Making Waves: Breeders’ Cup Bonanza For Team Europe

[Wandering Eyes]

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the Breeders' Cup meeting.

Ethical Diamond Hands Mullins The Turf

Training maestro Willie Mullins landed the biggest Flat victory of his career with Ethical Diamond (Awtaad) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Saturday (video). A winner of a brace of valuable handicaps across the pond, the five-year-old gelding has also run seven of his lifetime starts over hurdles.

Bred by W. Kennedy, Ethical Diamond is owned by the H O S Syndicate after selling for 320,000gns at the 2023 Tattersalls July Sale. Out of the winning Areion mare Pearl Diamond, the gelding is her only winner. She foaled a full-brother to Ethical Diamond this year.

Derrinstown Stud's Awtaad has an enviable 100% strike rate in America, and, with the Turf victory of Ethical Diamond, his record there is six winners from six runners. Notably, the Turf winner is his second Grade I winner after Anisette, who put her stamp on the American Oaks, Gamely Stakes, and Del Mar Oaks at the highest level.

From French Oaks To BC F&M Turf

In the Breeders' Cup nightcap, the GI Filly & Mare Turf, Peter Brant's Gezora (Almanzor) delivered a stirring performance for Francis-Henri Graffard (video).

Bred and initially raced by Haras d'Etreham and trained by Nicolas Le Roch, the daughter of Group 1 winner Germance (Silver Hawk) won a Group 3 at two before being purchased by Brant's White Birch Farm. She doubled her wins at that level for her new connections before she captured the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks). The last known foal out of her dam, Gezora is kin to the Group 1 winners and sires Mekhtaal and White Muzzle.

Now based at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand, Almanzor has sired eight winners from nine runners there (89%). His other stakes winner in that jurisdiction is the Listed Woodhaven Stakes winner Unanimous Consent.

O'Briens Collect BC Juvenile Turf Brace

Halloween marked the first day of the Breeders' Cup meeting, and Aidan O'Brien became the winningmost trainer in Breeders' Cup history with the victory of Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf for the Coolmore partners (video). The half-brother to G1 Middle Park Stakes/G1 Prix Morny-winning stallion Vandeek was bred by Maywood Stud.

Knocked down to Coolmore's MV Magnier for 450,000gns at the 2023 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, the G2 Coventry Stakes winner was second in three consecutive starts at the highest level–the Prix Morny, the National Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes in France, Ireland and England, respectively. Friday's triumph was his first at the top table. The seventh foal out of Mosa Mine (Exceed And Excel), Gstaad is one of five winners for his dam. The high class G1 July Cup winner and sire Anabaa is under the third dam, as is G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Always Loyal (Zilzal).

Coolmore's Starspangledbanner is having a strong year with his Northern Hemisphere juveniles. Of the 70 to race worldwide so far, 32 have won (46%) and his seven stakes winners are anchored by G1 Fillies' Mile/G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Precise, who scratched out of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday morning. Gstaad is the 10th Group/Grade 1 winner for the 19-year-old son of Choisir and his third in the U.S. Overall, the Coolmore sire has 22 winners from 36 runners there (61%).

Earlier on Del Mar's Breeders' Cup Friday card, Aidan's son Donnacha celebrated his first Breeders' Cup win in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Balantina (Ten Sovereigns) (video).

Racing for Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Lissa Ann McNulty, the daughter of Balankiyla (Montjeu) was winning her first black-type race after a pair of placings at Group 3 level in England and France. She caught the eye of Avenue Bloodstock, Parkland and Bawnmore for €100,000 out of the 2024 Arqana August Yearling Sale. Balantina is a half-sister to G3 Prix de Royaumont heroine Baiykara (Zarak), while her dam is a half-sister to GI Secretariat Stakes hero Bayrir (Medicean). Balankiyla's last known foal is a yearling colt by Churchill.

New to the Turkish stallion ranks this year, Ten Sovereigns now has a trio of top-flight winners to his name, incidentally Zulu Kingdom (GI American Turf Stakes) and Lush Lips (GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup) both also won American Grade Is. His record in the U.S. is 10 winners from 15 runners (66%) after the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Night Of Thunder Filly Wins At Keeneland

Stonestreet Stables' Amberglen (Night Of Thunder) won on debut at Keeneland on October 23 (video). Part of the Sunderland Holdings breeding programme, the juvenile filly is trained by Brad Cox.

A 320,000gns graduate of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, the chestnut is the first foal out of Sea Empress (Sea The Stars) and is followed by a yearling filly by Saxon Warrior, who sold for €55,000 to Highflyer/Joseph O'Brien during this year's Goffs Orby Book 1 Sale, and a weanling colt by Space Blues. G2 Coventry Stakes hero and multiple Group 1-placed sire Buratino is under the third dam.

