Loves Only You Breaks Through For Japan With Thrilling Filly & Mare Turf Triumph

It's been 35 years since Japanese Triple Crown winner Symboli Rudolf came to the U.S. in search of a major stakes victory in California that never materialized. It's been 26 years since Ski Captain traveled from Japan for an historic, but ultimately futile, attempt to win the Kentucky Derby. Sixteen years ago, Cesario scored a breakthrough Grade 1 victory for a Japanese-trained Thoroughbred in the  American Oaks at Hollywood Park and it's been six years since French-trained Karakontie won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile to become the first Japanese-bred winner of a Breeders' Cup race.

But until Loves Only You and jockey Yuga Kawada burst through a narrow opening in midstretch to beat My Sister Nat to the wire in Saturday's Grade 1, $2-million Filly & Mare Turf, no Japanese-bred and Japanese-trained horse had been successful on the world's biggest stage for Thoroughbreds, the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 5-year-old mare by Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, a son of 1989 U.S. Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, was considered the best runner ever sent by a Japanese horseman to the Breeders' Cup, and the globe-trotting Loves Only You did not disappoint. Sent off the 4-1 third betting choice, she secured a ground-saving spot just behind the early leaders in the 1 3/8-mile Filly & Mare Turf, awaited room at the top of the stretch and then demonstrated a quick turn of foot to overtake the front-runners and hold off a fast-finishing My Sister Nat by a head.

War Like Goddess, the 2-1 favorite, finished a head back in third after moving to the lead with an eye-catching, wide rally from the three-eighths pole to the wire. Love, the Aidan O'Brien-trained multiple Group 1 winner from Ireland, finished fourth as the 3-1 second betting choice, with defending Filly & Mare Turf winner Audarya fifth in the field of 12 fillies and mares. She was followed across the finish by Ocean Road, Rougir, Pocket Square, Acanella, Dogtag, Going to Vegas and Queen Supreme.

Loves Only You, owned by DMM Dream Club Co. and bred by Northern Farm, ran the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:13.87, about 2 4/5 seconds off the course record, and paid $10.60 on a $2 mutuel.

Going to Vegas went to the front, as expected, setting fractions of :24.10, :47.83, 1:13.06 and 1:38.20 while under pressure Dogtag. War Like Goddess, last early, turned up the heat with her move entering the far turn and was in front with an eighth of a mile to run after a mile and a quarter was clocked in 2:02.46.

A classic winner of the G1 Japanese Oaks at 3, Loves Only You was winless in five starts as a 4-year-old in 2020, but rebounded this year to win the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong in April after finishing a close third to Mishriff in the G2 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in Dubai. After a summer freshening, Loves Only You returned with a second-place finish in the G2 Sapporo Kinen in Sapporo, Japan, her last start before the Breeders' Cup.

“You know, when we finished second at Sapporo, I picked that race because the turf track is similar to Del Mar,” said trainer Yahagi.

The Filly & Mare Turf winner was produced by the U.S.-bred Loves Only Me, an unraced daughter of Storm Cat who was purchased by Japan's leading breeder, Katsumi Yoshida, for $900,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Loves Only Me was bred by the Niarchos and is a granddaughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner Miesque.

“I'd like to say thank you to my horse,” Yahagi said. “She did a great job. It's a dream come true for Japanese horse racing history. I'd love to come back Breeders' Cup at Keeneland next year and do the same thing, to win!”

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Chad Brown (My Sister Nat (FR), second) – “My Sister Nat ran great. Pocket Square just couldn't run that far. Jose (Ortiz) rode a great race. We had a plan to follow War Like Goddess, which he executed perfectly. I just said, 'If you have any chance to win, just follow her and draw alongside of her in the stretch and if our horse is good enough battle it out.' That's what Jose did. I'm so proud of this mare. It's bittersweet because she ran the race of her life, but it was her last race, and unfortunately, she never got that Grade 1 win that she deserves. She had a couple of tough beats. Nevertheless, she is off to the breeding shed and she has been a wonderful mare to train. I look forward to training her babies.”

