As much as any of the other 12 Breeders’ Cup race this year, the BC Juvenile Turf (R8, post 3:50 PT) is as deep and competitive as it gets. The one-mile race is a very intriguing mix of 6 European- and 8 American-based runners, and hardly anyone would be (or should be) surprised with almost any result.

The Euros come very well-represented with this group: Mendelssohn (1), Sands of Mali (3), Beckford (5), Masar (6), James Garfield (7), and Rajasinghe (14). If this were the Ryder Cup, they’d probably be counting on this as a full point to fall in their favor. For a terrific in-depth look at the Euro 2yo turf starters (both fillies and colts) and their connections, here’s a DRF article from this week by Steve Andersen:

http://www.drf.com/news/european-juvenile-fillies-look-stronger-colts

For my money, Mendelssohn might rate the best chance of the Euro half-dozen. Not only is he a son of the late, great turf sire Scat Daddy from the powerhouse Aidan O’Brien barn, but he’s also well drawn in post 1 when liable to work out a ground-saving trip under the premier jockey on the European continent, Ryan Moore; moreover, as with all 5 of the other Euro runners, he will be getting Lasix for the first time. His last race resulted in a solid runner-up finish in a Group 1 in England (albeit as a 50-1 shot), so he has the credentials to prevail here as much as any other horse.

Pace-wise, several of the other Europeans could be forwardly placed simply because they’re stretching out from six-furlong races, those being the foursome of Sands of Mali, Beckford, James Garfield, and the longshot Rajasinghe. They’re candidates to join Hemp Hemp Hurray (12) and Snapper Sinclair (11), the two speediest Americans, on the front end. But what happens after they all make their way through the final turn and into the home stretch is the obvious million-dollar question ….

Mendelssohn, as mentioned, rates a chance to kick on, but so, too, do a handful of the Americans. My Boy Jack (13) has shown terrific punch on a consistent basis and owns an additional home-court advantage for the Brothers Desormeaux; a huge run down the center of the course makes him a major threat. Likewise, Voting Control (8) already has shown himself as a strong closer in just two starts for the ever-dangerous Chad Brown barn; he’s got the proper all-around credentials, for sure. Untamed Domain (2) and Catholic Boy (4) are both graded winners with favorable posts and a proven ability to close; boy oh boy are trips going to be pivotal in how this race turns out.

Further obscuring the Juvenile Turf outcome not only is the lack of Beyer Speed Figures for the Europeans, but even the Beyers for the Americans represent a relatively small sampling and aren’t the most reliable of barometers.

So yeah, now that I’ve cleared it all up for you, good luck with your selections here … for the record, I’ll go with a 1-13-5-8: Mendelssohn, My Boy Jack, Beckford, Voting Control. Best of luck to all.