John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

The Friday morning scratch of Aidan O’Brien-trained Precise, the heavy 6-5 morning-line favorite, left the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf wide open. Yet, a brilliant performance was still in order, and you didn’t have to stray far from the family tree to find it.

That replacement was none other than O’Brien’s son Donnacha, who earned his first career win in the World Championships Oct. 31 as Balantina dazzled over the Del Mar turf course.

Jockey Oisin Murphy, who picked up his second Breeders’ Cup win, rode the 2-year-old daughter of Ten Sovereigns to perfection, dropping to the rail from post-position 10 to save ground around the clubhouse turn. Japanese runner Switch in Love set a quick pace before him with quarter-mile splits of :22.33, :45.96, and 1:11.01. In the stretch, Murphy navigated briefly off the rail before ducking back to it to surge to the lead at the sixteenth pole.

At the finish line, Balantina was 1 1/4 lengths clear of the deep-closing Pacific Mission, with Ground Support running a strong race after sitting closer to the pace than the top two to finish third. Balantina completed the mile in 1:35.07.

“She took to the track very well,” Murphy said. “Donnacha was very upbeat the way she trained in the mornings, and she’s incredibly athletic. She handled the track like it was made for her.”

Balantina races for the partnership of Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Lissa Ann McNulty. Medallion also won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with Cy Fair, in partnership with Swinbank Stables, Joey Platts, and Mark Stanton.—Sean Collins