Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

First-Out Winner: Arrogate Colt Affable Monarch Headed To Champagne Stakes

After patiently waiting to get promising 2-year-old Affable Monarch to the races until last Sunday at Monmouth Park, trainer Jorge Duarte doesn't intend to show nearly as much restraint before giving the son of late Arrogate his first significant test.

An impressive 6½-length winner against Maiden Special Weight company, Affable Monarch's next start could be in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 2 if the Colts Neck Stables homebred stays on schedule. The Champagne is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“I think the way he came out of this race and what he got out of this race, it was a good learning experience. It didn't take anything out of him,” Duarte said. “He cooled out very fast. The way he ran and galloped out I think he wants to go longer for sure.

“The Champagne is a one-turn mile with those sweeping turns. He's a big, big horse who should like that. We'll have a couple of breezes and if he keeps training the way he has been I would take a shot in the Champagne to see what we have.”

Kentucky-bred Affable Monarch became the just the second son of Arrogate to reach the winner's circle, with Adversity beating him there by an hour at Saratoga on Sunday.

Duarte said patience may be the key to any Arrogate offspring.

“I believe the Arrogates are a little late bloomers,” he said. “He just had his first two winners on Sunday. Maybe that is the way they are going to trend. I can just go by what I have. I have a couple of Arrogates and this is the first one I got to the races. I know I have an Arrogate filly that may be a late one.

“But it's also not a bad time of the year to get them started if you think you have a good one.”

Duarte's last try at the Champagne came in 2019, when Big City Bob finished third to Tiz the Law after breaking his maiden at Monmouth Park and winning the Sapling Stakes at the track.

He's also having the type of meet at Monmouth Park that suggests trying the Champagne may not be overly ambitious.

Duarte, Colts Neck Stables' private trainer, is 12-for-27 at Monmouth Park this year, having won with 10 of his past 19 starters. As a result, Colts Neck Stables tops the owner standings with 12 winners, five more than anyone else.

He has the added hope that Affable Monarch – who made his debut without Lasix — will be a good one because of the colt's dam, Social Queen. He's a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Force the Pass (Speightstown-Social Queen), who earned more than $1.3 million for Duarte and Colts Neck Stable.

He's also a half-brother to a Speightstown-Social Queen yearling who goes as Hip 154 in the first book of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale that starts on Sept. 13.

“We raced the mare (Social Queen), too,” said Duarte. “She has been very good to us.”

She may not be done returning dividends if Affable Monarch can live up to expectations.

“He's such a big colt. It just took him a little time to get into a rhythm,” said Duarte. “He was always well-regarded by us. We always thought the way he was training he had a chance to be a good one. We were very excited to bring him to the races because they don't come along all the time, horses like him.”

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Essential Quality Overtakes Knicks Go In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Godolphin's Essential Quality, winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1), has overtaken stablemate Knicks Go for the No. 1 spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 3-year-old Essential Quality, trained by Brad Cox, received 278 votes, which was three votes higher than Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go, who has 275 votes in second place after being No. 1 for four consecutive weeks. Also trained by Cox, Knicks Go has won three races this year, including the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park and the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga.

Godolphin's Maxfield remained in third place with 226 votes.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 4-year-old Maxfield captured the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in June, in which he earned an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss's Hot Rod Charlie is in fourth place with 189 votes. Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O'Neill, finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and second in the Belmont Stakes. He crossed the wire first in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 17, but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and was placed seventh.

The big mover in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings this week was 4-year-old Max Player, who jumped from 13th to fifth place with 155 votes after winning Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga by 4 lengths. Owned by George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp, the Jockey Club Gold Cup win was Max Player's second Breeders' Cup Challenge Series triumph in the Longines Classic Division this year. Max Player earned a free berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 3.

