Tag: Breeders’ Cup

More Than Ready’s Pleasant Passage Goes Gate-to-Wire in Miss Grillo

Front-running Pleasant Passage dug in resolutely Saturday to  honor her recently deceased sire and stamp her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Up in time to belie longer than 15-1 odds on debut at Saratoga Aug. 21, she employed opposite tactics here under new pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr., taking her five rivals along through fractions of :23.81, :49.77 and 1:14.98 over the yielding going. Free Look took a run at her to try and secure a ninth Miss Grillo trophy for Chad Brown, but Pleasant Passage stiff-armed that rival to the wire as favored P.G. Johnson S. winner Be Your Best was left with too much to do after a poor start.

“The way the track is playing, and I knew there wasn't much speed in the race,” said Ortiz, fresh off a victory in the GI Woodward S. one race earlier with Life Is Good (Into Mischief). “The assistant trainer [Anthony Hamilton] told me, 'She's going to be forwardly placed because that's how she's been training.' So I tried to warm her up good… There wasn't too much speed in the race and I knew if I could be in front that would be good for me. It worked out well because I made the lead easily. On the backside, she was nice and relaxed. When I asked her to go, she responded and she was there for me.”

This was the first-ever Miss Grillo win for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who said, “She ran well in her first start from a little off the pace coming up the rail. She was very professional. Today, there wasn't any speed in the race and she had trained sharp off her last race. Irad let her do her thing when she broke and he rode a good race on her.”

Saturday, Belmont at the Big A
MISS GRILLO S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-1, 2yo, f,
1 1/16mT, 1:45.25, yl.
1–PLEASANT PASSAGE, 120, f, 2, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Peaceful Passage, by War Front
                2nd Dam: Flying Passage, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Chic Shirine, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Emory
Hamilton (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $167,750. Werk Nick
Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Free Look, 120, f, 2, Tapit–Wild Mint, by Medaglia d'Oro.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-KatieRich Farms (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Be Your Best (Ire), 122, f, 2, Muhaarar (GB)–Kamakura, by
Medaglia d'Oro. 'TDN Rising Star' 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O-Michael J. Ryan; B-St. Croix Bloodstock (IRE); T-Horacio De
Paz. $24,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2, 3/4. Odds: 9.60, 1.65, 1.20.
Also Ran: Alluring Angel (GB), Im Just Kiddin, Georgees Spirit.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs.

Pedigree Notes:

Pleasant Passage is the 53rd graded winner and 130th stakes winner in the Northern Hemisphere for her prolific sire, who has sired two prior winners of the Juvenile Fillies Turf. She is the four graded winner and 16th stakes winner of what are sure to be many more for broodmare sire War Front.

The winner hails from the super deep female family developed by Emory Hamilton and her family's King Ranch. Her dam is a half to MGSW/MGISP Hungry Island (More Than Ready), and further down the page is another standout by More Than Ready in the form of MGISW Verrazano. Other highest-level winners from the family include this year's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Olympiad (Speightstown); Preservationist (Arch), who has first yearlings; third dam Chic Shirine (Mr. Prospector) and her champion sister Queena, Serra Lake (Seattle Slew), Somali Lemonade (Lemon Drop Kid), et al.

Pleasant Passage's yearling half-brother by Kitten's Joy was purchased by Legion Bloodstock on behalf of Hoolie Racing for $150,000 at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale. Peaceful Passage, whose one career win from six tries came going 1 1/2 miles on the Kempton all-weather, was bred to Mendelssohn for 2023.

 

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Watch: Flightline Continues Work Toward Breeders’ Cup With Santa Anita Drill

With the $6-million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) looming in five weeks, early favorite Flightline completed a handy five-furlong workout for trainer John Sadler Saturday at Santa Anita.

Stepping onto the track after the 6:30 a.m. (PT) break, the undefeated 4-year-old Tapit colt was timed in 1:00.40 under exercise rider/assistant trainer Juan Leyva.

Daily Racing Form reported that Flightline broke off by himself at the half-mile pole and worked without urging. Sadler timed his splits in :12.20, :24.40, :36.20, :48.20, and 1:00.40. Track clockers credited him with the same five-furlong time; he galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.

“We're trying not to do too much right now,” Sadler told the Form. “We have five more works, counting today. The serious works will be the 15th and 22nd. Those will be the pivotal works.”

“We weren't looking for anything fancy, just a little bit more without doing a whole lot.”

