Juniper Pass was winning his second straight stakes, and both trophies have
The fact that their rematch came on turf, and at a distance appreciably
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Dahoud initially aimed to repeat his front-running tactics through an opening
quarter in :24 3/5, but was then overtaken by Celtic New Year (North Light
[Ire]) and Power Series (Mizzen Mast) and retreated from contention for the
duration. Although Celtic New Year had his head in front at the half-mile mark
in :48 4/5, Power Series strode forward to dictate terms through splits of 1:13
1/5, 1:40 4/5 and 2:06 4/5, and was still on top after reaching 1 1/2 miles in
2:31 3/5.
Meanwhile, Quindici Man (Came Home) and Imponente Purse had been well placed
in tracking spots, and Juniper Pass was a little farther back in fifth.
Imponente Purse and Quindici Man commenced their rallies down the stretch, and
were soon joined by Juniper Pass, creating a frenetic scene as the closers bore
down on Power Series and Celtic New Year.
Imponente Purse briefly gained the lead in the final strides, only to have
Juniper Pass swoop best of all to catch him on the line. Celtic New Year stayed
on purposefully for third, just a half-length behind Imponente Purse, with
Quindici Man a close fourth.
“The pace was a concern for me in the beginning,” Bejarano said. “I was
wandering a bit in the beginning, but I wanted to make sure I was on the outside
and not lose too much ground on the turns. I got more comfortable with my horse,
then I saw the number six (Imponente Purse) make a good move from the
three-eighths pole.
“She (jockey Chantal Sutherland aboard Imponente Purse) looked like she had a
lot of horse, so I decided to follow her. As soon as I hit the stretch, I let
her make the first move. I made the second move and it worked out because my
horse always shows me a good kick in the end. He definitely improved on the
grass today.”
“They were so slow,” Bell agreed regarding the fractions. “It was a concern.
I thought maybe we should have been a little closer, but he really kicked on
home and I was very pleased with that.
“I just told Rafael to get him in a nice rhythmic stride where he’s
comfortable, and I know he’ll give him a nice finish, so I just kind of left it
in his hands. In this kind of race, you don’t want to give too many
instructions, because you never know how it’s going to unfold. The distance
makes the difference.
“It’s like Bobby Jones said about competitive golf: ‘It’s not the length of
the course they play on, it’s the distance between their ears that matters.'”
Falcon Rock (Ire) (Hawk Wing) closed for fifth and was trailed by Power
Series, 5-2 favorite Haimish Hy (Ecton Park), Romp (Arg) (Incurable Optimist)
and Dahoud. Interpatation (Langfuhr) was withdrawn.
Juniper Pass advanced his record to 12-4-1-2 and increased his earnings to
$284,380. A close third in the November 28 Hollywood Derby (G1) in his stakes
debut, the four-year-old was fifth in the February 19 San Luis Obispo (G2)
before breaking through in the San Luis Rey.
Bred by Brookdale Thoroughbreds in Kentucky, the bay brought $92,000 as a
Keeneland September yearling and $170,000 as a Barretts March two-year-old. He
is out of the unraced Coronado’s Quest mare Child Bride, whose latest foal is an
unnamed juvenile filly by War Chant. Juniper Pass’s second dam is multiple Grade
2 heroine Chapel of Dreams (Northern Dancer), a three-quarter sister to
supersire Storm Cat. Also in the family are multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire
Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]), Group 1 scorer Crowded House (GB)
(Rainbow Quest), Grade 2 victor Postponed (Summer Squall), and further back,
Irish highweight, Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) star and noted sire Royal Academy
(Nijinsky II).