Irish-bred Blackbeard showed his class to win the Darley Prix Morny (G1) for 2-year-olds Sunday at Deauville in France.
The half-length victory secured Blackbeard a guaranteed start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) in November at Keeneland through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained Blackbeard, who is owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg, scored his first Group 1 success in the Prix Morny.
Settled on the inside rail under jockey Ryan Moore, Blackbeard was prominent throughout the race before knuckling down in the closing stages to hold off Persian Force for the narrow win. Aidan O'Brien's other runner in the race, The Antarctic, finished 1½ lengths behind in third.
A bay son of No Nay Never out of the Born To Sea mare Muirin, bred by Newstead Breeding, Blackbeard completed the about six-furlong trip in 1:09:91 over a turf course listed as good.
Blackbeard improved his record to five wins from seven starts, which includes a victory in the Darley Prix Robert Papin (G2) July 17 at Chantilly in his previous start. Blackbeard also becomes the second horse to gain a “Win and You're In” berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint this year, joining Norfolk Stakes (G2) winner The Ridler, who finished last of the five runners in the Prix Morny.
“We're very happy with him,” said O'Brien, celebrating his Prix Morny win. “He always feels like he has a little bit more, but he [Ryan] was delighted with him. He's a proper fast, early, mature 2-year-old; he jumps and takes loads of racing.”
Both the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at about seven furlongs at Longchamp, a “Win And You're In” for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and the six-furlong Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket are now under consideration for Blackbeard.
“Blackbeard's obviously very speed orientated, he might get further but he has a lot of speed,” O'Brien said. “He would have the option to come back [to France] for the Group 1 [Lagardere] or the Middle Park, so I think all those races are options for him.”
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on November 4-5.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Blackbeard to start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland, which will be run at 5 ½ furlongs. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 24 to receive the rewards.
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