Flightline, unbeaten in five career starts, including his spectacular 19 ¼-length triumph in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) Sept. 3 at Del Mar, is the top-ranked horse for the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be run Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

Flightline is campaigned by Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, breeder Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing LLC.

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Torquator Tasso Seeks Arc Repeat At ParisLongchamp; Europe’s Richest Race One Of Five ‘Win and You’re In’ Stakes Carded On Big Event Day

Gestut Auenquelle's Torquator Tasso, a shocking 72-1 winner of the 2021 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), heads a maximum field of 20 declared for this year's €5-million ($4.8 million) race on Sunday at ParisLongchamp.

The winner of the 1 ½-mile contest is guaranteed an automatic starting position into the $4-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

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 Nov. 4-5.

The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is one of five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races on the Sunday program at ParisLongchamp.

Torquator Tasso, a 5-year-old son of Alderflug, will be ridden by six-time Arc de Triomphe-winning jockey Frankie Dettori, who rode the three-time Group 1 winner for the first time when beaten a head in the 152nd Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) on Sept. 4.

Trainer Marcel Weiss believes his stable star has improved since then and was delighted with the horse's final pre-race workout.

“It was really important for me that Frankie sat on him again before the Arc and when he came on Tuesday to ride him in his final work before the Arc, it was a completely different story,” Weiss said.

“The horse worked really well and there was real harmony between jockey and horse. When Frankie got off him, he agreed with me, saying that he was a different horse at Baden-Baden.”

Mendocino finished ahead of Torquator Tasso in the Grosser Preis von Baden last time out and will be ridden by last year's winning jockey Rene Piechulek, who is a retained rider for owners Stall Salzburg.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained 3-year-old Luxembourg is strongly fancied to give Ireland's champion trainer a third win in the race, following Dylan Thomas in 2007 and the filly Found in 2016, who captured the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2015. The son of Camelot will be tackling the 1 ½-mile trip for the first time, having already guaranteed his starting spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf with victory in another Challenge Series race, the 1 ¼-mile Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 10.

Five of the six horses who finished behind Luxembourg in Ireland will challenge him again on Sunday: Grand Prix de Paris (G1) winner Onesto, Coral-Eclipse (G1) winner Vadeni, multiple G1 winner Mishriff, the William Haggas-trained Alenquer and Royal Ascot's Hardwick Stakes (G2) winner Broome, who finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf.  

Deep Bond, Do Deuce, and Titleholder are three Japanese-bred and -trained runners in Sunday's race. The latter, a 4-year-old son of Duramente, is a multiple G1 winner in Japan and was an impressive 2-length winner of another Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse on June 26.

British connections are well represented, with Miss Kirsten Rausing's 5-year-old mare Alpinista strongly fancied to give veteran trainer Sir Mark Prescott a first win in the race. The daughter of Frankel is unbeaten since April 2021, with her last five wins coming at G1 level, including the Darley Yorkshire Oaks in August at York, where she earned an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Fillies and mares have won six of the last 10 runnings of the Arc and jockey Luke Morris is undaunted ahead of the biggest ride of his career.

“When you have got a horse you know well and can go out there with a plan it makes life a lot easier.” Morris said. “I don't think I'll be as nervous because I know her like the back of my hand and hopefully it'll go smoothly. I feel really privileged and to reward Sir Mark [Prescott] and Kirsten Rausing would be extremely special.”

Eight Line Up In Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere

A guaranteed starting spot in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) is on the line in the seven-furlong Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1).

Aidan O'Brien has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf four times since 2011 and relies on consistent colt The Antarctic in Sunday's race. The son of Dark Angel has finished in the frame in seven of eight career starts, most recently when finishing behind well-regarded stablemate Blackbeard in both the Darley Prix Morny (G1) and Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1).

The Antarctic is one of three Irish-trained runners, along with His Highness the Aga Khan's Shartash and the Jessica Harrington-trained Pivotal Trigger.

The only filly in the race, Tigrais, looks to have strong claims after finishing ahead of Breizh Sky and Gamestop in the Prix La Rochette (G3) over course and distance on Sept 4.

Star Fillies To Contest Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac

A competitive field of 12 is slated in the 1-mile Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches (G1) for 2-year-olds fillies, a race that features subsequent Breeders' Cup champions Found and Wuheida on its roll of honor.

The race winner earns a guaranteed starting spot in this year's $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

The Wertheimer & Frere-owned Kelina is unbeaten in two starts and will be strongly fancied in her first attempt at stakes level following a wide-margin win in a 1-mile conditions race at Chantilly last time out.

