The Friday morning scratch of Aidan O'Brien-trained Precise, the heavy 6-5 morning-line favorite, left the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) wide open. Yet, a brilliant performance was still in order, and you didn't have to stray far from the family tree to find it.
That replacement was none other than O'Brien's son Donnacha, who earned his first career win in the World Championships Oct. 31 as Balantina dazzled over the Del Mar turf course.
Jockey Oisin Murphy, who picked up his second Breeders' Cup win, rode the 2-year-old daughter of Ten Sovereigns to perfection, dropping to the rail from post 10 to save ground around the clubhouse turn. Japanese runner Switch in Love set a quick pace before him with splits of :22.33, :45.96, and 1:11.01. In the stretch, Murphy navigated briefly off the rail before ducking back to it to surge to the lead at the sixteenth pole.
At the wire, Balantina was 1 1/4 lengths clear of the deep-closing Pacific Mission, with Ground Support running a strong race after sitting closer to the pace than the top two to finish third. Balantina completed the mile in 1:35.07.
"She took to the track very well," Murphy said. "Donnacha was very upbeat the way she trained in the mornings, and she's incredibly athletic. She handled the track like it was made for her."
Bred in Ireland by Summer Hill, Lynch Bages, and S. Murphy, Balantina races for the partnership of Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Lissa Ann McNulty. Medallion also won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) with Cy Fair., in partnership with Swinbank Stables, Joey Platts, and Mark Stanton.
After winning her second career start, Balantina hit the board in two European group races. However, her final race before the Breeders' Cup was a fifth in the Debutante Stakes (G2) at the Curragh in August. That loss left her overlooked by the bettors Friday, paying $43.20 to win.
"Her form was very strong in the early point of the year," O'Brien said. "When we ran her at the Curragh, probably shouldn't have; they got a shower rain literally half an hour before the race and the ground went soft. ... We gave her a bit of time, and (Parkland Thoroughbred's) Steve (Weston) wanted to come here."
Participating in the Breeders' Cup had always been Weston's target, sending a text to Murphy several months ago stating that mission. Although an American-based ownership group, Weston said he likes buying prospects in Europe and leaving them there. Balantina was selected by O'Brien and Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock for $108,244 at the 2024 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.
"Our goal every year, or my goal every year, is to make it to the Breeders' Cup with a 2-year-old," Weston said. "I believe that we are better off, the Americans, buying our horses and leaving them in Europe for a time and letting them grow; having the advantage to compete against possibly the best turf horses in the world. There's no reason to rush them to the States.
"If they're able to compete in group conditions, they should stay. We didn't feel right now Balantina was at that highest level. We thought maybe we'll bring her to the States and maybe we could be fortunate enough to see if Breeders' Cup will let us in."
