Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Perfect Power Gets First Group 1 Win, Second BC Berth In Prix Morny At Deauville

Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Perfect Power (IRE) showed an electric turn of foot to win the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday and captured his second Breeders' Cup Challenge race this year in the Juvenile Turf Sprint Division. In June at Royal Ascot, Perfect Power won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and secured an automatic starting position into this year's $1 million Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

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 Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California on Nov. 5-6.

Perfect Power scored his first Group 1 success when powering to victory in the six-furlong Darley Prix Morny at 3/1.

Settled near the rear of the 14-runner field under Christophe Soumillon, the 2-year-old son of Ardad (IRE) out of the Frozen Power (IRE) mare Sagely (IRE), showed all his class when battling past 14/1 Trident (FR) in the final stages of the race to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Third place went to trainer Alan King's Asymmetric (IRE) who returned at 4/1.

Perfect Power completed the race in 1:10.81 on a course rated as good to soft.

Winning trainer Richard Fahey said: “I'm just delighted, it looked a very solid race there today. Christophe gave him a very confident ride, and it got tight for two strides or so, but he came through it, which was great. It's been a frustrating enough year, but this is just what the doctor ordered. It's why we do it and why we're in the game.”

The Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Sept. 25 is next on the agenda for Perfect Power. Fahey added: “He'll definitely go for the Middle Park next. It's not often you make a plan for a horse, but the two races myself and Sheikh Rashid mentioned were the Prix Morny and then the Middle Park, and it's very nice to have one in the bag already.”

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Perfect Power to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, which will be run over 5 furlongs on the turf course 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.

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Tripoli Upsets Pacific Classic, Earns Return Trip To Del Mar For Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic

The owner-trainer team of Hronis Racing and John Sadler picked up their third victory in the last four runnings of the Grade 1, $1 million TVG Pacific Classic at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Saturday when Tripoli scored by 1 1/4 lengths from just off the pace under jockey Tiago Pereira.

Pacesetter Tizamagician – one of two runners for trainer Richard Mandella – finished second under leading rider Flavien Prat, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, with Todd Pletcher-trained East Coast invader Dr Post rallying to be third under Joel Rosario in the field of nine older runners. Sheriff Brown was fourth, followed by Independence Hall, 2-1 favorite Express Train, 5-2 second choice Royal Ship, Cupid's Claws and Magic on Tap.

Tripoli, a 4-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy out of Love Train, by Tapit, covered 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:02.37. He paid $15 for his fourth win in 14 starts and first added-money victory.

The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In race, giving the winner automatic, fees-paid entry into the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be held at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Sadler saddled his first Pacific Classic winner, Accelerate, in 2018, and won the 2019 edition with Higher Power. Both were owned by Kosta and Pete Hronis in the name of their Hronis Racing.

“It feels great to win it again, and you've got to give all the credit to the barn,” said Kosta Hronis. “Tiago rode a great race. It's the only race he rode today because he wanted to focus on it. This horse has matured and just keeps coming along and today he proved himself. We didn't know if he could go a mile and a quarter, but today we found out.”

The victory was the first in a North American Grade 1 race for Pereira, a 44-year-old native of Brazil who came to the U.S. in 2014. Winner of more than 2,000 races prior to his arrival in the U.S., his biggest win came in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in 2010 aboard Gloria De Campeao.

“(Trainer) John (Sadler) told me before the race to be careful, because there were a lot of runners who had a similar style of running, Pareira said. “So, I was okay running right behind the leaders. When it was time to run, I had plenty of horse. But once we got in front, he started looking around, waiting on other horses. I looked around and knew we were not going to get caught. This was my only mount today, so I was really focused. I am so happy.”

A $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate, Tripoli raced on the turf for his first 11 starts, winning a maiden race at Del Mar last August and adding a Santa Anita allowance victory in May of this year.

Sadler put the colt on dirt for the first time in June at Santa Anita and Tripoli responded with a half-length victory going 1 1/16 miles. He ran a close second to Express Train last out in the G2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, beaten just a half length.