Hronis Racing's 4-year-old Tripoli dropped one position to sixth place with 96 votes. Trained by John Sadler, Tripoli won the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 21 and gained a “Win and You're In” berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska, winner of three Grade 1 stakes races this year, including the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, slips one spot to seventh place with 86 votes.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon dropped from seventh to eighth place this week with 76 votes. Also trained by Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon finished just a neck behind Essential Quality in the Runhappy Travers Stakes. Prince A A Faisal's 4-year-old Mishriff (IRE), who earned an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Juddmonte International (G1) on turf at York Racecourse on Aug. 18, drops one spot to ninth place. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff has 71 votes. Zedan Racing Stable's 3-year-old Medina Spirit, who captured the listed Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 29, remained in 10th place with 60 votes.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Sept. 7, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Essential Quality	278	7	2
2	Knicks Go	275	15	1
3	Maxfield	226	4	3
4	Hot Rod Charlie	189	1	4
5	Max Player	155	1	13
6	Tripoli	96	0	5
7	Letruska	86	0	6
8	Midnight Bourbon	76	0	7
9	Mishriff (IRE)	71	3	8
10	Medina Spirit	60	0	10

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 11. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

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Record-Setting Del Mar Meet Hits on All Cylinders

Ask David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary, what he considers a key ingredient to the success of the coastal venue's latest summer season, which wrapped Monday, and his answer is a testament to the early bird.

“There was lots of enthusiasm–I could go way back to March, when my phone was ringing with questions regarding our 'Ship & Win' program,” said Jerkens, of a particular bait, now into its 11th year, used to hook out-of-state runners. “I just felt that buzz around Del Mar earlier than normal.”

All told, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club injected over $750,000 into purses through the program, which this year offered an “engagement” bonus of $4,000 on top of 50% and 40% purse supplements. These tweaks paid dividends.

Participation grew from 104 horses in 2020 to 181 this year, with the majority owned and trained by Southern Californians.

“It's usually over 70% of the total number of horses who stay in California,” Jerkens said, of the program retention rate.

Beyond Ship & Win, Jerkens applauded local participation at the entry box, which helped bolster another useful barometer of success–field size. This year's per-race average of 8.45 horses saw a slight uptick over last year's commendable average of 8.36.

“That's amongst the highest in the country,” said Jerkens. “And so, we're thrilled on this end.”

The track set a daily average wagering record of $18.38 million–an increase over last year's former record of $17.32 million, according to a press release Monday.

The handle for the meet totaled $569.98 million for 31 days of racing. The 2020 total handle of $467.60 million constituted 27 days of racing.

“The racing product was strong and extremely competitive throughout the season,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president, who explained that the numbers were still being crunched as to breakdown between on-track and ADW wagering.

As for attendance, COVID restrictions–especially at the start of the meet–make any comparison with prior years one of “apples and oranges,” said Rubinstein.

“We knew attendance was not going to be at previous levels,” said Rubinstein. “But we wanted to open things responsibly and really focus on our core racing customers. And the feedback that we got on big days–opening day, Pacific Classic day–our core customers were really happy.”

The facility also cemented its reputation as one of the safest tracks in the country. According to California Horse Racing Board data, there were three training-related equine fatalities, and one racing, during the meet.

“For the last three years, Del Mar has ranked as the safest major racetrack in North America, and our record in 2021 is in line with those previous results,” said Rubinstein.

Of the slew of showy performances at Del Mar this summer, Flightline (Tapit)'s demolition job Sunday ranks a top award contender.

“He's just so exciting–I want to talk about how wonderful he is,” said trainer John Sadler, of the twice-raced colt. “I've had a lot of top horses and this one looks like the top of the top. I'm going to be measured by how we go about it, but he's unbelievable.”

Morning training has been largely geared around “getting him to relax,” said the trainer.

“He's so brilliant, has so much ability, it's just getting him to save energy,” Sadler said. “I was reading the clockers' reports before his first race, they said, 'well, we wish he would relax a little bit more.' And I thought, 'well, we've never let him run in the morning.'”

It's “tempting” though, Sadler added. “When you have a Porsche, you want to step on the gas, but we want to save the gas.”

Sadler said he won't be “baited” into pinpointing a next race just yet for the colt, owned by a partnership that includes the Hronis brothers, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm and Woodford Racing.

“He's so brilliant and so fast, you have to protect him from getting ahead of our scheme,” said Sadler. “We'll get him back on the track on Thursday at Santa Anita and see where we are.”

Flightline wasn't the only headline-making Sadler runner this summer. Tripoli (Kitten's Joy)'s win in the GI TVG Pacific Classic made it a third win in four years for the Sadler-Hronis Racing trainer-owner combination.

“He worked yesterday before I left [Del Mar]. Went a nice half in 48:4,” Sadler said of Tripoli. “We'll get him up to Santa Anita and see if he'll run in the [GI] Awesome Again or train him up to the Breeders' Cup.”

