Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mostahdaf Ends Paddington’s Seven-Race Win Streak In Juddmonte International

Shadwell Estate Company Ltd's Mostahdaf (IRE) was a tenacious front-running winner of Wednesday's 1 1/4-mile Juddmonte International (G1) at York, bringing an end to Paddington's (IRE) run of seven straight victories. Mostahdaf is guaranteed an automatic starting position into the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. The son of Frankel (GB) already secured a place in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) after winning the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Frankie Dettori, deputizing for the suspended Jim Crowley aboard John and Thady Gosden-trained 5-year-old, opted for a change of tactics. Mostahdaf, off at odds of 3-1, had previously been ridden patiently, but he was pressed on under Dettori to his latest victory. Paddington, the odds-on favorite, settled 2 lengths off the lead through the first mile. Dettori was keen to ensure any stamina doubts in Paddington were exposed and Ryan Moore began to send out distress signals as Mostahdaf quickened in the straight.

Moore switched to Mostahdaf's outside as they approached the final furlong, with the 4-year-old filly Nashwa (GB) also mounting her challenge under Hollie Doyle toward the inside rail. But Mostahdaf repelled them both, ultimately beating stablemate Nashwa by 1 length, with 3-year-old Paddington a further neck back in third.

It was a record-breaking sixth win in the race for Dettori in his final ride in the Juddmonte International.

Afterward, he paid tribute to the whole team involved with Mostahdaf, saying: “It was a team effort. I'm very sorry for Jim (Crowley), who is suspended, as this is his ride. He helped me out a lot with the characteristics of the horse. I spoke to John (Gosden) at length and studied his replays and I thought there's only one way to beat Paddington and that's by making it a proper gallop, so I did. Full credit to the horse, he was superb today. You're giving a champion 3-year-old seven pounds, you want to be in front of him not behind him because when they're going to sprint it's going to be more difficult to pass him.”

Mostahdaf completed the race in 2:06.40 on ground listed as good to firm.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Mostahdaf to start in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance 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. 23 to receive the rewards.

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Savethelastdance, Bluestocking Rematch In Thursday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Yorkshire Oaks

Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1) winner Savethelastdance (IRE) headlines a quality field of 10 in Thursday's Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks (G1) at York. The winner of the 1 1/2-mile showpiece for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up is guaranteed an automatic starting position in the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Savethelastdance, by Galileo (IRE), has enjoyed an outstanding season so far. The 3-year-old filly was a dominant winner of the listed Cheshire Oaks in May and finished second in the Betfred Oaks (G1) at Epsom in June. She then claimed victory in the Irish Oaks last month, with Ralph Beckett's Bluestocking (GB) finishing second. The duo go head-to-head again on Thursday.

O'Brien has enjoyed great success in this race over the years, winning four of the last 10 renewals, and will be hoping Savethelastdance is victorious once again for owners Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg.

Prior to finishing second in the Irish Oaks, the Juddmonte-owned Bluestocking ran third in Royal Ascot's Ribblesdale Stakes (G2). Beckett is confident that Bluestocking has what it takes to win the Group 1 at York this week. “She came back from Ireland in good shape and we're on course,” he said.

Frankie Dettori is due to ride the George Strawbridge-owned Free Wind (IRE). The John & Thady Gosden trained 5-year-old has course form, as seen in May when winning the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes (G2), and was said to dislike the heavy ground in her latest outing when finishing fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Aug. 5 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (G2) at Goodwood. The formidable Gosden and Dettori duo enjoyed victory in this race with Enable (GB) in both 2017 and 2019.

With two Group victories in her last two starts, the Shadwell Estate Company Ltd-owned Al Husn (IRE) will be looking to build on her fine form for Newmarket-based trainer, Roger Varian. Al Husn's victory in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) at Goodwood saw her beat an experienced field in less-than-ideal conditions. Racing Manager, Angus Gold, acknowledged the step-up in trip for the 4-year-old daughter of Dubawi (IRE) who has not yet run over 1 ¼ miles. Gold said: “She hasn't run over this trip before but she's so tough and it's obviously a lovely race.”

Lady Bamford's Rosscarbery (GER) finished second in the Comer Group International Curragh Cup (G2) over 1 3/4 miles last month but was victorious in the June 16 Darley Munster Oaks (G3) at Cork over 1 1/2 miles, so connections are hopeful she is better suited for Thursday's distance.

Karl Burke's Novakai (GB) and Poptronic (GB) both line up for the Yorkshire-based trainer in this high-class renewal. Novakai (GB) relished the increase to 1 1/2 miles when winning a listed race at Newmarket last time out having previously disappointed over 1 1/4 miles in the Prix de Diane Longines (G1). Connections are hopeful this 1 1/2-mile contest will suit their 3-year-old filly by Lope de Vega (IRE). David & Yvonne Blunt's Poptronic has not been seen since her Lancashire Oaks (G2) victory in July at Haydock, where she beat the William Haggas-trained Sea Silk Road (IRE) by a neck. The duo will face each other again on Thursday.

Completing the field are the Aidan O'Brien-trained Warm Heart (IRE) and Hughie Morrison's Stay Alert (GB).

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Yorkshire Oaks winner to start in the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance 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. 23 to receive the rewards.

