INTERNATIONAL CONTINGENT
A busy morning at Del Mar racetrack saw all international runners exercising with the exception of four Japanese horses. Pingxiang (Dirt Mile), Marche Lorraine (JPN) (Distaff), Loves Only You (JPN) (Filly & Mare Turf) and Jasper Great (Juvenile) all stayed in the quarantine barn after working Tuesday.
Vertiginous (IRE) (Juvenile Turf Sprint) was the first international horse on the main track this morning when accompanied by her trainer Brian Meehan on a pony.
Teona (IRE) (Turf) was next out on the main track before being followed by 14 international horses exercising on the turf track.
Audarya (FR) (Filly & Mare Turf) was ridden by usual work rider Geoffrey De La Sayette who said, “I gave her a breeze this morning and I couldn't be happier with her at this stage. She feels every bit as good as she felt going into the Filly & Mare Turf last year at Keeneland so I'm delighted.”
George Boughey has his first Breeders' Cup runners Friday in only his second season as a trainer. Boughey who was trackside to watch Cachet (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Thunder Love (GB) (Juvenile Turf Sprint) said, “It's great to have runners at the Breeders' Cup. I never expected we would have them in our second year of training. They both shipped over really well. We've taken horses all around Europe this year, trying to take horses which are relaxed and take traveling well who don't fret too much.
“I've just watched both horses walk around in front of me then and they've both settled in really well and I'm pleased with them. I think Cachet has a great draw in gate three in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. She breaks well and is a filly who likes to get into a rhythm and I've always thought American racing would suit her well. She hasn't done a huge amount of racing round a bend but she seems to have taken it well here. She breezed this morning just a couple of furlongs into the home bend, switched her leads well and looked strong so I'm very happy with her.
“Thunder Love is the first also-eligible for the Juvenile Turf Sprint, so at this stage looks like she'll run in the Senator Ken Maddy where she's drawn in gate six. She is fast away from the gate but will jump tomorrow morning just to sharpen her up and she's taken it well. I've always thought firm ground around a bend is what she needs. They're both fit, healthy and well and hopefully they now have an easy time into the race and they put up big performances.”
Charlie Appleby was trackside to oversee his six horses.
Appleby said, “All six horses have traveled and settled in very well. They breezed this morning which will put them spot on and I couldn't be happier at this stage. William Buick rode Modern Games (IRE) (Juvenile Turf) and was pleased with him and James Doyle rode Master of The Seas (IRE) (Mile) and he said all was good. I'm really looking forward to the races now, I feel we've got a nice team to run so hopefully we have some luck.”
Oisin Murphy rode the Hugo Palmer-trained Ocean Road (IRE) (Filly & Mare Turf) and Hierachy (IRE) (Juvenile Turf Sprint) on the turf and said, “Ocean Road moved super. She's got a great temperament and I think she can run a career best. Hierarchy did a routine canter and is in great condition and looks great in his coat. He's drawn nicely in gate four and I'm looking forward to riding him.”
As well as riding Master of The Seas, James Doyle rode Dubawi Legend (IRE) (Juvenile Turf) this morning and said, “Dubawi Legend is a very good horse who I'm looking forward to riding on Friday. He has a very bad draw out in 14 so we'll need everything to go right in the race. We'll need some luck in running but I think he can still go well.”
Arguably Europe's biggest hope of the meeting is Tarnawa (IRE) (Turf) who bids to repeat last year's success in the race. Her legendary trainer Dermot Weld was trackside to watch her canter on the turf track who said, “Tarnawa seems in great form. She had a very tough race in the Arc at ParisLongchamp and she was tired for a week afterward. Since then she has bounced back very well and traveled over great. The guys say she's been in great order since she arrived in Del Mar.
“She's very adaptable as we saw in Keeneland last year so obviously we're all very hopeful again. The draw in 13 however is not good. On the stats she's got a huge task and simply on stats they say she can't win. We'll just take our time in the race and see what happens. I love coming to the Breeders' Cup and having international runners. I love the challenge and the challenge is forever getting harder with the quality of races.”
