Breeders’ Cup Bulletin: Saturday Wrap Up

[Wandering Eyes]

CLASSIC ● Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) exited the Classic in good form, trainer John Sadler confirmed Sunday morning.

“We jogged him up and down the road [outside Churchill Downs’ Barn 43] and he looked very sound and happy,” he said. According to Sadler, the 5-year-old is scheduled to be vanned to Lane’s End Farm and given some down time and shown to prospective breeders as a future resident stallion.

Following his freshening, Accelerate will be returned to the trainer’s Southern California barn to be prepared for his final race before going to stud–the $9-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Florida’s Gulfstream Park Jan. 26.

In regards to all the talk surrounding Sadler garnering his first Breeders’ Cup victory, he said, “You know the John Sadler human-interest story is a good line but this needs to be about the horse. I hope people will zero in on his campaign–five Grade I victories with four at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter and usually carrying high weight. He showed [in the Classic] with horses from around the world, that he was the best horse. He had a great campaign and we’re very proud of that. He’s really a champion.”

Trainer Antonio Sano reported that Margoth’s Gunnevera (Dialed In) exited his second-place finish in Saturday’s Classic in good order. The 4-year-old is scheduled to ship back to Sano’s Gulfstream Park West barn Monday morning.

“I’m very proud of my horse,” Sano said. “He ran a very good race. We will run him in the Pegasus.”

Godolphin’s G1 Dubai World Cup winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic third-place finisher Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) is scheduled to return to his winter base in Dubai Thursday to prepare for a Dubai World Cup defense.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott confirmed Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry), “came out well,” of his fourth-place effort in the Classic. Yoshida, a Grade I winner on turf and dirt, will point toward a 5-year-old campaign.

Michael McCarthy indicated that 3-year-old Axelrod (Warrior’s Reward), who finished ninth–beaten eight lengths by Accelerate–in the Classic, would likely make one more start before the end of the year.

“He has done a lot of traveling this year and been on the road a lot,” said McCarthy.

He added that the dual Grade III winner could run in the Dec. 26 GI Malibu at Santa Anita at seven furlongs.

DIRT MILE ● Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s City of Light (Quality Road), front-running winner of Saturday’s GI Dirt Mile, is scheduled to return to trainer Michael McCarthy’s Southern California base early Monday morning.

“He came out of the race in good order and ate up [Saturday] night,” McCarthy said before heading to the airport and a flight to California Sunday. “We will see how he comes out of this race and if he acts like he needs a race, the GI Cigar Mile [Dec. 1 at Aqueduct] is an option.”

“When I saw he went the last quarter in :22 4/5 and Javier never moved on him, I knew it was his race to lose,” said McCarthy, who was registering his first Breeders’ Cup win.

Dallas Stewart was pleased with Charles Fipke’s homebred Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}) runner-up performance in the Dirt Mile.

“He’s great today,” Stewart confirmed Sunday. “Hopefully, we can move on to the Pegasus and earn an invite to Dubai.”

The trainer offered likely targets for the Grade I winner: the $9-million Pegasus World Cup followed by the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup.

Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), who was four-for-four heading into Saturday Dirt Mile, disappointed when fading to finish a distant sixth as the favorite.

“We’ll get him home to California and give him a full vetting and see what’s going on,” said trainer John Sadler. “That was a disappointing run for him [Saturday], but the plan is to campaign him at five and you’ll see better of him going forward.

“We scoped him after the race and he came back clean. Drayden [Van Dyke] said he was in a good position around the turn. but then started to lug out a little bit and didn’t really kick in. At that point, he didn’t force him or beat him up. He’s a lightly-raced horse [five starts], so we’ll check him out and get ready for another day.”

MILE ● Trainer John Sadler was upbeat Sunday about the effort put forth by Mile runner up Catapult (Kitten’s Joy).

“We’re really proud of him,” he said. “It was a very good second. He handled the yielding turf really well. He’s been a really good horse. He won two nice stakes at Del Mar and he got beat by Sir Michael Stoute [winner, Expert Eye] so that puts him in good company. He’ll probably run next in the [inaugural] $7-million Pegasus Turf [at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26].”

DISTAFF ● Trainer Brad Cox reported that his star filly, Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), who appears to have tied up a sophomore filly championship after recording her fifth Grade I victory of the season in Saturday’s Distaff, came out of the race in fine fettle and would be given a few days to “relax and chill” before any future plans are made. Cox indicated she would race again at four with the ultimate goal being a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

“I was confident going in just by the way she was training,” Cox said. “And, for the most part, the race was uneventful. She can sometimes make the ending interesting with her antics, but she was doing it the right way. She was sitting off another filly, which I liked and, when they slowed it down the backside, I thought, ‘she can handle this.’ She was just cruising around the turn and I could see other horses were coming under a ride. At the three-eighths pole, I was mainly watching her, but I kept glancing back and I could see that [2017 Kentucky Oaks winner] Abel Tasman was backing out of it. When they straightened up, I had never seen my filly turn for home that loaded and I was like ‘Wow.’ [Jockey] Florent [Geroux] never hit her. When they got to the eighth pole, I kept thinking ‘stay straight, you’ve got this.’ It was a big effort. I can’t say enough about the filly and what she’s accomplished this year.”

