Rebel’s Romance and Notable Speech Booked for Breeders’ Cup Return

[Wandering Eyes]

Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and Notable Speech (Dubawi) look set to spearhead a top-class team for Charlie Appleby at next month's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, a meeting at which the Godolphin trainer has excelled since saddling his first winner in 2013.

Appleby took his tally of Breeders' Cup winners to 11 at Del Mar last year when Rebel's Romance won the Turf for a second time, having also been successful at Keeneland in 2022. More recently, the seven-year-old gained the ninth top-level victory of his career when heading back Stateside for September's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct, taking his career earnings beyond $14.4 million.

Now, Rebel's Romance is being primed for his attempt to become the first three-time winner in the history of the $5-million Breeders' Cup Turf. He will again be joined at Del Mar by Notable Speech, who will be given the opportunity to try and better his third-place finish in last year's $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Mile, having resumed winning ways last time in the GI Woodbine Mile.

“Rebel's Romance and Notable Speech will be the two feature horses, but we'll have a few others as well,” Appleby said of his potential squad for the showpiece meeting.

“We know there are going to be younger legs than Rebel's Romance going round there but, at the Breeders' Cup and on those type of tracks, you can't beat experience – he has an abundance of it.

“He'll tell me when it's time to stop. People have asked me the question many times and I've always said the day he runs out of the first three is probably him saying he's raised his white flag. He owes us nothing but, while he's enjoying it, we'll allow him to keep doing it.”

Weighing up the other contenders to fly the flag for Godolphin at Del Mar, Appleby continued, “Notable Speech has come out of Woodbine well and we'll keep an eye on El Cordobes as well, because he ran a solid race behind Rebel's Romance last time [when third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic]. As we all know, you just need luck round Del Mar.

“Two-year-olds-wise, we'll just see how the horses I ran at Woodbine are. Dance To The Music is probably going to run at Newmarket in the Fillies' Mile, but the colt [Wild Desert] will probably head to Del Mar. Hopefully, he has a bit of luck on his side after gaining the experience last time.

“I might look at the Filly & Mare Turf with Diamond Rain and Cinderella's Dream will also be in the mix for that, while we have Military Code for the [Juvenile Turf] Sprint. I think that race might just suit him.”

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