Trainer Bill Mott (War Like Goddess, third as favorite) – “Being third's not as good as first. She ran hard. She made the lead a little early, maybe, and was a little wide off the turn – didn't have much choice about that.”

Jockey Julien Leparoux (War Like Goddess, third as favorite) – “We had a good trip.  She was nice and relaxed relaxed early.  Just before the three-eighths pole she took a hold of the bridle on her own and made that big move.  I had to go on with her then and we got carried wide.  It was sooner than I would have liked.  She ran a very good race.”

Jockey Ryan Moore (Love, fourth) – “She ran well just not good enough on the day.”

Jockey William Buick (defending winner Audarya, fifth) – “She ran a very big race considering the run we had. She got boxed in then denied a clear but ran on strong to the line.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy (Ocean Road, sixth) – “Had a great run round and she's put up a good performance.”

Trainer Hugo Palmer (Ocean Road, sixth) – “She ran very well and is going to be a lovely filly for next year. I expect her to keep improving.”

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How Goddess Channels Value and Viability

Once again, the Breeders' Cup reminds us how our whole business hinges on a delicate equilibrium. On the one hand, we need the kind of big plays made on barnmates Gamine (Into Mischief) and Corniche (Quality Road), who changed hands for $1.8 million and $1.5 million respectively, to come off sufficiently to keep the big spenders in the game. But we also need those Goliaths to be humbled, from time to time, by a little guy with a sling. If the Derby were won by a sale-topper every year, the pyramid of bloodstock values would not be vindicated; it would collapse. Because it's vital that every dreamer, at every level, feels he or she has some kind of chance.

We saw that in Wednesday's TDN, with the man who bred four of the best juveniles of the crop from mares that cost a total $32,400. Seeing that, perhaps the bigger farms will ask themselves whether their expensive quest for perfection will sometimes contain the seeds of its own undoing. It's a tough world out there, for the horses we breed, maybe we place such a premium on aristocratic glamor–breeding, elegance, every comfort in upbringing–that we risk introducing an element of delicacy or daintiness.

A still more uncomfortable challenge, however, is offered to those talent spotters who spend big for wealthy patrons. I have often heard horsemen anxiously complaining that they need to find an owner for a lovely horse that cost too little to be offered a client who has set a much higher budget: “They'll only ask why nobody else wanted it.” But the fact is that nobody “discovers” an oil painting with a stallion's page. With those, it just comes down to how deep prospectors are prepared to dig the glaringly obvious seam. Yet how few of those guys stick around for the dregs of a sale, ready to back their judgement on a diamond in the rough.

You might attribute that to a want of diligence or patience. But I would sooner put it down to a want of nerve. Arguably it takes more courage, more self-belief, to offer a tycoon a cheap horse from the second week of the September sale than it does to buy a seven-figure knockout in Book I.

That's why I doff my cap to the man who bought Gamine, Donato Lanni. He has deservedly assembled some pretty powerful clients over the years, having applied lore absorbed from John T.L. Jones to long associations with John Sikura and lately Bob Baffert, his resumé decorated by three winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic in Authentic (Into Mischief), Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) and Bayern (Offlee Wild). But the man who bought Gamine can also be credited with one of the great bargains in this year's Breeders' Cup cast, GI Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf favorite War Like Goddess (English Channel).

Aptly enough, he bought this filly–for $30,000 at OBS June–for the client who got him started, George Krikorian, who allowed Lanni to roll the dice on a $35,000 yearling filly by Dynaformer in 1999. She became millionaire and multiple Grade I winner Starrer; and War Like Goddess is threatening to bring things full circle, having won for the sixth time in seven starts on her Grade I debut in the Flower Bowl S.

This is one of those horses that have left a bunch of people standing on the riverbank, looking forlornly at the vacant hook at the end of their line and lamenting the one that got away.

