Colonel John, the nation’s leading third crop sire by winners and wins, has two chances to cap off a great year with 2-year-old colts entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland.
The $1 million Juvenile Turf, which runs Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET, drew a field of 14 with one also-eligible for the one mile contest. Colonel John’s Airoforce, who drew post 8 with rider Julien Leparoux, figures to have a say in the outcome after winning the Dixiana Bourbon S. (G3) in impressive fashion on Oct. 4 over this same track.
Airoforce is undefeated in two starts with his similarly flashy maiden win Sept. 5 at Kentucky Downs. He is trained by Mark Casse for John Oxley, who purchased the gray or roan colt for $350,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds sale.
In the $2 million Juvenile, which runs Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET, Colonel John’s multiple stakes winner Cocked and Loaded drew post 5 in another full field that features 14, plus two also-eligibles.
Cocked and Loaded broke his maiden first time out this spring at Keeneland and has gone on to take the $250,000 Tremont S. at Belmont in early June and most recently annexed the 1 1/16-mile Iroqouis S. (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Larry Rivelli for Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope LLC, Cocked and Loaded has won three of his five starts and earned $250,840. He’ll be ridden Saturday by Irad Ortiz, Jr.
