Juv. Turf: The Road Out West

Bittel Road, Elusive Bluff, Grand Adventure, and Skipadate have shown they possess enough turf talent to suggest there is a good chance one of them will win the Oct. 25 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at one mile on Santa Anita’s grass course.

Bittel Road won the With Anticipation Stakes on the turf at Saratoga Aug. 29, then stormed home to take the Oct. 5 Woodford Reserve Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) in an impressive performance at Keeneland.

Elusive Bluff split horses late like a seasoned pro and was victorious in the Oct. 1 Pilgrim Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont.

Grand Adventure captured the Summer Stakes (Can-IIIT) on the E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine Oct. 4.

Skipadate lost the With Anticipation by a head and the Summer by the same margin.

Ninth Client, who finished third to Bittel Road in the Woodford Reserve Bourbon, also is scheduled to make an appearance.

Among the Europeans with the credentials to take the Juvenile Turf are Donativum, who has been running in Great Britain under the tutelage of John Gosden, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Westphalia, winner of the Keepmoat Champagne Stakes (Eng-II) and the Coolmore Hurricane Run Stakes in Ireland.