In the Pacific Classic, Tripoli tracked Tizamagician from the outset, following the Tiznow colt through fractions of :23.52, :46.98 and 1:11.73 for the first six furlongs. Independence Hall applied some pressure to Tizamagician, setting up a perfect trip to the eventual winner. Pereira shifted Tripoli to the outside into the far turn, engaged the front runner at the quarter pole after a mile in 1:36.88, then took command with a furlong to run.

“He looked good all the way,” said Sadler. “He broke on his feet so (jockey Tiago Pereira) was able to tuck him in there and he looked comfortable all the way around. When (Independence Hall) started to slow up we were in a good spot. He had a perfect trip, give the rider a lot of credit. He rode him perfectly.”

Tizamagician was 4 1/2 lengths clear of Dr Post, who came to the Pacific Classic of a come-from-behind victory in the G3 Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park on July 18 in what some thought was a scouting mission for the Breeders' Cup Classic by Pletcher. The Quality Road colt had just won horse beaten for the opening mile of the Pacific Classic and closed well in the stretch to be third.

“Yeah, he ran a strange race today,” Rosario said of Dr Post. “He kind of lost interest on the backstretch, so I thought I had no horse. But when I wheeled him outside, he gave me a strong finish. I don't know how to explain it.”

Neither of the two favorites, Express Train or Royal Ship, offered a serious challenge.

Buoyed by a Pick 6 mandatory payout that included nearly $1.9 million carried over into a jackpot and drew $8,876,771 in new wagers on Saturday, Del Mar smashed its all-time, non-Breeders' Cup day handle record. A total of $36,005,613 was bet at Del Mar or on the 11-race card via simulcasting, bettering the old mar of $25,870,431 by more than $10 million. Attendance was 12,655.

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Astronaut Launches $50 Shocker In Del Mar Handicap, Ensuring Spot In Breeders’ Cup Turf

John M.B. O'Connor's Astronaut returned $50.00 for a $2 wager when he captured Saturday's Grade 2, $302,500 Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association by half a length at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The 4-year-old Quality Road colt out of the German-bred mare Armanda, by Acatenango, had Hall of Fame rider Victor Espinoza aboard as they tracked the early leaders, swung out entering the stretch, then outran his 10 rivals to take down a first prize of $180,000. He was winning only the second race of his career and he increased his earnings to $285,860. He's trained by John Shirreffs.

Fernando-Diaz-Valdez Stable, Baalbek Corporation and Don Alberto Stable's Master Piece ran second, a neck in front of Ellwood Johnson Trust, Timmy Time and Ken Tevelde's Acclimate. The winner covered the mile and three-eighths on turf in 2:15.97.

Astronaut paid $50.00, $21.20 and $10.60 for his upset. Master Piece returned $25.00 and $14.80, while Acclimate paid off at $8.00.

Besides his winning purse, Astronaut also earned his owner an all-entry-fees-paid admission to the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf, scheduled to be run at Del Mar on Saturday, November 6.

The Del Mar Handicap was Espinoza's only mount of the day and his first ride since Aug. 12.

“This didn't surprise me,” Espinoza said. “I thought in his last race he was a little too close. And, I think the race (San Juan Capistrano) was a little too far for him, so we changed the way he ran a little bit today. I just let him break and get into rhythm. If he was happy, I was happy. He wasn't up on the bridle and running so easily that when we got to the half-mile pole, I started to get a little excited. When I asked him, he finished strong for me, and it makes me happy to win this race for John (trainer Shirreffs). We have a very good relationship. He's always been there for me and I've been there for him. He's been there for me a little more lately.”

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Shirreffs said the win “puts a nice bandage” on the defeat sustained by Express Train, the horse he saddled as the betting favorite in the G1 TVG Pacific Classic one race earlier on the day.

