Trainer Charlie Appleby (far left) and Jockey William Buick (middle right) after winning the 2024 Sheema Classic with Rebel’s Romance. (Dubai Racing Club)
Breeders’ Cup Closer Look
It is rare for Charlie Appleby to fly a bit under the radar in any race, much less a Breeders’ Cup, but Military Code is doing just that in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, currently ninth in the international market for the 5f grass dash that kicks off the World Championships on Friday. William Buick will ride the dual winner from six starts, a Godolphin homebred son of Wootton Bassett who exits a head-bob second in the Listed Roses Stakes at York Racecourse’s famed Ebor Festival on Aug. 23. Appleby has started just one horse in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, winning with Mischief Magic (IRE) in 2022 at Keeneland.
“He’s coming off a bit of a break since Ebor and I just feel he’s a horse who reminds me a little bit of Mischief Magic, where he may not be the best horse in the race, but the running style could just suit him around there, in respects to the hustle and bustle,” Appleby said. “Obviously, we are waiting for the draw, which is a huge factor around there. Regardless of that, I think the style of the race could just suit him. He’s far from being the best horse on rating and has plenty to find on that, but he goes there fresh, he loves the quick ground and I think the track and the style of race will suit him.”
Mischief Magic entered his successful Breeders’ Cup venture off a fourth in G1 company and already owning a Group 3 victory two races prior. His rating at the time 109, is four pounds higher than the 105 of Military Code.
Beginning his career in the spring at Newmarket and Ascot with two of wins, Military Code kept a busy summer schedule that included a disappointing 17th as the 7-1 fourth choice in a 20-horse renewal of the Group 2 Coventry at Royal Ascot. Continuing his tour of the prestigious meetings of the summer in the UK, he was a head second in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown during the Coral-Eclipse meeting and seventh in the Molecomb at Glorious Goodwood before his second at Ebor to subsequent Flying Childers winner Revival Power.
“The filly that beat us went on to win again, so she put a good stamp on it, and I actually think Military Code is in better condition now than he was before Ebor, to be fair,” Appleby continued. “I was wanting to run him between then and now, but unfortunately there wasn’t a place that I thought he would gain the right experience to prepare him for the Breeders’ Cup. I toyed with possibly taking him to Dundalk to get him on a turning track there, but again, it may not have helped us get into the (Juvenile Turf Sprint), as we knew we were on the edge ratings-wise of getting into the Breeders’ Cup, so we decided to educate him at home and hope we got him right.”
Buick reflects Appleby’s confidence.
“He’s a solid horse and it’s going to suit him around there,” Buick said. “He wants 5 furlongs and fast ground. He reminds me a lot of Sound And Silence (GB), who we brought there for that race in 2017 and he finished a good second. I think he’s going to get it to suit him, especially if he gets a good gate.”
The precursor to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint was the Qatar Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes in 2017 at Del Mar (Breeders’ Cup Saturday), a $200,000 Listed affair attracted seven overseas entries, including the first four finishers.