John Velazquez rode Hello You (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and reported she was in “great form really happy with her. I gave her a breeze and she felt like a very nice horse.”
Irish trainer Ado McGuinness was trackside to watch A Case of You (IRE) (Turf Sprint) who was ridden this morning by race day jockey Ronan Whelan. McGuinness said, “A Case of You seems to be very happy with himself and reports from Ian Brennan who has been looking after him have been very positive. I'm looking forward to running him on Saturday and it's an honor to have a runner here at this great meeting.”
Aidan O'Brien's seven horses were once again led by Broome (IRE) (Turf) and followed up in the rear by Love (IRE) (Turf). They did their usual routine trot and then split up into two groups to gallop. O'Brien's possible four runners in the Turf, Bolshoi Ballet (IRE), Broome, Japan (GB) and Mogul (GB) worked together and behind them came Glounthaune (IRE) (Juvenile Turf), Love and Mother Earth (IRE) (Mile).
O'Brien said, “That was great, they've done a nice bit of work there. The lads seem very happy with them all and reports have been good with the way they traveled and how they've settled in. Obviously, we need a few horses to scratch to get a run with a few of them so we'll have to see what happens over the coming days.”
The Kevin Ryan duo of Glass Slippers (GB) (Turf Sprint) and Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Turf Sptrint) were ridden by race day jockeys Tom Eaves and Andrea Atzeni.
Ryan said, “Couldn't be happier at this stage. All good. Tom and Andrea were very happy with them this morning and said they felt great. We're drawn in gates one and two which was a good result so it's all systems go for Saturday now.”
TURF
Chad Brown (Domestic Spending, Rockemperor, Tribhuvan)—Chad Brown will start three capable contenders in Saturday's $4 million Longines Turf, topped by Klaravich Stables star pupil Domestic Spending (GB), who could contend for year-end honors with a favorable performance in the 12-furlong grass affair.
A winner of six of eight starts, the well-bred son of top European sire Kingman enters off a disappointing neck second in the Mr. D (G1) at Arlington Park, but was brilliant in each of his previous starts this year, the Turf Classic (G1) and Manhattan (G1). The earner of more than $1.4 million drew post three and was assigned 4/1 second-choice odds behind defending champ Tarnawa.
The run will be the British-bred bay 4-year-old gelding's first beyond 10 furlongs, but he has followed an identical path to 2019 Brown pupil, Bricks and Mortar, who used a perfect Turf-capped 4-for-4 record to earn Champion Turf Horse and Horse of the Year.
“He's posted good inside and hopefully he gets out of there and gets some decent position up there,” Brown said. “That's kind of where I want to see him. As he's gotten older, he has given me a lot of confidence on whether he'll get the mile and a half. He prefers, especially on the stretch-out, to be covered up and quietly following a good flow of traffic. I think he'll run as far as you want if that happens.
“He needs tempo in front of him and is not nearly as effective against the rider on a slow pace—we saw that at Arlington—he'll start to come on and off the bit that way,” Brown continued. “I rather get him on the stretch-out on firm ground, fresh, as opposed to trying him in back-to-back mile and a half races, which is what I would be faced with if I ran him in the (Grade 1 Joe) Hirsch (Turf Classic). I don't think he'd run as well the second time.”
Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Michael Caruso's Rockemperor (IRE) enters the Turf off the best performance of his career when winning the aforementioned Joe Hirsch Turf Classic by two lengths under Javier Castellano. The son of Holy Roman Emperor had been highly regarded for two seasons and six Grade 1 disappointments, but finally broke through at odds of 15/1.