Bred by Calumet, home to her chronically undervalued sire, she was first sold as a weanling for just $1,200 deep in the Keeneland November Sale of 2017 to Falcon L&L Stables / Lawrence Hobson. She was offered in the same ring the following September but was sent back as a $1,000 RNA, and resurfaced at OBS June for Hemingway Racing & Training Stable, breezing in :10 2/5. Step forward Lanni, with HND Bloodstock, to improve her value to $30,000.

The agent has described his curiosity on finding this “big, lanky” staying type in a sale like this. He felt she just needed time–and an owner who would give her just that. Krikorian was the very man, and Bill Mott the trainer to match. Sure enough, War Like Goddess did not resurface until September the following year, but she has barely looked back since.

There will be people similarly reproaching themselves over the odyssey of her dam, Misty North (North Light {Ire}), winner of a maiden claimer at Golden Gate Fields in 11 starts for breeder Judy B. Hicks after being retained as a $10,000 yearling. Calumet picked her up for $30,000 on retirement, carrying a first foal by Cape Blanco (Ire) who never made the track, and covered her with Red Rocks (Ire). The resulting yearling made just $2,000 before winning a series of claimers, but her next foal is War Like Goddess, who remained unraced when Calumet culled Misty North carrying a Bal a Bali (Brz) colt at the Keeneland November Sale two years ago. (They had tried to do so at the same auction the previous year, but she failed to generate a single bid.)

Misty North–who was still only nine–was bought for $1,000 by Charles Yochum, who took her home to his ranch in Texas. The other investor who has doubtless followed the rise of War Like Goddess with astonishment is Matt Ferris, who purchased Misty North's weanling filly by Red Rocks for $5,000 in the same catalog.

However those particular investments have played out, now that they respectively concern the dam and half-sister of a Breeders' Cup favorite, they reiterate our opening premise. We all need to feel we have a shot.

In view of the family's commercial struggles to this point, it's worth raising a couple points about the things missed by everybody bar Lanni.

The first is a fairly poignant one. Because War Like Goddess probably needs to replicate her racetrack excellence in her next career to preserve any kind of legacy for her damsire, who won the 2004 Derby for one of Europe's premier cultivators of Classic blood at the time, Ballymacoll Stud, before being imported by Adena Springs.

We must wait and see whether North Light will prove the last Epsom Derby winner retired to Kentucky–a profoundly depressing prospect, when you think of the breed-shaping impact here of so many predecessors, from the inaugural winner Diomed to Blenheim to Roberto, but very possible given the antipathy of the U.S. commercial market today to turf stallions (never mind staying turf stallions). But North Light certainly proved incompetent to stem that tide, even though access to his sire, the great international influence Danehill, had been a rarity in Kentucky. A peripatetic career that also took in Ontario, a return to Newmarket and California evidently drew unsustainably on a dam who, while a Group 1 winner herself, had achieved that distinction over a distance (two and a half miles!) unfathomable to the American commercial market.

Granted the pedestrian production record of her granddam, an unraced daughter of Victory Gallop, perhaps something has filtered through to War Like Goddess from third dam Romanette, a daughter of Alleged and Laughing Bridge (Hilarious), who completed the Schuylerville-Adirondack double in 1974. Romanette managed a couple of placings in graded stakes before proving a useful producer in Europe, where she had two Group 1-placed sons in Blush Rambler (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and Tendulkar (Spinning World).

Overall, however, it would seem that the principal genetic credit for War Like Goddess must go to her sire. He's having another wonderful year, consolidating his maiden domestic turf championship last year and making it very hard even for those of us who have long admired Kitten's Joy to deny that English Channel, as they approach the evening of their mutual careers, may have overtaken him as the premier grass stallion in America–even though he has hitherto been standing at less than half the fee. The fact is that their lifetime percentages now favor English Channel across all indices, as well as by earnings-per-starter.