Runners from across Europe are represented with the unbeaten German-trained filly Habana in the lineup, along with the British-trained duo of Dandy Alys and Breege, as well as three runners from Ireland: Aidan O'Brien's Never Ending Story, the Jim Bolger-trained Gan Teorainn and Fozzy Stack's Aspen Grove, supplemented for the race at a cost of over €28,000 (estimated $27,400) earlier in the week.

Nashwa Aiming For Third Straight G1 Win In Prix de l'Opera

Imad Al Sagar's Nashwa will attempt to land a third consecutive G1 victory when lining up in the Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1).

The winner of the 1 ¼-mile contest, restricted to fillies and mares, will earn an automatic berth into this year's $2 million Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Nashwa will return to the track for the first time since her decisive victory in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July. Prior to that, the 3-year-old daughter of Frankel provided jockey Hollie Doyle with a historic first Classic victory in the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) at Chantilly.

Thady Gosden said: “She's been in good form since she won the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. She won that nicely enough and the Prix de l'Opera has always been the plan with her. It's over the right trip.”

Among the 15 taking her on in Sunday's race are the Joseph O'Brien-trained American Pharaoh  filly Above The Curve and Cazoo Espom Oaks (G1) winner Tuesday .

A Case Of You Bids For Repeat In Prix De L'Abbaye

Gary Delvin's A Case Of You will attempt to repeat his 2021 success in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (G1) and earn an automatic entry into this year's $1-million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

The Adrian McGuinness-trained 4-year-old was a short-head winner of the five-furlong contest 12 months ago and followed up with a fifth-place finish behind Golden Pal in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. However, the son of Hot Streak  has struggled in three starts in Europe this season, after winning the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) in March at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

The likely favorite is the Richard Fahey-trained 2-year-old filly The Platinum Queen, who finished second to the all-conquering Highfield Princess  in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York in August and has since finished a short-head second in the Coral Flying Childers Stakes (G1) at Doncaster on Sept. 11. She will attempt to become the first juvenile to win the race since 1978.

(NOTE: The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is restricted to runners 3-years-old and older. Should The Platinum Queen win Sunday's race, connections would be permitted to transfer the waived entry fees for her to start in another Breeders' Cup juvenile race based on the requisite conditions.)

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Both Coasts Host Sunday Stakes Showdowns

By J.N. Campbell

While U.S. television sets await a rainy French Arc Day in the morning, both the right and left North American coasts will emcee three graded stakes races apiece, as Sunday afternoon comes calling. The Big A and The Great Race Place (Aqueduct and Santa Anita, in case you were stationed under a rock) host. The former is accommodating Belmont's Fall Meet, while “Big Sandy” undergoes an extreme makeover tunnel edition; while the latter is back in business under the picturesque mountains and ray filled sun in SoCal.

Howdy Pilgrim…

The Sunday October action begins with the annual renewal of the GII Pilgrim S., going a mile and a sixteenth on the grass. A couple years back this was upgraded from a Grade III to a Grade II, and the 2022 edition promises to be another hallmark. The real prize is a ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, which is a little more than a month away.

A year after 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front) proved victorious last year in this spot, this year's race includes a well-matched field of a dozen runners. Of course, 'Rising Star' I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing), is a colt that sparkled in his only race to-date. Flavien Prat used the gears he was handed, and won nicely in one of those tough turf maidens at Saratoga.

However, you cannot overlook the presence of Shug McGaughey and his entry Battle of Normandy (City of Light), a sire that is garnering some major attention. The colt just missed in the GIII With Anticipation S. at the end of August at Saratoga, and he should be ready to offer a devasting late leg kick. One other that merits mention is Graham Motion's Dataman (Tapit). He stretched out nicely at Colonial Downs in August and rallied for the win. Joel Rosario climbs back aboard, riding for a barn that is always dangerous in situations like these.

NYRA Series Filly Finale…

Also on the docket is the final exam for young freshmen fillies. NYRA's series for these types included the GIII Adirondack S. and GI Spinaway S. at Belmont and Saratoga, and now it's time for the capstone-GI Frizette S. The one-mile distance will be one last prep, as the victress moves on the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

The major question in the field of seven is was Phil Serpe's Leave No Trace (Outwork) performance a fluke when, at odds of 14-1, she declared victory in the Spinaway? Jose Lezcano has the return call, and the filly will be looking to remain a perfect three for three to prove the doubters wrong.