“That was a pleasant surprise,” Brown explained. “He was training well, but I'll be honest, I was surprised with the way he won the race. This is a big step up in class and this is a different group of horses than the Hirsch, but his number was very good. He's had fast numbers in the past and it's not impossible for him to get a piece of it. I like his post, as well. If Javier can get him out of the gate and get a quiet spot following Domestic Spending, that would be ideal.”
The most forward of the Brown brigade will be Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Caruso's Tribhuvan (FR), a son of star miler Toronado who won the United Nations (G1) over 11 furlongs and Fort Marcy (G2) over nine furlongs earlier this season and was last seen fading to fifth in the Sword Dancer (G1) over 12 furlongs. Three starts back, he was an excellent second to Domestic Spending in the Manhattan after setting the pace.
Brown: “He's good and very dangerous here. It may look on paper that he can't get the distance, but I don't think he quite knows when to stop if he gets loose. He nearly pulled it off in the Manhattan. I know that was a mile and a quarter, but he's training well and he's going to love the turf course here. He's a firm-ground horse.
MILE
Blowout, Raging Bull – Peter Brant's Chad Brown-trained Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) duo of Blowout (GB) and Raging Bull (FR) have impressed in their morning exercise this week, including each galloping about one mile of the Del Mar dirt course on Wednesday morning with their conditioner watching.
Blowout, a speedy type who won Keeneland's First Lady (G1) and Churchill Downs' Distaff Turf Mile (G2) in front-running style this season, is a blue-blooded daughter of Dansili—sire of multiple Breeders' Cup winners—and French classic winner Beauty Parlour. Last year, she was nose second over course and distance in Del Mar's Matriarch (G1).
“She's going to be very forward and she doesn't have to be on the lead,” Brown said. “If there's a horse that clearly wants that lead in the first turn, she's fine with having a target. We will give her her own opportunity to win the race—she's not in there to set a pace (for her stablemate) at all—but it's nice to have two horses in there with complementary style, depending on what the pace winds up being.”
Raging Bull will retire to stud after the Mile and returns to the course over which he won the Hollywood Derby (G1) in 2018. The 6yo son of Dark Angel exits a third in the Woodbine Mile (G1) and was victorious in Keeneland's Maker's Mark Mile (G1) in April.
“Raging Bull is going to love getting back to the firm ground and he loves Del Mar,” Brown continued. “That horse is sitting on a big race. He's a little dirtied up his last two starts. He didn't run badly, he just ran third and Dettori said he didn't handle the turf on the turn; was slipping out from under him. He will love being back here.”
Casa Creed – Grade 1-winning Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) contender Casa Creed galloped one mile on the Del Mar dirt track on Wednesday morning for trainer Bill Mott. Owned by LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable, the Jaipur Stakes (G1) winner was 12th in last year's edition, but accounted for himself well over the trip in Saratoga's Fourstardave (G1), when finishing third by two lengths astern Got Stormy.
“We like him in this race, but we didn't draw very good,” Mott said. “We just have to try to get inside, whether we go forward or backward to do that, because you can't be wide here.”
The 5yo son of Jimmy Creed has won five from 22 starts and has drawn post 13 of 14 with Junior Alvarado to ride.
Mo Forza – Bardy Farm homebred Mo Forza will make what could be his final career start in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) for trainer Peter Miller. Co-owned by OG Boss, the son of 5yo son of Uncle Mo has a record of 6-3-2-0 at Del Mar and has won three graded stakes over this surface, including two of the mile distance. Last year, while preparing for the race, he was withdrawn with an injury while expected to garner possible favoritism.
“It would be extremely gratifying to win it this year,” Miller said. “He's just such a talented horse and the best miler racing. Last year was a really a punch to the gut and it would mean the world to me and the owners if he could win it here at home. I'd love to send him off to stud a Breeders' Cup champion.
In 2017 at Del Mar, Miller landed two Breeders' Cup trophies, in the Turf Sprint (Stormy Liberal) and Sprint (Roy H).