Trainer Ignacio Correas IV said Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) came out of her fourth-place effort in good shape.

“She broke a touch late, but I don’t think that made any difference,” he opined. “I think she tried to win the race and that cost her the second [as she tired a bit in deep stretch]. I’m very happy with the race, and very proud of the way she ran.”

As for future plans for Blue Prize, nothing has been confirmed.

“I don’t know if she’s going to race or if they [owner Merriebelle Stables LLC] are going to retire her. She’s going to rest, I assume that. She’s only five–and she’s going to be five until the middle of next year being a Southern Hemisphere-born horse. Usually these Argentinian horses do better at six than five. She’s still young.”

Plans for Gary Barber’s Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro), ninth in Saturday’s Distaff after setting the pace, remain up in the air, according to trainer Mark Casse.

“She felt great this morning and came out of the race really well,” confirmed assistant trainer Nick Tomlinson. “She has taken me places I never thought I would go. We could never be disappointed in her. There are not a lot of horses that can do what she has done. She has danced every dance and run with the best of the best. We will wait and see what we do from here.”

SPRINT & TURF SPRINT ● Trainer Peter Miller, beaming the day after a pair of his charges–Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) and Roy H (More Than Ready)–successfully defended their Breeders’ Cup titles in the Turf Sprint and Sprint, respectively. Stormy Liberal and Roy H, who are both fully or partially owned by Rockingham Ranch, are possible to return to Dubai for the $2-million G1 Al Quoz Sprint and $2.5-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, respectively. Stormy Liberal was second in the Al Quoz Sprint in March and Roy H was third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

“We’re all good,” Miller confirmed.

The Sprint runner-up Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) came out of the Sprint well and will remain in training with the ultimate goal of making it back to the Sprint for a third try in 2019.

“We’re very proud of him,” said trainer Ron Moquett. “Of course, we wanted him to win, but he did a very good job [Saturday]. I think if you run the race another three or four times, with those good horses, you’d get a different result each time. [Saturday] was just Roy H’s day. Hopefully. we’ll get another chance to hook back up with him.”

Moquett added, “We’ll take him back to Hot Springs for the sprint series at Oaklawn next spring and hope to get back to the Breeders’ Cup.”

EURO REPORT ● All the European horses that contended this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs were reported to be in good health after their exertions Saturday. Ballydoyle was the first to leave Churchill Downs; the team was scheduled to depart for Chicago Sunday morning before heading overseas later that evening. All the horses will be returning to Ireland with the exception of Mile sixth-place finisher Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will remain in America.

The majority of the Ballydoyle runners are done for the season, although Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) are among possibilities for the Hong Kong International Races Dec. 9. A decision will be made by the end of the month.

The French contingent also departed for Chicago Sunday, but will have an overnight stop before flying back to France Monday morning. Talismanic (GB) (Medaglia d’Oro) is possible for either the G1 Hong Kong Cup and Vase, however, his participation has not been confirmed by trainer Andre Fabre, who indicated he would make a decision after the horses have returned to Chantilly.

Champion mare Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who made history by becoming the first horse to win a Breeders’ Cup race and a G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same season, pleased trainer John Gosden Sunday.

“She is absolutely fine [Sunday morning]” Gosden confirmed. A decision as to whether Enable will remain in training in 2019 will be made at a later date.

Gosden also reported Quatar Racing’s Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy), 14^th in the Classic, to be in fine from Sunday. The grey will now be given some time off before heading to stud. Another of the operation’s horses–Lightning Spear (GB) Pivotal {GB}) (Mile)–has run his last race. Trained by David Simcock, the 7-year-old will now start his career as a stallion along with Roaring Lion at Tweenhills.

Bermuda Thoroughbred Racing’s Queen of Bermuda (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), who finished fourth for trainer William Haggas in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, will remain in the United States under the guidance of Graham Motion. One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus})–fifth in the Mile for Haggas-remains possible for the Hong Kong Mile in December.

Katsumi Yoshida’s The Mackem Bullet (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}), sixth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, has run her last race for trainer Brian Ellison. She will now be transferred to the U.S.-based operation of Wesley Ward. Juvenile Turf eighth The Black Album (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (Juvenile Turf) will remain at Churchill Downs under the guidance of Rodolphe Brisset, while French Group 2 winner Princess Yaiza (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}), ninth in the Filly & Mare Turf, will go to the barn of Christophe Clement.

 

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