Breeders’ Cup Replay | 2023 Juvenile Turf Sprint: Big Evs Too Tough Up Front In Victory

Big Evs won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park, proving to be too tough up front en route to victory.

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Watch the race replay here:

The press release:

RP Racing LTD.’s Big Evs (IRE) ($8.40) took command in the upper stretch and then held off a late bid from Valiant Force by a half-length to win the sixth running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) for 2-year-olds to kick off Future Stars Friday at the 40th World Championships at Santa Anita.

Trained by Michael Appleby and ridden by Tom Marquand, Big Evs covered the 5 furlongs on a firm turf course in :55.31. It is the first Breeders’ Cup victory for Appleby and Marquand.

Big Evs was involved in a three-horse scramble with Crimson Advocate and Tiger Belle (IRE) in the run down the backside and continued on into the turn with Crimson Advocate. In the stretch, Big Evs took over, opened a daylight margin and was well clear to hold off the challenge from Valiant Force.

The victory was worth $520,000 and increased Big Evs’ earnings to $748,283 with a record of 6-4-1-0.

Big Evs is a son of Blue Point (IRE) out of the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Hana Lina (GB).

Quotes:

Winning trainer Michael Appleby, Big Evs (IRE) – “I can’t believe it. He’s been an absolute
superstar all year and to come here and put in a performance like that is unreal. Going into the
race I thought he had an outstanding chance, and when Tom (Marquand) rode him in a breeze
earlier in the week he couldn’t have been more bullish. We’ll enjoy it as it’s a dream to be here
never mind go and win. Hopefully he comes out the race in good order then we’ll make a plan
for next season. He really is a horse of a lifetime for us. I can’t thank the team at home enough
for all their hard work.”

Winning jockey Tom Marquand, Big Evs (IRE) – “Just amazing. Once he got out the gates
and we got in an early position, I knew we wouldn’t be far away. Turning for home nothing was
going to catch him. He put his head down and galloped all the way to the line. To ride a
Breeders’ Cup winner is a dream come true. He’s just an exceptional horse.”
“Just amazing. Once he got out the gates and we got in an early position I knew we
wouldn’t be far away. Turning for home nothing was going to catch him. He put his head
down and galloped all the way to the line. To ride a Breeders’ Cup winner is a dream
come true. He’s just an exceptional horse.”

Trainer Adrian Murray, second with Valiant Force – “He ran brilliant I’m very, very happy.
We had always wanted to bring him here, but we had a hard time fitting a race in between
because the weather had been so bad in Ireland. It was soft ground last time and he’s a fastground horse. It’s no surprise for him to prove he was this class. He had a run before ascot and
things didn’t go his way, so I suppose people turned off on him, but we have always thought a lot
about this horse.”

Jockey William Buick, second with Valiant Force – “He broke well, but the pace was super
hot. I don’t know the horse well, but they told me he had been training really, really well. I think
the connections are really happy with that.”

Trainer Ralph Beckett, third with Starlust (GB) – “He ran a huge race. I thought everything
went to plan. He was never going to be able to break fast enough, that’s just not him to sit up
with the early pace. We got the breaks in the straight and weren’t good enough to finish second,
but we were third, so it was all good.”

Trainer George Weaver, beaten favorite No Nay Mets, fourth – “He wasn’t good enough
today. We wanted to be forward. All three of his wins, he was on the lead or close to it. It’s all
fine if you want the lead, but you have to be fast enough to get there. They were smoking up
there. I am not complaining about what happened today. I brought three very solid horses here
and didn’t hit the board with any of them. It’s a disappointment, but we move on.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, beaten favorite No Nay Mets, fourth – “He ran great. I thought I was the
speed of the race but he didn’t mind sitting there. He listened to me and relaxed. When I asked
him, he cut the corner, was in the clear and made a good run. Unfortunately we couldn’t get
there.”