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FILLY & MARE TURF
War Like Goddess – On the verge of stardom would not be an overstatement for the attractively named War Like Goddess, who has been nothing short of dominant in her brief career for owner George Krikorian and trainer Bill Mott. The 4yo daughter of Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner English Channel is 6-for-7 and has won her last four races in impressive fashion, including a flying nose victory in the Orchid (G3) and three consecutive one-sided tallies in the Bewitch (G3), Glens Falls (G2) and Flower Bowl Invitational (G1). The 7/2 morning-line favorite for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) drew post seven and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux.
“She's great,” Mott said. “She's really, knock on wood, has been good ever since her last race in the Flower Bowl. Her lone loss was a comeback race and first time in a stakes and it was a little shorter than she likes and Gulfstream is a pretty speed-favoring kind of track. She's won drawing away and there was another race where she just got up, but we hope there's more there because this is a very good field against some good fillies. You have to be impressed with (Loves Only You)—I've seen her out there and she looks good.”
TURF SPRINT
Gear Jockey – Calumet Farm's Gear Jockey galloped 1 1/2m under exercise rider Lyndsay Delello for trainer Rusty Arnold, who has a paddock schooling session scheduled for Thursday morning at 10 o'clock.
Gear Jockey will be making his second Breeders' Cup appearance. He finished third as maiden at 67-1 odds in the Juvenile Turf going a mile in 2019 at Santa Anita. Two years later, he shows back up at the World Championships as a leading candidate for the $1 million Turf Sprint.
After an injury cost him most of his 3yo season in 2020, Gear Jockey returned to the races in January at Gulfstream and in his second start broke his maiden going a mile on the turf. Solid efforts followed that victory but Arnold felt something was lacking.
“He was just not finishing his races and I talked with (Calumet Farm general manager) Eddie Kane and said let's try sprinting him,” Arnold said.
What followed was a victory at Saratoga followed by a solid third-place finish in the Troy. Gear Jockey earned his Breeders' Cup ticket with a victory in the Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs.
“We were the first one on the also-eligible list and one of the horses had a travel issue and couldn't make the race, so we drew in,” Arnold said.
Jose Lezcano, who has been aboard Gear Jockey in his past three starts, has the call Saturday.
“Jose and I have been very lucky together,” Arnold said.
JUVENILE TURF
Slipstream – A pair of wins at Belmont Park this fall carried the Jump Sucker Stable colt trained by Christophe Clement to the Juvenile Turf.
Joel Rosario will ride the son of More Than Ready from Post 5 in the one-mile test.
“He is coming off a victory in the Futurity going six furlongs,” said Clement's longtime assistant Christophe Lorieul. “He's a very nicely made colt. He is progressing tremendously. I think he blossomed coming out of Saratoga. I don't think that he had that much of a hard race in the Futurity. I don't think the Joel hit him even once. He just came and did it the last eighth of a mile. It was as pretty impressive performance.
Slipstream won the Futurity on Oct, 10 by one length.
“Stretching him to a mile this time will be a little bit of a test. But why not?” Lorieul said. “If it's the place to do it, it's here. He's got tactical speed, which is always a plus.”
Tiz the Bomb – Phoenix Thoroughbred's Tiz the Bomb galloped 1 1/2m under exercise rider Danny Ramsey for trainer Kenny McPeek.
Undefeated in two turf starts, Tiz the Bomb arrived at Del Mar late Monday from Keeneland where he won the Bourbon in his most recent outing.
McPeek is scheduled to arrive here Wednesday night.
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
California Angel – With her trainer George Leonard III leading her all the way, California Angel walked professionally to the track after being a little antsy in her stall and proceeded to gallop once around after visiting the paddock. According to her trainer, the filly has settled in well since arriving Monday as she prepares to make her fourth career start in the Juvenile Fillies Turf Friday.
For Leonard, a longtime veteran of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana circuit, the race will mark just the second time he has saddled a horse for a graded stakes. When he saddled California Angel to victory in the Jessamine Stakes (G2) Oct. 13 at Keeneland it was the first time.
