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Hold Your Breath for the Best of Times


Wandering Eyes

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Arcadia, CA-Never mind the macabre pantomime of the meeting’s eve, with all the skeletons at Clockers’ Corner. The return of our sport’s greatest carnival to Santa Anita, on the feast of All Saints, is haunted by genuine spectres. And, as in all ghost stories, it is the irrationality we dread.

Quite clearly, the welfare protocols for the 36th Breeders’ Cup could not be more painstakingly respectful of those beautiful creatures lost in that harrowing sequence of breakdowns here earlier in the year. If we now feel vulnerable only to something unaccountable, something that nobody could be expected to anticipate, then our collective conscience should be clear. But you know what they say: never let the facts get in the way of a bad story.

Of all the outcomes that remain beyond our control, perhaps the most perilous is their interpretation by the world beyond our parish. But there’s no point allowing fear of some freakish mishap to stifle the joys we can expect, if only fate shows due regard for the anguished determination of a whole community to restore maximum pride to its partnership with the Thoroughbred.

The potential for the next two days, in either direction, was spanned within moments soon after sunrise yesterday.

The chilling blare of a klaxon: a horse bolting the wrong way, still mounted but straight into the traffic. A brave outrider hurtled after the runaway, the pair disappearing down the chute. A second later, the horse-now riderless-careered across the main alley through the backstretch, then swarming with precious horses and terrified people. Somehow there was no collision. We can only hope that this miracle has not consumed too much of our collective ration of good fortune.

For barely a minute previously McKinzie (Street Sense), Vino Rosso (Curlin), Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) had strode through that same gap, one glorious animal after another, their shoulders and quarters like great molten ingots in the low glare. And the Ballydoyle regiment were out too, venturing out of quarantine to canter a circuit in Indian file, their coiled energy submitting to a collective harmony.

How much we have to look forward to; how much, equally, we yet fear. But let’s be positive. Let’s hope we have already seen the worst of times, and that things now level off into the very best of times.

Whether that spirit of optimism can be extended to the performance of the European raiders remains to be seen. They have again proved pathetically lacking in ambition, in terms of the dirt races, with only Jane Chapple-Hyam prepared to challenge on the main track-and, given that the dizzily upgraded Ambassadorial (Elusive Quality) faces perhaps the most talented indigenous runner of all in Omaha Beach (War Front), she may turn out to be showing a little too much adventure where everyone else has managed none.

To be fair, it takes plenty of enterprise to be here at all. The turf events, after all, themselves expose the Europeans to a seriously alien racing environment. As a consequence of the local welfare trauma, moreover, that is truer than ever of the grass sprints, now abbreviated to five turning furlongs.

It would be nice to think that dashes down the spur might someday be revived, having given us the granddam of Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) in “queen of the hill” Cambiocorsa (Avenue Of Flags). Her name translates to “race change” and, for now, that is just what we’re looking at here.

As a result Frankie Dettori, even in his current King Midas vein, has his work cut out on Royal Ascot winner A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) from stall 10 in the GII Juvenile Turf Sprint. In principle, this looks characteristically smart placement by Simon Crisford, who knew that he could persevere to the G2 Norfolk S. with a colt who had been turned over at Ripon.

“I still can’t work out what happened there,” said Crisford’s son and assistant Ed. “He was green, he fell out of the stalls, and though he travelled well it was good to soft ground and the winner has useful form since.

“A’Ali has been incredibly consistent at five furlongs, his only disappointment coming on testing ground over six in France. Obviously he’s never raced round a bend in his life, so we took him to Wolverhampton the other day to get him to switch leads going round there and he did everything really well.

“But the key is his temperament, which is unbelievable. A 2-year-old at this trip, you’d say could be highly strung, but if you let him loose he’d put his head down and pick grass.”

Dettori admits himelf on something of a wing and a prayer. “It’s not even a scenario where you can just hope to break fast, because if you do that you can find yourself six wide and you can’t win doing that round such a tight track,” he said. “It’s in the lap of the gods so you have to play it by ear, and hope they go too fast. But from day one I sat on him I thought this race would be ideal: he has a tendency to go left, he’s neat and compact. In terms of ability he’s definitely good enough.”

