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Diamond Jubilee Win Gives Dream Of Dreams Guaranteed Spot In Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

Saeed Suhail's Dream Of Dreams (IRE) put the agony of two previous near-misses behind him to capture the six-furlong G1 $975,000 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot near London, England, and earned an automatic berth into this year's $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 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 Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Dream Of Dreams to start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at five furlongs at Del Mar. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

Dream Of Dreams, a chestnut gelding by Dream Ahead out of the Dansili (GB) mare Vasilia (GB), and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, had experienced two defeats by a head in the Diamond Jubilee in the last two years. In 2019, he fell narrowly short of catching Blue Point (IRE), and, in 2020, finished just too late to catch Hello Youmzain (FR).

After last year's Royal Ascot defeat, Dream Of Dreams won three of his next four starts, which included his Group 1 breakthrough in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup. Today, he doubled his Group 1-winning record, and made it four wins out of the last five, when mastering the front-running Glen Shiel (GB) inside the final furlong to win by a length, under jockey Ryan Moore.

Dream Of Dreams completed the 6 furlongs in 1:14.87 on a course listed as soft. Art Power (IRE) finished third. Prerace favorite Starman (GB) was a non-runner because of the ground conditions.

“Michael has been great to me throughout my whole career,” said Moore. “He's got this horse, who is 7 now, to perform three times in a row here. It's great that he's able to win today. He's been a great horse. He's got better every year. A stiff six with cut in the ground is perfect for him.”

Stoute gained his only other success in the race with Dafayna (GB) in 1985 when it was a Group 3 race known as the Cork And Orrery Stakes. His second triumph with Dream Of Dreams was the 82nd Royal Ascot victory for the meeting's winningest trainer. Dream Of Dreams also became one of only two 7-year-olds to win the race since 1946 and the joint oldest.

“The horse really deserves it,” said Stoute. “He's a top-class sprinter. In the previous two years, one more stride and he wins, but that's not what it's about, you've got to get there first. I am really happy for him today. He's a very untypical sprinter. He goes down so relaxed; he is almost pulling up. It's a great thrill.

“I was pretty hopeful from two furlongs out because he finishes well. He's actually a very effective horse over seven furlongs as well. He won a Group 1 last year and he's won Group races but it's been very frustrating he's been beaten so narrowly.

“As he's got older and more mature, he has relaxed more and got better. The team has done a great job with him. He has been pretty consistent, getting beaten a head two years running. He doesn't run too many below par races.”

Dream Of Dreams left Archie Watson, trainer of Glen Shiel, standing in the runner-up spot for a second day after a Royal Ascot Group 1.

On Friday, Watson's Dragon Symbol (GB) had been demoted to second after being found to have caused interference to the U.S. challenger Campanelle (IRE), trained by Wesley Ward, when finishing first past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup.

“Glen Shiel has probably put in a career-best performance today,” he said. “He got closer to the winner than he did at Haydock last year. I'm delighted he has backed up his Group 1 win [in the G1 British Champions Sprint ] with another very solid run at this level. He's shown that that wasn't a one-off and he can now go through the rest of the year in these six-furlong Group 1s and we can be confident he'll run well in them.”

Dream Of Dreams joins Casa Creed, winner of the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, as the first two runners to earn automatic starting positions into this year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

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Royal Ascot To Feature Four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Races Again In 2021

Great Britain will host the first four races of the 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series to be run in Europe this year when the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting opens at Ascot Racecourse on Tuesday, June 15.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of 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 Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winners of four races to start in the $2 million Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, $4 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, $1 million Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

This will be the fourth consecutive year that Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races will be held at Royal Ascot. A crowd of 12,000 spectators per day will be admitted under coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Tuesday's 1-mile, $563,000 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, features some of Europe's leading older milers headed by Palace Pier (GB).

Palace Pier, winner of the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at last year's royal meeting, could meet Order Of Australia (IRE) and Lope Y Fernandez (IRE), first and third in the 2020 G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, as well as former G1 Queen Anne winner, Lord Glitters (FR).

Palace Pier, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum and trained by father and son John and Thady Gosden, who will be operating as a training partnership for the first time at Royal Ascot, has won seven out of eight and recorded two comfortable victories in 2021, including in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes last month.

“He is a lovely horse who has done everything right in his life,” said John Gosden. “He only missed the autumn of his 2-year-old career. He prepped in a Newcastle race last year and came out and won the St James's Palace Stakes. He did everything right last year until the end when he ran on very soft autumn ground (in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot). He hated that, lost a shoe and got left.

“He's come back well this year. We are back there. It will be different ground again but we are happy with him.

“He did handle that ground (good to soft) in the Lockinge and I've got to be clear that maybe a horse like Lope Y Fernandez did not. Back now on summer ground I think you will see a lot more horses come into play that maybe weren't happy on the ground.”

