BC Juvenile

Stevie Wonderboy (outside) overtook Henny Hughes to capture the Juvenile (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

The favorite in the $1,458,030
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) lost yet again
this year as Merv Griffin Ranch Co.’s STEVIE WONDERBOY (Stephen Got Even)
rallied for a 1 1/4-length victory over Henny Hughes (Hennessy) and 3-2 favorite First Samurai (Giant’s Causeway).

Stevie Wonderboy was checked at the start and settled near the back of the
pack beneath jockey Garrett Gomez as Dawn of War (Catienus) sprinted to the
early lead through fractions of :23 and :45 3/5. Despite stumbling slightly on the
backstretch, the Doug O’Neill-trained Stevie Wonderboy moved steadily through the group into third
entering the stretch four wide. He edged clear in the final sixteenth of a mile
to post the upset and win his third consecutive, completing 1 1/16 miles on the
fast track in 1:41
3/5.

“I had a decent trip early on, but a horse down on the inside swung out at
the five-eighths pole, and I clipped heels with him,” Gomez said. “My horse has
a heckuva turn of foot, but I had trouble getting to (Henny Hughes
and First Samurai) for a minute. When he found his best stride at the
sixteenth-pole, he wore them down and ran a huge race. I hope he’s my (Kentucky)
Derby (G1) horse. This is a huge win for me.”

Stevie Wonderboy returned $11, $5.90 and $3.80 at 9-2, while Henny Hughes
gave back $8.80 and $4.90 in second. First Samurai paid $2.50 two lengths farther back in third.
The exotics returned $105.50 (exacta),
$229 (trifecta) and $7,051 for the trifecta (12-10-9-13). Brother Derek
(Benchmark), Superfly (Fusaichi Pegasus), Sorcerer’s Stone (Gulch), Dr. Pleasure
(Thunder Gulch), Stream Cat (Black Minnaloushe), Leo (GB) (Pivotal), Jealous
Profit (Trippi), Dawn of War, Ivan Denisovich (Ire) (Danehill), Set Alight
(Hennessy) and Private Vow (Broken Vow) completed the order of finish.