It was not by design that trainer George Weaver will saddle 25 percent of the field Friday in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). Weaver will send the two fillies, Amidst Waves and Crimson Advocate, and a colt, No Nay Mets (IRE) – with seven stakes wins between them – into the five-furlong $1,000,000 race that opens the Breeders' Cup weekend.
“It has to do with a horse more than me or anything else,” Weaver said. “We just happen to get those horses and that's what they are.”
Amidst Waves, is a Midshipman filly who won the Colleen at Monmouth, the Bolton Landing at Saratoga and finished second by a nose to males in the Indian Summer at Keeneland on Oct. 8. Crimson Advocate, a daughter of Nyquist, will be making her first start since winning the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot on June 21. Houston Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman is the principal owner of No Nay Mets, a No Nay Never colt, whose three wins in four starts were in stakes. His only setback was a ninth in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot.
Walsh smiled at the suggestion that he was evolving into a turf sprint trainer.
“We're just trying to get our owners into stakes-caliber horses that have chances to take us to races like the Breeders Cup,” he said. “It just so happens this year that we've got the turf sprinters. Whenever you get a chance to run those type races, turf or dirt, short or long, it's exciting.”
Amidst Waves was ready to run in early May and has three wins and a second in five starts.
“She's put together a nice resume. She's never really run a bad race,” Weaver said. “She was fourth first time out on the dirt. Ever since then every race she's run has been good. She deserves a shot at the Breeders Cup.”
Crimson Advocate also started on dirt in her debut, finishing fourth on April 26. Weaver tried her in the Royal Palm Juvenile Filly at Gulfstream Park on May 13 and she easily won the Royal Ascot qualifier. She held on to win the Queen Mary by a nose under John Velazquez and has not raced since.
\Weaver said she did not have a setback and has been training steadily at Saratoga for the race.
“I wanted to give her a break,” he said. “Obviously, we've had that race in mind. She's come along really nicely. And she deserves to be in there as well.”
No Nay Mets was a pinhooking prospect for Bregman, who has a life-long interest in the sport, has started a racing and breeding operation.
“He was in a 2-year-old sale and they didn't end up getting what they thought was fair money for the horse so he kept him and raced him,” Weaver said. “Luckily, I happen to be the beneficiary of that.”
Weaver said he was asked if he could get the colt ready in 17 days for the male Royal Ascot qualifier at Gulfstream Park.
“I'm never one to say no,” he said.
In his racing debut, No Nay Mets win by 3 ½ lengths. He ended up 7 ¼ lengths back at Royal Ascot. Since then, he's won stakes at Monmouth Park and Colonial Downs.
“A nice, easy horse to train,” Weaver said. “He's very classy. Understands what his job is. He's fast. Knows how to go over there and get it done.
“Not really sure what happened over at Ascot. Maybe he just needs to be put into the race like he has been over here in the States. Maybe he just didn't handle that course. Anyway, other than the Ascot race, he's been pretty impressive. He's won by open lengths in all three starts in United States. It's not going to surprise me if he does that again.”
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