Lord Glitters, now age 8, finished fourth in the Lockinge in his first start since returning from a successful trip to Dubai. Trainer David O'Meara said: “He ran fine in the Lockinge. There were a few younger horses ahead of him and Palace Pier looked unbeatable, but Lord Glitters likes the straight track at Ascot so hopefully he runs his race again. He is better at Ascot than at Newbury.”

Wednesday's feature, the $991,000 Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, will be contested by another single figure, yet high-class field.

Last year's first and second Lord North (IRE) and Addeybb (IRE) have been engaged but Addeybb is unlikely to run unless there is significant rain, which is not forecast.

The race could mark the return of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier's 4-year-old filly Love (IRE), who in a short but unbeaten 3-year-old campaign won the Group 1 1,000 Guineas, Group 1 Oaks at Epsom, and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, as well as Mrs. A. M. Swinburn's Audarya (FR), winner of the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November.

Last year's first and second Lord North (IRE) and Addeybb (IRE) have been engaged but Addeybb is unlikely to run unless there is significant rain, which is not forecast.

HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's Lord North ended the year finishing fourth in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and returned to the winner's circle with victory in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March this year.

“He's a great character, he's in good form,” said John Gosden. “He's back on quicker ground. I think it's a fascinating race. Love has been waiting for this type of ground. She was exceptional last year but she raced with her own sex.”

A decision on Audarya's participation was expected over the weekend with trainer James Fanshawe saying: “She goes on all ground. I wouldn't want it rock-hard but hopefully on the second day of Ascot it won't be.”

The 11-time Royal Ascot winner Wesley Ward will be seeking a third victory in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, a “Win and You're In” for the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, in which Golden Pal was beaten a neck before going on to capture the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland last year.

Ward is set to be represented by Kentucky-breds, Lucci, with John Velazquez named to ride, and Nakatomi, who will be ridden by Britain's champion jockey Oisin Murphy, in the US$113,000 contest at 5 furlongs.

“At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together,” said Ward. “Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”

The David Ward homebred Starman (GB) has won four of five and is favorite to secure his first victory at the highest level in the 6-furlong $991,000 Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Starman, a bay son of Dutch Art (GB), won York's Group 2 Duke of York Stakes last month, in which he beat Nahaarr (IRE) by a neck.

“He is a massively exciting horse,” said his trainer Ed Walker. “He is a big imposing horse with that presence, a real head-turner in the string. He's obviously very good as well. Everything has gone well since York.

“Nahaarr got pretty close to us at York and Dream Of Dreams (IRE) is a G1 winner. I kind of feel that they both are probably at their best with a bit of dig in the ground so I think if it's good, fast summer ground it will play into our favor slightly.”

The race will also mark the return of Bearstone Stud Ltd.'s Glass Slippers (GB), who will be having her first start since winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last year. Fifth in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes (G1) last year, she will be running over 6 furlongs for the first time since August 2019.

“She showed towards the end of the year she was seeing out the 5-furlong trip well,” said Adam Ryan, son and assistant of trainer Kevin who won last year's Group 1 Diamond Jubilee with Hello Youmzain.

“She has done everything there is over 5 furlongs with her Group 1 wins, so it's worth a try at 6 as it could open up plenty of other options.”

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No Denying Smooth Like Strait From Grade 1 Victory In Shoemaker Mile

Although he was pressed hard early, Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait unleashed a devastating turn of foot the final quarter of a mile to take Monday's Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile by 1 ½ lengths under Umberto Rispoli, who collected his third win of the day at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait, a 4-year-old colt by Midnight Lute, got the mile on grass in 1:34.19.

With the Shoemaker Mile being a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, Smooth Like Strait will be entitled to an automatic entry to the 2021 Breeders' Cup Mile, to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Breaking alertly from his number two post position, Smooth Like Strait went to the lead, but was pressed by both Say the Word and Restrainedvengeance, with Say the Word never more than a half length back to his outside in the run to the quarter pole, whereupon Smooth Like Strait opened up a length and half as he straightened up for the stretch run.

“The horse responded beautifully to Umberto, they have become quite the partnership,” said McCarthy, who along with Rispoli, had suffered through a pair of gut-wrenching neck defeats in the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 1 and in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 6. “I'm super happy for the horse and the connections. I don't think he was getting the respect he deserved earlier in the year, but he showed up and put together a nice campaign. He was so relaxed for Umberto out there today.

“I've had an immense amount of faith in this horse all along, and I really believe that there are big things coming for him later in the year.”

A four-time graded stakes winner coming into today, Smooth Like Strait was off at 3-5 in a field of six three-year-olds and up and paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.20.

Out of the Flower Alley mare Smooth As Usual, Smooth Like Strait now has seven wins from 15 starts and with the winner's share of $180,000, increased his earnings to $93,823.