“I'm just so happy for Astronaut and his connections; they are really great owners and it's great to win for them. We wanted to run him long, but we weren't sure how long and when he ran so well going a mile and three-quarters (second in the San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita, June 19) it seemed like this was possible.”

Astronaut was making his ninth career start in the Del Mar Handicap and recording just his second victory. He began his career with trainer Steve Asmussen, racing once in an Aqueduct maiden sprint in December 2019, then was transferred to Tom Albertrani. He was winless in two starts on turf on the East Coast in 2020 for Albertrani before being moved to Southern California and Shirreffs' barn. He won his second start for Shirreffs going 1 1/8 miles, then was a close second to Tripoli in a May 1, 2021, allowance race at Santa Anita.

Tripoli won the Pacific Classic a half hour before the Del Mar Handicap.

Following another runner-up finish on turf at Santa Anita, Astronaut finished second behind Acclimate in the G3 San Juan Capistrano at 1 3/4 miles.

Acclimate set fractions of :25.24, :49.25, 1:14.28, 1:39.32 and 2:04.05 en route to Astronaut's winning time of 2:15.97 on firm turf.

United, the 2-1 favorite under leading rider Flavien Prat, lost a three-way photo for second, beaten three-quarters of a length while fourth. He lacked room on the turn for home and in upper stretch while Espinoza and Astronaut had clear sailing on the outside.

The win was the first stakes victory of the meet for rider Espinoza, but his third in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has 106 stakes wins at Del Mar, third most among all riders.

The win was the second stakes win of the meeting for trainer Shirreffs and his second in the Del Mar Handicap (After Market, 2007). He now has 19 stakes wins at Del Mar.

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Quick Suzy Goes For Prix Morny, BC Juvenile Turf Sprint Berth Sunday

Royal Ascot winner Quick Suzy (IRE) is set to take on 13 rivals in the 6-furlong Group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday. The Darley Prix Morny winner will receive an automatic berth into the $1 million Grade 2 Juvenile Turf Sprint through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

Owned by the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Quick Suzy blitzed her rivals in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot on June 16 and will be looking to emulate Campanelle (IRE) by completing the Queen Mary-Prix Morny double, which Lady Aurelia also achieved in 2016.

Quick Suzy is trained by Gavin Cromwell in Navan, Ireland. Cromwell commented, “Quick Suzy goes for the Prix Morny. She was entered in the Phoenix Stakes (G1) at the Curragh last week, but we gave her a break after Ascot and the race just came too soon after that break. Fillies have a very good record in the Prix Morny and, on top of that, Queen Mary winners have a great record in it too, so it looks the right race for her. It fits perfectly into her schedule too. Gary Carroll will ride and we're really looking forward to the race. She's in great form.”

The Richard Hannon-trained and Al Shaqab Racing-owned Armor (GB) won the Group 3 Markel Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood by 3 ¼ lengths and steps up to Group 1 company for the first time. The son of No Nay Never will be ridden by Patrick Dobbs.

The unbeaten Velocidad (GB) took out the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh on his second start. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, the 2-year-old son of Gleneagles (IRE) will be ridden by Ryan Moore for the first time.

Asymmetric (IRE) is another Group 2 winner in the field. The son of Showcasing (GB) built on his second-place finish in the Group 2 Tattersalls July Stakes at Newmarket to win the Group 2 Unibet Richmond Stakes in his latest start. Runner-up that day at Goodwood in the Unibet Richmond Stakes was Khunan (GB). The son of Twilight Son (GB) is one of two runners in the race for trainer Richard Fahey, who also saddles Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner Perfect Power (IRE). Hollie Doyle and Christophe Soumillon are booked to ride, respectively.

The French challenge is headed by the Andre Fabre-trained Trident (FR). Impressive on debut, Trident was narrowly beaten in the Group 3 Darley Prix de Cabourg over course and distance. He will be partnered with Mickael Barzalona.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Darley Prix Morny to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, which will be run at five furlongs over the Del Mar turf course. 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. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

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