October 4, Square Eddie squared off against Terrain and won the $500,000 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland Race Course. He covered the 1-1/16 miles in 1:43.04 while defeating Terrain, a Sky Mesa colt.
Square Eddie, a Smart Strike colt out of Forty Gran, by El Gran Senior, is trained by John Best. He was bred in Ontario, Canada by Kinghaven Farms.
Elusive Bluff fooled his competitors for a neck victory in the October 1 Pilgrim Stakes, a grade 3 turf event at Belmont Park. He is one of several Elusive Quality colts having success this season. His dam, Megans Bluff, is by Pine Bluff.
Munnings, Terrain, Elusive Bluff, and Square Eddie are likely BC Juvenile entries.
