Balantina explodes late for $43.20 upset of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

An Irish shipper was expected to win Friday’s $920,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), but there was a plot twist along the way. After the scratch of Aidan O’Brien’s 6-5 morning-line favorite Precise, the 20.60-1 Balantina stepped up to spring a surprise at Del Mar.

Trained by Aidan’s son Donnacha O’Brien for Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Lissa McNulty, Balantina was coming off a subpar fifth in the Debutante (G2) at the Curragh. But the Ten Sovereigns filly had very strong form in her prior starts, placing third in the Albany (G3) at Royal Ascot and just getting mugged in the Prix Six Perfections (G3) at Deauville.

Although Balantina was slow to break from post 10 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, jockey Oisin Murphy was able to angle her over into a ground-saving trip for most of the mile affair. The dark bay had the gears to improve position stealthily and put herself in the right spot to quicken turning into the stretch.

Meanwhile, Japanese shipper Switch in Love sped forward and set fast fractions of :22.33 and :45.96. She was already tiring as she reached six furlongs in 1:11.01.

Ground Support was the first to launch a bold move and open up entering the stretch, but Balantina was full of run maneuvering just behind her. Adroitly splitting rivals and driving up the rail, Balantina accelerated to a 1 1/4-length victory. She clocked 1:35.07 and rewarded her loyalists with $43.20.

British raider Pacific Mission, who started slowly from post 12, got up for second, heading Ground Support. Imaginationthelady checked in fourth, followed by Ultimate Love, Infinite Sky, slow-starting Queen of Hawaii, Celebrity Warrior, Final Accord, Time to Dream, Switch in Love, and Brave Deb.

Precise was withdrawn after coming down with an illness. 

Balantina was giving the younger O’Brien his first Breeders’ Cup victory, two years after he sent out Porta Fortuna to miss narrowly in this race for mostly the same connections. 

An educational fourth to the useful colt Andab in her unveiling at the Curragh, Balantina moved forward to score in a salty fillies’ maiden over the same course and six-furlong trip. She broke slowly at Royal Ascot but rallied well to take third to Venetian Sun, who would go on to defeat Gstaad in the Prix Morny (G1).

Much sharper out of the gate next time at Deauville, Balantina appeared to make the winning move, only to be nailed late by Green Spirit. That form stood up in France, as Green Spirit won the Prix d’Aumale (G2) and finished second to Ballydoyle’s highly-regarded Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) on Arc Day. 

Balantina wasn’t at her best on slower ground at the Curragh, but relished the stretch-out on firm turf here to advance her record to 6-2-1-1, $572,485.

“This is very special,” O’Brien said. “It was fantastic. Precise is a champion filly, so when she was scratched, it made it a little bit easier for us, but it's incredible. Oisin was majestic on her. She was slow away, but when he got her on the rail, he had the luck and had enough filly beneath to go and win the race, so it’s brilliant.” 

Murphy, who was just honored as Britain’s champion jockey for the fifth time, referred to Balantina’s French form.

“She probably ran a bit tired last time at the Curragh, but she was just beaten on the line when Tom (Marquand) rode her at Deauville, and she was beaten by a filly, the best two-year-old French filly (Green Spirit). If she didn’t run disappointing at the Curragh, she’d have been the favorite. 

“Irad (Ortiz Jr.) broke inside me (on Time to Dream), but he didn’t have a great start, and I was able to get up inside him and save ground on the first turn. Got in the back of the favorite (Ultimate Love) and when he switched out, turning in, I was able to go up the inside, but I had the horse though. She’s a great athlete, and that’s why she was able to handle the track so well.” 

Bred in Ireland by Summerhill/Lynch Bages/S. Murphy, Balantina sold for approximately $108,244 as an Arqana August yearling. She is a half to Baiykara, heroine of the 2022 Prix de Royaumont (G3). Their dam, the Montjeu mare Balankiyla, is herself a half-sister to Bayrir, winner of the 2012 Secretariat (G1) at old Arlington Park, and to current Saratoga Oaks (G2) runner-up Evershed.

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