Echoes of Johannesburg as US Navy Flag bids to fly on the dirt

Preview: USA, Saturday 10.58pm GMT (live on ATR)

Del Mar: Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) 1m½f | dirt | 2yo colts and geldings

In the week the Houston Astros beat the LA Dodgers to claim baseball's World Series, Aidan O'Brien threw a bit of a curveball when he nominated US Navy Flag ahead of dirt-bred Mendelssohn for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Despite often not even being represented in the $2 million contest, European stables can boast four successes in North America's senior race for two-year-olds, via the unforgettable Arazi, Wilko and Vale Of York – plus Johannesburg, who landed a stunning success for Ballydoyle in 2001.

The race was given as first preference for Mendelssohn with his stablemate, who beat him in the Dewhurst, set for the Juvenile Turf before O'Brien decided on a switch.

"We didn't want to go on the dirt with Mendelssohn as he doesn't have as much experience as US Navy Flag," explained the trainer.

"We wanted to have a look at US Navy Flag to see if we train him for a Guineas or go sprinting with him, so we wanted to go that extra little bit further and see how he goes."

The dual Group 1-winning son of War Front will be having his 11th start of the year as he breaks from the inside gate under Ryan Moore.

"He's tough, very tough," added O'Brien. "He's an unbelievable horse, handled everything we've thrown at him. It seems like the more difficult the assignment, the more he has come through."

Mind you, they don't come much more difficult than taking on America's top dirt two-year-olds in their own backyard, and hot favourite Bolt D'Oro (Mick Ruis/Corey Nakatani) is many people's idea of a banker as he bids to extend his unbeaten sequence to four.

He's already won twice at Del Mar, where he took the Grade 1 Futurity in September before a near-eight-length victory last time out in the Grade 1 FrontRunner at Santa Anita, the principal trial for this race. He is versatile as well, having dueled for the lead and also pounced from off the pace.

Other leading contenders are east-coast visitors Free Drop Billy (Dale Romans/Robby Albarado) and Firenze Fire (Jason Servis/Irad Ortiz), Grade 1 winners last month at Keeneland and Belmont respectively.

'Philadelphia Flyer' the romantic option in Sprint

Breeders' Cup Sprint (Grade 1) 6f | dirt | 3yo+ (9.37pm GMT, live on ATR)

There would surely be fewer more romantic winners at the meeting than good little'un Imperial Hint (Luis Carvajal/Javier Castellano), the 15hh horse dubbed the 'Philadelphia Flyer' and one of just eight housed in his Chilean trainer's barn at Parx. The other seven are claimers.

"He is my dream come true," said 45-year-old Carvajal. "This is a singular story for a guy like me. When I started training I always had the dream, but it's not been very easy. We're really excited about running him in the Breeders' Cup."

Drawn on the outside of a ten-runner field, lightning-fast Imperial Hint comes in on a five-race winning streak at lesser grade, those five successes having been achieved by a cumulative 23 lengths and all of them worthy of three-digit speed figures on the Beyer scale.

Now, though, the four-year-old faces a severe test against opponents headed by last year's winner Drefong (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith), so impressive last time when making all for a four-length win in the Vosburgh.

One minor worry for the favourite, though, is that while he has won at Del Mar, his most recent visit was less than auspicious as he dumped Smith soon after the start.

Callaghan hoping to break duck with Moonshine

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1) 1m½f | dirt | 2yo fillies (7pm GMT, live on ATR)

Former Newmarket trainer Simon Callaghan will have major hopes of a first Breeders' Cup success in this $2m event with the unbeaten Moonshine Memories (Flavien Prat), twice a winner here already including in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in September.

The Coolmore team are part-owners of this filly, who beat Alluring Star (Bob Baffert/Joe Talamo) in the Chandelier at Santa Anita last time out.

"She got a great post and should be able to put herself in great position," said Callaghan. "She’s been training really well and we're hopeful she'll be able to have one of her best races."

Rivals are headed by a pair of recent Grade 1 scorers at the outer extremities of the gate in Heavenly Love (Mark Casse/Julien Leparoux), drawn one, and Separationofpowers (Chad Brown/Jose Ortiz), who is 13 of 13.

Will uniquely talented filly be the Bella of the ball?

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (Grade 1) 7f | dirt | 3yo+ f/m (8.14pm GMT, live on ATR)

Although no three-year-old filly has ever won this (six beaten favourites), Unique Bella (Jerry Hollendorfer/Mike Smith) is widely expected to buck the trend.

Rated a potential superstar in the spring with a series of runaway victories, she missed the major skirmishes with a shin injury before a comfortable victory on her comeback a month ago.

Unbeaten in five starts since her career debut, she lost her maiden status last year at Del Mar and would surely have been well fancied for the Distaff had connections chosen the longer race.

She will, though, be making her Grade 1 debut in a $1m event in which last year's winner Finest City (Ian Kruljac/Corey Nakatani) defends her title. Former claimer Skye Diamonds (Bill Spawr/TJ Pereira) is another leading fancy if the favourite bombs out.

Watson eyes half-century on undercard

Qatar Juvenile Turf Sprint (conditions race) 5f | turf | 2yo (6.20pm GMT)

Lambourn trainer Archie Watson is targeting his 50th career winner with Corinthia Knight, on whom Luke Morris gets some match practice over course and distance before partnering Marsha in the Turf Sprint.

"If you told me a year ago we'd be stood here I'd have told you you were mad or smoking something," said the Lambourn trainer.

"We're chasing our 50th winner, we're on 45 for the year and 49 for my career. It'd be some touch if it happened here.

"This time last year we had about four older horses and about 11 yearlings we bought on spec, so we were targeting ten winners and just upped it by ten every time we got there.

"We've got 40 boxes and have had between 35 and 40 horses most of the season; we're going to have to expand."

There is considerable European interest in this $200,000 highlight of the Breeders' Cup undercard, with Royal Ascot winner Sound And Silence (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), Out Of The Flames (Richard Hannon/Flavien Prat) and Declarationofpeace (Aidan O'Brien/Ryan Moore) also in the line-up.

"I hope he's got a very good chance," added Watson. "People will be fancying Charlie Appleby's horse but on a form line through Owen Burrows' horse [Mokaatil], who we gave 8lb and a six-length beating to, we should be right there."

Oisin Murphy rides former Ger Lyons-trained Treasuring (Simon Callaghan), while Wesley Ward's three runners Fairyland, McErin and Elizabeth Darcy should be familiar since they all ran at Royal Ascot.

>>Atalanta Stakes winner Aljazzi (Marco Botti/Andrea Atzeni) runs in the Grade 2 opener, the Goldikova Stakes (5.10pm GMT) over a mile.