War Like Goddess is one of three Grade I winners, eight graded stakes winners and 21 black-type performers for English Channel across North America and Europe this year. Kitten's Joy has admittedly had a quiet campaign (none, one and 14 in those categories) by the outstanding standards that have secured him two general sires' championships, but he could yet redress that with his outlying son Tripoli a live longshot in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic itself. He has plenty of ground to make up on Medina Spirit (Protonico) in their rehearsal at Santa Anita, but he had a wide trip that day, gets Irad and returns to the course and distance of his finest hour in the GI TVG Pacific Classic; while the winner, for his part, should reckon on a lot more competition up front this time.

Reverting to his rival, however, we must salute English Channel as a bulwark of precisely those genetic assets–such as durability and longevity–most urgently required by the breed today. He doesn't have the prizefighter build that comforts commercial breeders, and his median for his latest yearlings has run dead level with their $30,000 conception fee. Exactly the same, in other words, as Messrs. Lanni and Krikorian gave for War Like Goddess as a juvenile.

And here she is, favored to beat the Europeans at their own game. Mind you, their familiar myopia regarding dirt sires apparently extends even to U.S. turf stallions as outstanding as English Channel and Kitten's Joy (despite the immense impact made by the latter, from limited opportunity, most notably with the tragic champion Roaring Lion).

But that brings us right back to where we started. Because if our industry finds its critical energy in everyone having some kind of chance, then that often feeds precisely on the fact that commercial breeding is so nervously oriented to the sales ring, rather than the racetrack. This may very well be storing up trouble for the breed, in the longer term. In the meantime, however, it does allow the likes of English Channel to assist those smaller players laboring under the quaint delusion that it might be nice to have a horse that can actually run.

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Breeders’ Cup Diaries: When Leonard Looks At California Angel, He Sees A Bright Future

This continues our daily diary following Breeders' Cup first-timer George Leonard and his fan favorite filly California Angel on their route to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. See the first edition here.

Trainer George Leonard can finally rest easy – his princess has arrived at Del Mar.

After numerous plane delays for a flight that included not just California Angel but a number of Kentucky-based shippers, including the Brad Cox barn, the 2-year-old chestnut finally stepped onto the Del Mar backstretch around 10:30 last night. Stable staff can't travel with horses flying on FedEx, which is the default air carrier for horses since Tex Sutton closed up shop, so California Angel arrived without an entourage. Leonard said he probably couldn't have spared the help back at Indiana Grand anyway, where his remaining staff is looking after his other 19 horses. That means as long as she's here, Leonard is his filly's groom and hotwalker, which is no small feat.

Horse people know the old warning about chestnut fillies – they have strong opinions, and plenty of them. Those opinions can sometimes turn on a dime.

Sure, Leonard said, she has a streak of that stereotypical chestnut in her. She's always smart, nearly always easy and very mentally mature. She doesn't mind being handled until she does mind, and will make an impressive series of sour faces at Leonard. She's more bark than bite (most of the time); Leonard thinks sometimes she's just not in the mood to be social.

“She can be sweet and sour,” he said. “When she gets irritated with you she'll nip at you like, 'Get away from me.' But most of the time she's pretty sweet. She's all lady.”

When she gives him the stink eye, Leonard takes note. He moves quietly, does what he needs to do, and gets out of her way.

She's also quick on her feet. On Tuesday morning, Leonard's big hurdle was giving her a chance to see the track. He debated whether to walk her in her busy barn or let her stretch her muscles on the racetrack, so he brought her out for a relaxed walk in the yard to get a feel for her. The 2-year-old took in the scenery, looking relaxed in a way that smart fillies can when they're plotting something. In no time, her hind heels were above her head with an impressive series of bucks. Leonard, in a way only really experienced horsemen can, stood still, spoke to her in a low voice, and kept his hands quiet, waiting for the episode to pass. When she moved on, he moved on – no fuss, no yanking on her shank.

After that, he decided she probably wanted to go to the track.

 

“I went on and let her gallop,” he said. “She was too hyper. She did real well. I didn't know how she was going to handle it but she was really ready.”

