John Henry Turf Championship 2024 Picks

By Jarrod Horak

The Grade 2, $750,000 John Henry Turf Championship will be run at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, September 28, 2024, and this is a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The eleven entrants will travel 1 1/4 miles on the turf course and Gold Phoenix is the tepid 7-2 morning line favorite. The John Henry Turf goes as the seventh race on the California Crown program with a scheduled post time of 6:37 p.m. EDT.

John Henry Turf Analysis

After the G2 Del Mar Handicap, I recapped the race and said that #11 Balnikov (5-1) was the horse I wanted out of that race. He had the race flow working against him and rallied to finish a close third (143 Final Time Rating). He showed nice late interest in his last four starts including a win in the Grade 3 Dinner Party (141 Final). He gets the services of Flavien Prat and can make some noise in the stretch if the pace is honest.

#3 Divin Propos (6-1) was part of the trifecta in 9 of his 10 starts (4 wins). He looked good winning an allowance affair at 1 3/8 miles on Aug. 22 (144 Final). Antonio Fresu sticks with Phil D’Amato’s gelding and a stalking trip is expected.

#4 Master Piece (9-2) finished a close fifth as my top choice in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) last time. Juan Hernandez sticks with him and he fits with these if he can run back to his Fort Marcy (G2) win in May (155 Final).

#10 There Goes Harvard (6-1) was an even 5th of 8 in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 31, and that was his first start in more than a year and the race shape was against him. He has won twice on turf and handles this distance, and John Velazquez takes the call.

#9 Gold Phoenix (7-2) is the favorite after winning the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf for the third time. He competed in this event in 2022 and 2023 and finished third and fifth. Others are more enticing from a value standpoint.

John Henry Turf Video