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Well-timed 'Pounce' snares Juvenile Turf

Pounced stretches clear at the wire (Ted Terquinio/Horsephotos.com) Lady Serena Rothschild's POUNCED (Rahy) split rivals in the stretch and ran down longtime leader Bridgetown (Speightstown) to garner Saturday's $909,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) at Santa Anita. The English shipper was handing the trainer/jockey tandem of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori their second straight victory in the event, following the success of Donativum (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux) one year ago. In the process, the nearly 5-2 favorite vindicated his trainer's judgment. Leading up to the race, Gosden had indicated that Pounced was as good as, if not better than, Donativum. "We had a nice draw," Gosden said regarding his breaking from post 4. "There wasn't much pace but he got through the gap when he had to. It's fantastic to win this race for the second straight year, and to do it at Santa Anita, my second home." "I had a box seat, very pleased that we got the split (between horses), and he fought really hard for me," Dettori said. "I was worried about getting clear but the gap was big enough for me to go through and my horse was very brave.

"When I got the split, it took a little while to get in top gear, but it was always going to get there in the end," the winning rider noted. "So it was a very straightforward trip. But it always happens when you go to a horse that can help you, and he did really help me."

Pounced, who was coming off a runner-up effort in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) (Fr-G1) in his stakes debut, enjoyed an ideal stalking trip. Tucked along the fence for most of the way, the flashy chestnut traveled well within himself, just behind Bridgetown through splits of :23 3/5, :48 2/5 and 1:12 2/5. The top American hope, Interactif (Broken Vow), pressed the pace on the outside and loomed as a threat turning for home.

Meanwhile, Dettori was biding his time on Pounced, waiting for a seam to open up between Bridgetown and Interactif. As soon as a sliver of daylight between the two appeared, he sent Pounced through it, and the colt gamely plowed right through to challenge. In a scene reminiscent of Friday's Juvenile Fillies Turf, when the stalking Tapitsfly (Tapit) reeled in pacesetter Rose Catherine (Speightstown), Pounced overtook Bridgetown in deep stretch and was well on top at the wire.

After completing the mile in 1:35 2/5 on firm turf, Pounced returned $6.80, $4.80 and $3.20. The 8-1 Bridgetown yielded $6.60 and $4.20 for his brave runner-up effort. Interactif , the 3-1 second choice, missed second by a head and paid $3.20 for his wide-trip third. English invader Awesome Act (Awesome Again), a nearly 32-1 longshot, outperformed his odds with a strong late run for fourth. The $1 exotics were worth $31 (exacta), $90.60 (trifecta) and $2,750.70 (4-7-11-6 superfecta).

An exuberant Dettori celebrating the win aboard Pounced (Ted Terquinio/Horsephotos.com) "Kenny (trainer McPeek) wanted me to put him in the race and just nurse him along as best I could," said Robert Landry, who rode Bridgetown. "He really responded. When I asked at the top of the lane, he dropped his head and really dug in. That other horse just ran past him. He ran a courageous race. He's a really good horse who is only going to get better." Jockey Kent Desormeaux was far from disappointed in Interactif's third-place effort. "We quickened so fast going into the turn that I couldn't quite compensate for the turn, and that left some room for the others," Desormeaux said. "I hope this horse can 'dirt' because he acts like he wants to be my Derby horse." "It's always easy after a race to figure things out," Interactif's trainer, Todd Pletcher, reflected. "In retrospect, maybe we should have put the pressure on earlier, but if we picked it up, the seven (Bridgetown) would have picked it up too, so it probably would have been the same result. I think the post hurt us a little bit. We were pushed four-wide into the first turn, but from post 11 we got a decent trip. We just couldn't quicken enough in the last part." Buzzword (GB) (Pivotal) came home fifth, followed by the also-eligible Dean's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), Gallant Gent (Yankee Gentleman), Viscount Nelson (Giant's Causeway), Becky's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), King Ledley (Stormin Fever), Zip Quik (City Zip) and Codoy (Bernstein). Kera's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) was scratched, along with also-eligible Summer Movie (Holy Bull).

Bred in Kentucky by Carwell Equities Ltd., Pounced now sports a mark of 4-2-2-0, $668,504. After just failing by a neck in his career debut at Ascot in July, he easily broke his maiden by three lengths at Newbury the following month. Pounced then stepped up considerably in class for the Grand Criterium, where he led much of the way but was run down by the Aga Khan's Siyouni (Pivotal).

Pounced is out of the Irish stakes-placed Golden Cat (Storm Cat), who is also responsible for the Group 3-placed pair of Pampas Cat (Seeking the Gold) and Big Bound (Grand Slam), English stakes-placed Celtic Cat (Danehill), a yearling filly named Catopuma and a weanling colt named Wood Tiger, both by Elusive Quality. Pounced's second dam, Irish St. Leger (Ire-G1) winner Eurobird (Ire) (Ela-Mana-Mou), is a half-sister to two champions -- Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner Assert (Ire) (Be My Guest) and French Derby (Fr-G1) victor Bikala (Kalamoun).

Pounced is not the first Breeders' Cup winner produced by this family. He was preceded by English and French champion sprinter Last Tycoon (Ire) (Try My Best), who captured the Mile (G1) at Santa Anita in 1986.

More Breeders' Cup Recaps:

Take Charge Brandi upsets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at 61-1

30-1 Karakontie lives up to pedigree in Mile

Bayern survives inquiry to win Breeders' Cup Classic

Dayatthespa proves uncatchable in Filly & Mare Turf

Judy the Beauty holds on at wire in Filly & Mare Sprint

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