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Poetic Flare, Order Of Australia Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes

Mrs. J.S. Bolger's 3-year-old Poetic Flare (IRE), a two-time Group 1 winner, and Order of Australia (IRE), the defending US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) champion, lead Wednesday's Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood Racecourse. The Qatar Sussex Stakes winner will earn an automatic starting position and fees paid into this year's US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1) 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 the Qatar Sussex Stakes winner to start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run at a mile on the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of US$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.

The Qatar Sussex Stakes will be televised live on TVG with an approximate post time of 10:35 a.m. ET.

Challenging older runners for the first time in the Qatar Sussex Stakes, Poetic Flare, trained by Jim Bolger, has won five races in eight starts, including three this year. A son of Dawn Approach (IRE) out of the Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) mare Maria Lee (IRE), Poetic Flare captured the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at 1 mile on May 1 at Newmarket, defeating Master of The Seas (IRE) by a short head at 16-1. That win was followed by a sixth-place finish as the 5-2 favorite in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) (G1) at ParisLongchamp on May 16. Just six days later, Poetic Flare was entered in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) at The Curragh, where he finished second by a short head to stablemate Mac Swiney (IRE). However, Poetic Flare returned to his winning ways with his most impressive performance to date, taking the 1-mile St James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot on June 15 by 4 1/4-lengths.

“Poetic Flare has been very well since the St James's Palace Stakes,” said Jim Bolger to Goodwood.com. “We're very happy with his work and he seems to be improving further. I was expecting and hoping for him to win at Ascot but possibly not as spectacularly as he did.”

Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who has won the Qatar Sussex Stakes five times, has entered Order of Australia and Lope Y Fernandez (IRE), the first and third-place finishers, respectively, in last year's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland. Owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Anne Marie O'Brien, the 4-year-old Order of Australia came off the also-eligible list to win by a neck at 73-1 over stablemate Circus Maximus (IRE). Order of Australia made his first start of 2021 in the “Win and You're In” Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, finishing eighth. He rebounded in his next start, though, scoring a 1 1/4-length triumph in the 7-furlong Romanised Minstrel Stakes (G2) at The Curragh on July 18.

The 4-year-old Lope Y Fernandez, owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor, finished second to Palace Pier (GB) in the Queen Anne Stakes by 1 ½ lengths in his third start this year. A son of Lope de Vega (IRE), Lope Y Fernandez began 2021 with a 5 ½-length victory in the listed 1-mile Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown on April 14. He started next in the 1-mile Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury on May 15, but was not a factor, finishing eighth as the 5-1 second choice.

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Three-year-old fillies Alcohol Free (IRE) and Snow Lantern (GB) were the first two finishers in the 1-mile Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot on June 18. The 1 ½-length victory in the Coronation was Alcohol Free's second Group 1 triumph. Owned by Jeff Smith and trained by Andrew Balding, the daughter of No Nay Never claimed her first Group 1 in last year's Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. Alcohol Free began this year with a win in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (G3) at Newbury on April 18. In her first start against older fillies and mares, Alcohol Free finished third to Snow Lantern in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket on July 9.

Rockcliffe Stud's Snow Lantern, trained by Richard Hannon, has finished in the money in her four starts this year. A gray daughter of Frankel (GB), Snow Lantern broke her maiden in the 1-mile Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Newbury on April 18. She finished third in the listed Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' Stakes at York on May 14 prior to her second-place effort in the Coronation. Sent off at 6-1 in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes, Snow Lantern moved off the rail in the final two furlongs and surged to the front to catch QIPCO 1000 Guineas (G1) winner Mother Earth (IRE) by a half-length.

Juddmonte's 4-year-old Kentucky homebred Tilsit, trained by Charlie Hills, comes into the race off a win in the 1-mile Betfred Summer Mile Stakes (G2) at Ascot on July 10. That victory came after a second-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Prix d'Ispahan (G1) at ParisLongchamp on May 30. A son of First Defence, Tilsit has a win over the Goodwood course, taking last year's 1-mile Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (G3).

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Whitney Hopefuls Knicks Go, By My Standards Both Preparing Away From Saratoga

Two of the top contenders for the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on Aug. 7 at Saratoga have been preparing out of town, reports the Daily Racing Form. Knicks Go has been training at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., while By My Standards is currently based at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va.