“She's doing well, she's ready,” Leonard said. “She's getting happier and happier every day. This is quite exciting. It's been great so far.”
Helens Well (IRE) – Is Helens Well (IRE) a “horse for this course?” Trainer Phil D'Amato seems to think so. After getting the Irish-bred filly, she won handily in her U.S. debut despite a troubled trip, then repeated the trouble line while finishing fastest to just miss as the second-place finisher in her stakes debut.
“I think she likes this deeper course,” he said. “In her last race at Santa Anita, the turf was extremely fast, yet she was again finishing fastest. I think her style is more conducive to the surface here.”
On Wednesday, Helens Well joined her juvenile barn mate and fellow NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies entrant Desert Dawn for a 1 1/2m gallop just ahead of Friday's $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Pizza Bianca – Bobby Flay's homebred filly Pizza Bianca brings a strong international pedigree to her start in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The daughter of the highly successful stallion Fastnet Rock is out of unraced White Hot, a daughter of the great Galileo. Flay purchased White Hot, a half-sister to Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi and a full-sister to Group 1 stakes-placed Dawn Patrol, for $2.1 million in 2014, but she never made it to the races.
In her most recent start, Pizza Bianca had some traffic trouble while finishing second to Wild Beauty in the Natalma at Woodbine. When she turned in a solid work on Oct. 24, Flay told trainer Christophe Clement to skip the Chelsey Flower at Belmont and send her to the Breeders' Cup. With More Than Real, Flay won the Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2010.
Pizza Bianca drew the rail in the one-mile, $1 million race and was listed as the 5-1 morning line favorite.
“She's very lightly raced,” said Clement's longtime assistant Christophe Lorieul. “She broke her maiden at Saratoga and came back to be second in the Natalma. Logically, I think the filly that won the Natalma for Godolphin could have been the favorite in this race, but she is not running.
“The filly is doing well. The owner and the boss talked and they wanted to take a shot.”
JUVENILE TURF SPRINT
Derrynane – Waterville Lake Stables' New York homebred filly Derrynane will take on colts in the Juvenile Turf Sprint after victories at Saratoga Race Course and Woodbine.
The bay daughter of Quality Road trained by Christophe Clement has won two of three starts, all against fillies. On Sept. 19 she won the 5f Woodbine Cares Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths.
“She's got speed,” said Clement's assistant Christophe Lorieul. “I really like her race at Woodbine. It was on a similar kind of surface and racetrack with tight turns. There was plenty of speed in front of her and she came closing at the end. She ran a very good race that day. I don't know how much she beat, but she looked very good doing it.”
Derrynane and Joel Rosario will start from Post 11 in the 14-horse field.
“For a 2-year-old she is amazing,” Lorieul said. “Wherever you take her, she never leaves any feed and she always acts very mature. That's a plus.”
One Timer – Patricia Hope and Richard Ravin's One Timer has completed his preparations for Friday's Juvenile Turf Sprint for trainer Larry Rivelli.
“He jogged this morning, will walk Thursday and I don't take my horses to the track the morning of a race,” Rivelli said as the undefeated Trappe Shot gelding returned to the barn.
One Timer has won all three of his starts with the first two coming on all-weather surfaces at Arlington Park and Woodbine before shipping to Santa Anita to win the Speakeasy on Oct. 1 in his grass debut.
“I went back (to Chicago) but he stayed out here the whole time after the Speakeasy,” Rivelli said. “he has had two works since, both on the dirt, one at Santa Anita and one here.”
E.T. Baird, who has been aboard One Timer in all of his starts, has the mount Friday and will exit post nine, one spot to the outside of morning line favorite Averly Jane.
“I would like to see him break clean and get away from the gate sharply,” Rivelli said. “We are going (to the lead). We are outside of Averly Jane, so we will see who is fastest.”
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