Of course, the expansion of the turf programme to include races like this has contributed to European wariness of the dirt options in recent years. The raiders have certainly responded to this opportunity, fielding half the field of 12 in the inaugural running last year and again this time.

On the other hand, only Aidan O’Brien throws his hat into the ring for the GI Juvenile Turf, with Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Fort Myers (War Front). They finished first and fourth respectively in the G2 Coventry S. back at Royal Ascot, and have been well hardened since-with Arizona apparently setting the standard after giving champion Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) most to do in the G1 Dewhurst S.

Keep an eye on the flourishing Peace Achieved (Declaration Of War) in the silks of the estimable Joe Minor, but the fact is that the Europeans have plundered eight of the dozen runnings of this race-and O’Brien accounts for four of those.

True, the Ballydoyle pair also have a challenging draw, in 12 and 13 respectively. “Things need to fall a bit in your favour when you’re out there,” O’Brien said. “But Arizona ran a serious race in the Dewhurst and we always thought this ground would help him. Fort Myers, the same, he’s a hardy War Front colt and we thought a mile would suit him.”

Paradoxically, there’s contrasting depth to the European challenge for the fillies’ version, with no fewer than seven runners-even though this prize has only been exported once in 11 runnings.

The raiders are headed by Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), already a winner at this level in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. While the colours of the Niarchos family have an illustrious Breeders’ Cup history, this is a first runner at the meeting for Jessica Harrington-and the latest measure, as such, of her rather astounding evolution, deep into a career dominated by jumpers, into a no less respected trainer on the level. She has had 63 domestic Flat winners so far this year, up from her previous best of 44 in 2018, and Albigna is bidding to crown the success of fellow female juveniles Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner and G2 Debutante S. respectively.

Harrington remembers coming to Santa Anita in yet another professional incarnation, as a three-day eventer at the 1984 Olympics. Unfortunately, her mount went lame just before the big day, though she enjoyed the opening ceremony and the whole glitz of the experience.

“Life changes, and you take what it throws at you,” she said with a shrug, reflecting not so much on that disappointment as her unconventional career path since. “You do your best and hope to be lucky. The plan was to bring Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercrafstman {Ire}) here last year but then she got hurt, so it’s amazing to end up here so soon.

“Albigna showed a good turn of foot in France on ground we thought she mightn’t even handle, her first two runs in Ireland having been on faster going. She was found to be in season after the [G1] Moyglare S. I knew something was wrong, because she wasn’t herself in the parade ring and ran much too free, which isn’t like her, but she redeemed herself in France.

“I’m very happy she’s drawn nine because on the inside she might have got into some argy-bargy. She’s a well-balanced filly and Shane Foley is riding with tremendous confidence. It’s a big help that he rode a winner round here in January.”

The “home” defence in this race actually includes an Irish pauper-turned-princess. Croughavouke (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) was bred by Joe Fogarty but returned to Kilfeacle Stud after failing to meet her reserve at €4,500 at the Sportsman’s Sale last year. Trained by Fogarty’s son Aidan, she won a Limerick maiden in July and was then sold, presumably for rather more, to join Jeff Mullins. She has finished second twice in Listed company since arriving in California.

O’Brien did consider the dirt for one of his runners in this race, Etoile (War Front), but felt she lacked experience after only two starts.

“We did look at the dirt races, and always will, but this year I just felt we didn’t have the right horse,” O’Brien said. “They need to be seasoned, they need that speed, and you just have to remember that sometimes it can be easier to do the wrong thing. We’ll keep trying, and we’ll keep refining it, and I’m sure we’ll have another go in the future.”

As it stands, with Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) left behind, perhaps the stakes among his team are highest for Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who must restore his reputation and value to their Epsom levels in the Turf tomorrow.

“We’re very happy with him,” O’Brien said. “He had one little blip in the bad ground in the King George, where I shouldn’t have run him. I was delighted with his run in the Irish Champion and would have run him in the Arc if the ground was nice. The track, trip, ground and draw, everything looks right for him.”

Between €4,500 buybacks and Derby winners, at least on the turf European has made a full contribution to the pageant. This time, however, horses of every flag will all be running in the same cause. And that is to remind us all that coming first or last is always secondary to simply coming home.

 

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The post Hold Your Breath for the Best of Times appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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