“Everything is good with her. She had a nice work and all systems go,” said Serpe. “She did it pretty easy. I was surprised looking at the watch how fast she was going. The 58 and change was a work where you're like, 'Wow, this filly is really fast.' Everything is just kind of moving along.”

Standing in her way are Frank Fletcher's American Rockette (American Pharoah) for trainer Bill Mott, and Todd Pletcher's Repole Stable-owned Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke). The latter posted a stellar speed fig when she broke her maiden at Saratoga in mid-August.

“She was impressive. Her debut, the track was very demanding and tough for a first-time starter,” Pletcher said. “She got a little tired late in the race. The second start was more of what we were expecting from her.”

Not to be overlooked is 'TDN Rising Star' The Great Maybe (Upstart), a filly that is looking to capitalize on a nice debut win, dispelling any doubt concerning her name.

“She trained well out of that [race] so we're taking the chance with the one turn mile with her,” said DeVaux. Jockey Javier Castellano continues the hot riding that he exhibited upstate at Saratoga.

This is the Waya…

Glen Kozak and his excellent NYRA ground squad got the Aqueduct turf into shape early, what with the shift over from Belmont. Grass riding traditionally is a November and April activity in Ozone Park, but the lawn is tended and ready for settling and some furious endings.

This year's GIII Fasig-Tipton Waya S. is another distance hurdle for deeper routers, as they traverse the 1 3/8ths. Coming from off-the-pace is in order, unless a runner can control the fractions up front. Chad Brown could rack up a fourth win in a row in this race as he sends out the well-bred Capital Structure (GB) (Lope de Vega (Ire). Another Klaravich Stables runner with budding talent, she lost all chance last time out at Pimlico in a non-graded affair due to saddle slippage. Look for Kelsey Danner's classy Gladys (Medaglia d'Oro) to be an overlay. The full-sister to Rachel Alexandra exits a close fourth in the All Along at Old Hilltop.

The Stoutest of Queens…

The GII Zenyatta S. was re-named in 2012 after what many consider one of the greatest of all-time, male or female. She was regal and magnificent, and most of all, she knew it. Beating up on the boys was her signature, as was guzzling that Guinness Stout. We will not soon forget John Shirreffs' 'Queen.'

These ladies have much to live up to. A compact field of five assembles, with Empire House (Empire Maker), Soothsay (Distorted Humor) and Samurai Charm (First Samurai) all carrying 122 pounds. They will be up against a pair of 3-yr-olds in Midnight Memories (Mastery) and Awake At Midnyte (Nyquist). This is a wide-open affair, and could be seen as anyone's game, as these females seek to wear the crown.

Chillingworth, You Say!…

A graded event since 2014, the GIII Chillingworth S. gives a nod to the longtime director and executive vice president of the Oak Tree Racing Association. Out of these older females, we have a Breeders' Cup celebrity appearance by Mike McCarthy's versatile Ce Ce (Elusive Quality). Her 2021 GI BC Filly & Mare Sprint victory at Del Mar was a masterpiece, and if she is at her best, with Victor Espinoza aboard, then no one in this race is going to be able to catch her by the time the wire arrives.

Tokyo Drift…

Who could forget Big John B, Hard Aces, Hoppertunity, Campaign, and Cupid's Claws when they won the GIII Tokyo City Cup S.? My Racehorse and Spendthrift's own Tizmagician (Tiznow) joined that cadre last year, and the 5-year-old is back once more. What did it take? The ability to track, just behind a good, honest pace. Do that, and you might be able to outlast them all in this drift. A former Bob Baffert runner comes calling. Newgrange (Violence) is now in Phil D'Amato's care. It's his dam side, Bella Chianti by Empire Maker, that could be a clue to his ability to handle this distance test. The same goes for Peter Eurton's Storm the Court (Court Vision), who hasn't run this far on the dirt since the 2020 GI Kentucky Derby. Specialists like John Sadler's Heywoods Beach (Speightstown) and Richard Mandella's Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby) have the experience and could have the advantage.

Bonus Round…Speakeasy For BC Hopefuls…

The Speakeasy S. might not be graded, but that doesn't mean there are not major implications for the winner. A group of 2-year-olds will be traveling at a high rate of speed on the grass at Santa Anita, looking to book passage to Keeneland for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is not known for his turf horses, although he had a strong one in Du Jour a few years back. His Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) is fast (imagine that), so look for Juan Hernandez to secure the lead early, and hold on tight. T-minus 5 furlongs and counting.

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