The Whitney is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar.

Knicks Go, the 5-year-old son of Paynter, worked six furlongs at Ellis Sunday in 1:12 flat, according to Equibase. The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner disappointed in both the Saudi Cup and the Met Mile, but rebounded with a big effort in the Grade 3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows last out to win by 10 1/4 lengths. Trainer Brad Cox, who is himself based at Saratoga, said he's kept Knicks Go in Kentucky due to the staffing situation.

“He's really tough and the gallop boy that's done a good job with him over the last year or so is there for the summer so it made more sense to keep him there as opposed to bringing him up here,” Cox told DRF.

With Churchill Downs shut down for the summer to renovate the turf course, trainer Bret Calhoun shipped part of his stable to Colonial Downs, including By My Standards. Winner of the Oaklawn Mile and second, beaten a length, to Silver State in the G1 Met Mile last out, the 5-year-old son of Goldencents has put in back-to-back six-furlong works in 1:11 flat at Colonial over the past two weekends. Calhoun told DRF he will work the horse once more at Colonial before shipping to Saratoga.

With NYRA Ban Overturned, Baffert Plans To Enter Gamine At Saratoga

After a judge overturned the New York Racing Association's ban of Bob Baffert on July 14, the trainer told the Daily Racing Form he plans to enter reigning champion sprint mare Gamine in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28.

NYRA notified Baffert ahead of the Belmont Stakes that it was suspending his ability to enter horses in races or have stall space at its racetracks due to his recent history of medication violations, the conflicting statements he provided to media around the Medina Spirit scandal, and Churchill Downs' suspension of the trainer.

Judge Carol Bagley Amon of the Eastern District of New York determined that NYRA's suspension of Baffert should not have taken place without some sort of hearing allowing him to address the organization's accusations against him. Although NYRA was asserting its private property rights in the case, Amon said the organization is closely entwined enough with the state that its suspension of Baffert constituted a state action, thereby requiring due process.

Gamine, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, is undefeated in three starts in 2021. She won the G3 Las Flores at Santa Anita on April 4, the G1 Derby City Distaff on May 1 at Churchill Downs, and the G2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 5. She has breezed twice at Del Mar since the Great Lady M victory.

The only blemish on Gamine's nine-race career is a ninth-place finish in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, after which Baffert has kept the filly to sprint distances.

The Ballerina, contested over seven furlongs, is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint this fall at Del Mar.

Whitmore Works for Vanderbilt; ‘Technique’ Slated to Run

Reigning champion sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), third in his latest start in the May 1 GI Churchill Downs S., recorded his final serious breeze Friday in preparation for the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 31 at Saratoga. The 8-year-old, who won the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Keeneland, went a half-mile in :48.78 seconds over a fast main track, 12 days after completing the same distance in a swift :47.21 seconds. Trained by Ron Moquett, the gelding has amassed more than $4.4 million in lifetime earnings through a record of 41-15-13-4, which includes seven graded stakes victories at four different racetracks. His only prior victory at the highest level was registered in the 2018 GI Forego S. at Saratoga.

Whitmore was second in last year's Vanderbilt, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind Volatile prior to a seventh in the 2020 renewal of the Forego, contested over a sloppy track.

“He went very well this morning,” Moquett said. “I told the rider I wanted :48 or :49 and he did it, and did it the right way so I'm very pleased. He's training well, doing well, and I like the way he's running. I couldn't be more pleased with how everything is right now. He likes the surface at Saratoga. It's a good track and it seems like he's settled right in.”

Moquett indicated the Breeders' Cup Sprint is the main objective with the possibility of using the GII Phoenix S. Oct. 8 at Keeneland will serve as a springboard. Whitmore captured the 2017 Phoenix. Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., who has piloted Whitmore 17 times, including his last three starts, and will have the call for the Vanderbilt.

August Dawn's Three Technique (Mr Speaker) is also on target to contest the Vanderbilt. He finished third most recently in the seven-panel GII John A. Nerud S. at Belmont July 4.

“We've made the commitment to see how he handles sprinting and concentrate on the races that fit that category for him,” said trainer Jeremiah Englehart. “He's always trained fairly well up here. Since he came in during the spring, he's been training forwardly and doing very well.”

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