Because the Pacific Classic was a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup, held this year at Del Mar Nov. 5-6, Tripoli's connections have breathing space in the run-up.

“We're in a good spot,” Sadler said. “He's got a really nice pattern. He's running better all the time.”

Del Mar will return to action Wednesday, Nov. 3 to kick-start the track's 15-day Bing Crosby Season. This offers a brief racing aperitif before the two-day Breeders' Cup championship begins.

Rubinstein explained that construction has already started on the quarantine barn for the international runners, and in early October, the track will begin work on the corporate hospitality furniture of the two-day festival.

“Come October, the place will start to have the Breeders' Cup purple feel to it,” Rubinstein said. “We're very excited.”

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St Mark’s Basilica, Tarnawa, Poetic Flare To Clash In Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes

Big guns St Mark's Basilica, Tarnawa and Poetic Flare remain on target to clash in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. The Irish Champion Stakes is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Turf to be held in early November at Del Mar.

The trio head the remaining 13 entries for the event, the highlight on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend which, for the first time, will be a World Pool event for all eight races.

Also standing their ground are a sextet from Ballydoyle, Armory, Bolshoi Ballet, Innisfree and the fillies Snowfall, Love and Joan Of Arc. Joseph O'Brien has left a trio in the race, Patrick Sarsfield, Baron Samedi and Thundering Nights while Jim Bolger's Mac Swiney also remains a possible contender.

The first of the weekend's Group 1 races is the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Johnny Murtagh has left in both last year's winner Champers Elysees and the ever-improving Create Belief, while Aidan O'Brien can choose from Mother Earth, Empress Josephine, Joan Of Arc and Friendly. Joseph O'Brien is also strongly represented with Thundering Nights, Pretty Gorgeous and Lovely Esteem while the Willie McCreery-trained Epona Plays would not be without her chance. The Pascal Bary-trained Thalie stays in as do the Ed Walker-trained Dreamloper and Richard Fahey's Fev Rover.

There are four Group 1 races at the Curragh on Sunday and the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend is highlighted by the Comer Group International Irish St Leger for which there are 22 horses remaining. Leading the way is Dermot Weld's Search For A Song, bidding for her third successive win in the race with opposition set to include Johnny Murtagh's Ebor winner Sonnyboyliston. A strong team from the Joseph O'Brien stable is comprised of Twilight Payment, Master Of Reality and Baron Samedi while Aidan O'Brien has five possibles, including 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago and Sir Lucan. Aircraft Carrier and Seattle Creek are set to represent the sponsor, Luke Comer.

From France and Germany, Yann Barberot's Brokeback Mountain and the Andreas Suborics-trained Rip Van Lips, winner of the Group 2 Comer Group International 50th Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten in May, could yet take their chance along with the remaining British challenger, David O'Meara's Eagles By Day.

Sixteen horses remain in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes, headed by last year's winner of the race, the Kevin Ryan-trained Glass Slippers and Tim Easterby's Winter Power, successful in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Archie Watson's Dragon Symbol is another leading contender standing his ground along with top home contenders Mooneista, Gustavus Weston and Measure Of Magic, trained by Jack Davison, Joe Murphy and Johnny Murtagh respectively.

The first of the weekend's Group 1 races for 2-year-olds is the Moyglare Stud Stakes and topping the 14 remaining entries are Ger Lyons's supplementary entry Cairde Go Deo and the Dermot Weld-trained Homeless Songs which is bidding to give the sponsors their first win in the race.

Unbeaten colts Point Lonsdale, trained by Aidan O'Brien, and the Charlie Appleby-trained Native Trail lead the way in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes for which ten horses stand their ground. Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes winner Ebro River is there for Hugo Palmer while Michael Bell's Great Max could be another raider from across the Irish Sea.

Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to see such a top-class field at this stage announced for the Irish Champion Stakes. It will be a highly competitive race, truly reflective of the depth of quality of Irish racing currently. We are looking forward to a great day's racing and to have racegoers returning in greater numbers will make for an extra special occasion.”

Evan Arkwright, Chief Executive (interim) of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “The entries on Sunday certainly confirms the champion status of the day with high quality runners from start to finish on a superb programme which features four Group 1 races. I would like to acknowledge the fantastic support of owners, trainers and of course our very loyal sponsors. We are really looking forward to welcoming racegoers back to the Curragh for one of the major highlights in the international calendar.”

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