The beauty of having a really great 2-year-old is that they evolve. While a successful juvenile campaign is very often about finding a horse who's at their peak early on, Leonard said he can look at California Angel and see more to come. She's an impressive scaffolding, but she'll be even better when she has filled in the gaps.

“She's still growing. She's grown since I bought her [in June],” said Leonard. “I'm looking for her to develop. She's just starting to develop now. She's not half the horse she's going to be. She's mature mentally but physically she's still growing and she'll be a lot more horse here in a little while. More muscle and body tone. She has shown very good talent already and you know there's a lot more to come.”

For now though, Leonard said he's focused on this weekend. He has seen many of the fillies the California Chrome daughter will face in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Several were with them in the Jessamine, and he got a glimpse of the others Tuesday morning. They're impressive, and the field is full at 14 total. It'll be her toughest challenge yet, but that doesn't mean Leonard is planning to be content with hitting the board.

“She ran against 13 horses in the Jessamine too,” he said. “I like to be optimistic. I'm here to win. I don't aim for second or third, I want to win. I think if everything goes right, we have a good chance to win if everything works for her.”

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Art Collector Headlines Full Slate Of BC Contenders Working At Del Mar

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, who figures to be one of the leading candidates for Saturday's $6 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, worked a half-mile in :48.40 Sunday morning to highlight a work tab that featured 20 pre-entrants to the World Championships slated for Friday and Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Art Collector was one of three horses to work for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Neil Poznansky was aboard the trio that included Casa Creed (Mile) going 4f in :47.60 and War Like Goddess (Filly & Mare Turf) going a half-mile in :48.20.

“They were all useful works, nothing blazing fast,” said Mott, who has won 10 Breeders' Cup races. “I never have a problem working good grass horses on dirt and this track looks safe and very forgiving.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez was aboard Bella Sofia as she covered a half-mile in :48.40 in preparation for the Filly & Mare Sprint.

“She's a happy girl and she loves to just go about her business,” Rodriguez said of Bella Sofia who has won four of five career starts and features daylight victories in the Grade 1 Test and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in her past two outings. “She handled the track well and was very comfortable on it.”

In all, 14 pre-entrants worked on the fast main track and six more were on the firm Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen worked four of his six pre-entrants headlined by probable Qatar Racing Sprint favorite Jackie's Warrior who covered 3f in :36.80. Also working half-miles for Asmussen were Clairiere (Longines Distaff) in :49.20, Echo Zulu (NetJets Juvenile Fillies) in :50.40 and Silver State (Dirt Mile) in :48.60.

Other dirt workers included C Z Rocket (Qatar Racing Sprint) going 3f in :35.80, Commander (Turf Sprint also-eligible) a half-mile in :48.80, Giant Game (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance) a half-mile in :48.60, and the Richard Mandella-trained duo of Dogtag (Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf) and Bombard (Turf Sprint also-eligible) working 5f in :58.20 and :58.40, respectively, in company.

Idol worked 5f in company in 1:02.40 but after the work trainer Richard Baltas notified Breeders' Cup officials that he did not feel Idol was 100 percent and withdrew him from the Classic.

Two other horses were withdrawn from Breeders' Cup consideration by their connections Sunday morning: Flagstaff from the Qatar Racing Sprint and Reina de Mollendo (ARG) from the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf.

Highlighting the six pack of grass workers were two California standouts in Mo Forza and Going to Vegas.

Mo Forza, a two-time winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, worked a half-mile in :49.40 for the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF for trainer Peter Miller. Shortly after Mo Forza finished his work, Going to Vegas worked a half-mile in :49.20 for Baltas in preparation for the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf.

Also working on the turf were Time to Party (Juvenile Turf Sprint) going 3f in :38.20, Charmaine's Mia (Turf Sprint) going a half-mile in :50.20, Extravagant Kid (Turf Sprint) a half-mile in :49.40 in company with Zofelle (IRE), and Cairo Memories (Juvenile Fillies Turf) going 5f in 1:04.40.

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