Darley's Night Of Thunder has 15 winners from 24 runners (63%). His five U.S. stakes winners include Grade I scorers Dynamic Pricing and Choisya.

Bessie The Best In Canada

Bessie Abott steamed home a winner for Gary Barber, Team Valor International and Mark Casse in a Woodbine contest on October 23 (video). The GIII Wonder Again Stakes third was bred by Dr Noel Cogan and Patrick Williams.

The daughter of Kuroshio did not meet her reserve at €14,000 at the Goffs February Sale and wound up trained by Michael Mulvany for the Woodleigh Syndicate. The three-year-old filly won on debut at Galway in August of 2024 before transferring to the U.S. A half-sister to multiple stakes winner and three-time graded-placed Spirit And Glory (Cotai Glory), as well as the stakes-placed Italodisco (Cotai Glory), she is out of Supreme Spirit (Invincible Spirit).

Bessie Abott is Haras d'Annebault's Kuroshio's sole winner from one runner in Canada. Worldwide, he has five stakes winners led by G1 Goodwood Handicap scorer Savatoxl.

Debut Win For Saxon Warrior Filly

John P. Ryan's Aethelflaed (Saxon Warrior) motored straight to the head of affairs and never looked back to record a 1 1/2-length debut win at Woodbine on October 26 (video). Bred by the Love & Bubbles Partnership, the chestnut filly is trained by Tony Gattellaro.

Her dam, the Loup Savage mare Love And Bubbles, won the G3 Prix Chloe and was second in the G3 Prix Cleopatre. She's delivered 15 foals, good for 14 runners and 11 winners, with her best the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner and sire Deep Brillante to the cover of Saxon Warrior's sire Deep Impact. A full-sister to the Derby winner is Hubble Bubble, who was second in the G3 Flower Cup. Love And Bubbles's latest produce is a yearling colt by State Of Rest.

Coolmore's Grade I sire Saxon Warrior is the sire of 18 stakes winners worldwide, with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road his best. Aethelflaed is his fourth winner from 10 runners (40%) in the U.S.

Pinatubo Filly Dusts Gulfstream Rivals

eFive Racing Thoroughbreds' Sod Siren (Pinatubo) scampered home a 3 3/4-length winner in her third start at Gulfstream Park on Halloween (video). Hailing from the Saffie Joseph, Jr. barn, she is out of One Last Night (Elusive Quality).

The Salabi Racing, Pearl Champs Elysees and Etienne Drion-bred cost €250,000 as an Arqana August yearling when selected by Louis Dubois. A dual winner in France, One Last Night has a yearling full-sister to Sod Siren as her last reported foal who sold as an Arqana October yearling for €20,000 to Moez Miladi earlier this month. One Last Night's stakes-winning full-sister Devotee was third in the GI Alcibiades Stakes, while farther back, GI Coaching Club American Oaks third Folk (Quiet American) and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes winner Atone (Into Mischief) are also in the family. Her fourth dam is American champion juvenile filly and four-time Grade I winner Family Style (State Dinner).

Darley's Pinatubo counts four worldwide stakes winners so far with his eldest foals just three. Sod Siren is his fifth winner from eight to race (63%) in North America. His Cavallo Bay was third in the GIII With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga.

D'Amato Trainee Strikes At Del Mar

The third time was the charm for Iriseach (Ubettabelieveit), who won at the seaside for trainer Phil D'Amato on October 30 (video). Bred by Hyde Park Stud, the son of Max's Dandy (Dandy Man) races for the Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Strand Beach and Michael Nentwig.

Sean Davis Racing and GS Bloodstock picked up the bay for 15,000gns out of the Tattersalls Online June Sale, and Iriseach promptly ran fourth at Navan in the colours of Ms. Sinead O'Scanaill before being purchased privately and sent Stateside. He is the second runner and second winner for his winning dam, who has colts by Ardad and Aclaim born in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Under the third dam is GII Del Mar Mile Handicap and GII American Handicap winner Whatsthescript (Royal Applause).

Kodiac's Ubettabelieveit has now sired 11 winners from 37 runners worldwide (30%). Iriseach is his sole representative in North America to date.

Repeat Winners

Third in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in 2024, Godolphin homebred Notable Speech (Dubawi) flashed home a stylish winner of the 2025 edition for Charlie Appleby (video). A winner of the G1 2000 Guineas in the U.K., he also won the GI Woodbine Mile.

   Team Valor International and Steven Rocco's Special Wan (Belardo) was back in the winner's circle on Breeders' Cup Saturday with a tally in the GIII Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar for Brendan Walsh (video). The consistent five-year-old won the GIII Ladies Turf Stakes and the GIII Honey Fox Stakes earlier this year.

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