“I love the way (he) runs, (he) puts himself in the race, (he doesn't) cheat and (he's a fighter,)” said Rispoli, who has orchestrated all four of Smooth Like Strait's graded stakes victories. “That's what we jockeys like, we fight with them and go down to the wire together and get the job done.”

Far back early, Say the Word rallied well through the lane to be second by 1 ¾ lengths in front of Restrainedvengeance. The second choice at 5-2 with Flavien Prat, Say the Word paid $3.40 and $2.80.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Restrainedvengeance was off at 19-1 and paid $3.60 to show while finishing a neck in front of Next Shares.

Fractions on the race were 23.46, 46.43, 1:10.09 and 1:22.04.

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Smooth Like Strait Gets His Grade I In Shoemaker Mile

Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), narrowly beaten in three previous attempts at the top level, earned an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile with a wire-to-wire victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile S. Monday at Santa Anita. Sent off at 3-5, the bay colt broke alertly and took the early lead under his own steam. He hugged the rail while pressed by Restrainedvengeance (Hold Me Back) and Whisper Not (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and the top trio separated themselves from the rest of the field through fractions of :23.46 and :46.43. The favorite began inching clear approaching the quarter pole and quickly put the matter to rest with a powerful kick in upper stretch that saw him burst away from his rivals before sailing under the wire a geared-down 1 1/2-length winner. Say the Word (More Than Ready) closed late to be second.

“Today feels very gratifying because the horse shows up and runs hard every time,” said winning trainer Michael McCarthy. “I don't think he was getting the respect he deserved earlier in the year, but he showed up and put together a nice campaign. I've had an immense amount of faith in this horse all along, and I really believe that there are big things coming for him later in the year.” “I was just waiting for a Grade I for this horse,” said winning rider Umberto Rispoli, who was capturing his third race on the holiday card at Santa Anita. “He deserves it so much. So does the owner, Michael Cannon. We have some feedback after the races, he's always positive. He always says, 'Don't worry, we're going to go to the Breeders' Cup'. He was positive from the first day. I was hoping to see him today but, I'll probably see him in Del Mar. I'm so glad for Michael and the groom, who treats him like a son, also the work rider, they do an amazing job with this horse. He's so clever, so smart, he deserves a Grade I.”

Smooth Like Strait's berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile will come over the same Del Mar course and distance at which he won the 2019 GIII Cecil de Mille S. as a 2-year-old. The bay colt captured last year's GIII La Jolla H. and GII Twilight Derby and missed by just a head when second in the GI Hollywood Derby before concluding the year with a win in the Dec. 26 GII Mathis Brothers Mile.

Smooth Like Strait opened 2021 with a neck runner-up finish in the Mar. 6 GI Frank Kilroe Mile and was a neck back in third behind the dead-heating Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) after setting the pace in the nine-furlong GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic last time out May 1.

Pedigree Notes:

Smooth Like Strait is the th Grade I winner for Midnight Lute, who is also the sire of champion Midnight Bisou and 2013 GI Malibu S. winner Shakin It Up and 2020 GI Gamely S. winner Keeper of the Stars, and 2013 GI Acorn S. and 2014 GI Humana Distaff S. winner Midnight Lucky.

Smooth As Usual has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Temple City named Unusually Smooth. She produced a colt by Midnight Lute in 2020 and was bred back to GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. Smooth Like Strait's third dam, Sky Meadows (Conquistador Ciel), produced the dam of ill-fated Grade I winner Siphonic (Siphon {Brz}). This is also the family of multiple Grade I placed Summer Front (War Front) and Grade I winner Laragh (Tapit).

Breeder Mike Cannon purchased Smooth As Usual for $35,000 while in foal to Hat Trick (Jpn) at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.

Monday, Santa Anita
SHOEMAKER MILE S.-GI, $300,500, Santa Anita, 5-31, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.19, fm.
1–SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT, 124, c, 4, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Smooth as Usual, by Flower Alley
2nd Dam: Beautiful Lil, by Aptitude
3rd Dam: Sky Meadows, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 15-7-3-2, $933,823.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Say the Word, 124, g, 6, More Than Ready–
Danceforthecause, by Giant's Causeway. O-Agave Racing
Stable & Sam-Son Farm; B-Sam-Son Farm (ON); T-Philip
D'Amato. $60,000.
3–Restrainedvengence, 122, g, 6, Hold Me Back–Cupids
Revenge, by Red Ransom. ($67,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP).
O-Kelly Brinkerhoff & Bob Grayson, Jr.; B-Westwind Farms
(KY); T-Val Brinkerhoff. $36,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.70, 2.90, 19.30.
Also Ran: Next Shares, Whisper Not (GB), Crossfirehurricane. Scratched: Raymundos Secret. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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