Messrs. C.T. Crowe & N. Jonsson's 4-year-old Jet Dark (SAF) successfully defended his title in Saturday's one-mile L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse with a 2 ¼-length win over favored Kommetdieding (SAF). With this victory Jet Dark, trained by Justin Snaith and ridden by S'manga Khumalo, earned an automatic berth into the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
One race prior to the Queen's Plate, Mrs. S. Viljoen's 4-year-old filly Captain's Ransom (SAF) defeated Chansonette (SAF) by a head in the 1 1/8-mile Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1), and gained a free starting position into the US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
Now in its 15th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held this year at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on Nov. 4-5.
Off slowly in the 11-horse field, Jet Dark, 10-1, saved ground along the rail towards the rear of the field behind Kommetdieding, last year's Vodacom Durban July (G1) winner. Both runners gained steadily into the final turn with Kommetdieding moving to challenge front runner Seeking the Stars (SAF) to his outside at the 200 meter mark. At that point, though, Jet Dark found another gear, surging past Kommetdieding to the front and charging home an easy winner. Kommetdieding held on for second over the fast-closing third choice Rainbow Bridge (SAF), with Seeking the Stars finishing fourth.
In registering his sixth win in 11 starts, Jet Dark, a son of Trippi out of Night Jet (SAF) by Jet Master (SAF), completed the mile in 1:36.56 over a course listed as good. Jet Dark has now won three Group 1 races. In addition to last year's Queen's Plate triumph, he also won the HKJC World Pool Champions Cup in July at Greyville. Jet Dark, bred by Drackenstein Stud, came into today's race off a fourth-place finish in the WSB Prive Greenpoint Stakes (G2) at Kenilworth on Dec. 4.
In the Cartier Paddock Stakes, the 2-1 favored Captain's Ransom, trained by Justin Snaith and ridden by Richard Fourie, came from far back against 10 rivals and battled to the front inside the final 100 meters. Fending off the challenge of 3-1 second choice Chansonette along the rail and the fast closing Marina (SAF) in between them, Captain's Ransom hit the wire a short head in front. Chansonette held off Marina by a head to claim the runner-up position.
Earning the free berth into the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Captain's Ransom, a 4-year-old filly by Captain Al (SAF) out of the Red Ransom mare Cinnas Ransom (GB), won her ninth race in 11 starts. She finished the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.43. The win was also her third Group 1 triumph, having taken the Majora Stakes last May and the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas in 2020. Captain's Ransom had two 7-furlong victories prior to today's race, first winning the Diana Stakes (G3) at Durbanville on Oct. 2, and then the Dec. 4 Amy Miller Memorial Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for Jet Dark and Captain's Ransom to start in the Fan Duel Breeders' Cup Mile and the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, respectively. Breeders' Cup will also provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 24 to receive the rewards.
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