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Churchill To Host 12 Stakes Worth $3.7 Million During September Meet

A dozen stakes cumulatively worth a record $3,775,000 will be offered during the 14-day September Meet at Churchill Downs, which runs Sept. 14-Oct. 1 (pending Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund final approval).

The meet will offer horsemen plenty of opportunities to prep for the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita, led by the GII Lukas Classic for 3-year-olds and the GIII Ack Ack–a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” race for the Dirt Mile–Saturday, Sept. 30.

Additionally, the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series will kick-off Saturday, Sept. 16 with the GIII Iroquois and GIII Pocahontas, respectively. Both races for 2-year-olds have been shortened by a half-furlong to the one turn, one-mile distance.

The condition book of scheduled races for the September Meet features 135 races and a record $15,133,000 in prize money for a daily average of $1,080,929. Maiden special weight races have a $120,000 purse while allowance races range from $127,000 to $141,000. All purses, including claiming races, include prize money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

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Dependable Nest Seeks Shuvee-Personal Ensign Spa Double

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – By his measured standard, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher–rarely one to over-hype his horses– practically gushes when he talks about Nest (Curlin).

“She's just pure class in everything she does,” Pletcher said. “If they were all like her, it'd be a much easier game than it actually is.”

Co-owner Mike Repole, an enthusiastic promoter of his horses, talks about the 4-year-old in almost reverential terms.

“I've been blessed to have so many special, great horses, but she has a brilliance about her,” Repole said. “The last time I was blessed to have a horse like that was Uncle Mo. You think she's moving really slow. And you look at her times, and she just does it so easy. Effortlessly. Smooth. Composed. She's just a very special filly.”

Beloved by her connections and thoroughly respected by the competition, Nest returns to action Friday in the GI Personal Ensign S. Already the winner of three graded stakes at Saratoga Race Course, Nest will try to become the first runner to complete the GII Shuvee-Personal Ensign double since the Shuvee was added to the Saratoga stakes schedule in 2013. Eight previous Shuvee winners fell short.

In the Personal Ensign, named for the Ogden Phipps's undefeated champion, Nest will face a small, sterling field of graded stakes winners, Clairiere (Curlin), Secret Oath (Arrogate) Idiomatic (Curlin), and Sixtythreecaliber (Gun Runner), and Malloy (Outwork).

Nest has won eight of 12 starts and earned $2,083,050 for Repole, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House. The only time she has finished off the board was in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff when she was fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths as the favorite. That blemish did not bother Eclipse Award voters. She was the landslide winner of the 3-year-old filly title with 97% of the ballots cast.

This year, Nest was sick for a while in the spring, which delayed her return to the races. In the July 23 Shuvee, her first start since the Breeders' Cup, she dealt with the challenge presented by the gifted Clairiere and scooted away early in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

“She has a rare ability to quicken at the end of the dirt race,” Pletcher said. “You don't see a lot of horses show that display and turn of foot at the top of the stretch like we've seen her do. She's just a very, very special filly.”

With her convincing victory under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Nest answered any questions about whether it would take any time to return to top form.

“She's got this cruise control that's a high-speed cruise control,” Repole said. “When Irad asked her to go around that far turn, she just opens up five lengths in a split second.”

Nest was purchased for $350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale and joined the Pletcher stable the following year.

“She's been a star since Day 1,” Pletcher said. “She broke her maiden going a mile and a sixteenth first time out. Was able to win the (GII) Demoiselle as a 2-year-old. Had a spectacular season as a 3-year-old. I think her (GI) Coaching Club American Oaks and (GI) Alabama wins were two of the most impressive races we saw at Saratoga last year. That earned her a championship and now she's come back training even better at four.”

Nest opened her 3-year-old season Feb. 12 with a six-length victory in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs and picked up her first Grade I victory with an 8 1/4-length triumph in the GI Ashland S. Apr. 8 at Keeneland. She was sent off as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks and ended up second, beaten two lengths by Secret Oath. Five weeks later, Pletcher tried her against males in the GI Belmont S. She delivered a big performance at 1 1/2 miles and finished second, three lengths behind stablemate Mo Donegal. Her grit and resilience have become a trademark.

“Physically, she's done remarkably well,” Pletcher said. “I said that last year after she was second in the Belmont that I couldn't think of a horse that we'd run in the Belmont that came out of the race as well as she did and actually gained weight after the race. She's done that again, this year after the Shuvee. Your first concern would be that that might be a hard race on her off the long layoff. She just thrived on it and has done great since then.”

On the track and around the barn, Nest has an alert, but calm confident presence about her.

“Queen Nest,” Repole said. “She was always mature, but she came back and she knows everything she's doing and she's really special right now.”

After Nest breezed a half-mile on the main track Saturday in :48.75, Pletcher described it was as good as a horse can work.

“She's very easy to train. She's very relaxed in her gallops,” Pletcher said. “Everything comes very easily to her. If you want her to work slow, she'll do that. If you want to work fast, she can do that. She's a trainer's dream, really. She does whatever you ask her to do.”

Due to the late start of her season, Pletcher said he would entertain another race before heading to California for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. The GI Spinster S. at Keeneland Oct. 8 is a popular steppingstone to the Distaff.

Pletcher acknowledged the quality of the Personal Ensign field, noting that it included the major players in the division. It is another showdown at the Spa with title implications and he will saddle the filly likely to go off as the favorite.

“I never take anything for granted,” he said, “but the way she's training, I would expect another big effort from her.”

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