Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘I’ll Never Forget It As Long As I Live’

Stable lad Dean Sinnott has exercised several very nice horses for trainer Dermot Weld over the past six years, including 2016 Group 1 Epsom Derby winner Harzand, but he said he's never felt one quite like Tarnawa. The Aga Khan's homebred 4-year-old daughter of Shamardal went undefeated in 2020, including a triumphant victory over male rivals in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland race course in Lexington, Ky.

It was a first Breeders' Cup victory for the 28-year-old Sinnott, as well as for top Irish trainer Weld and 2020's champion Irish jockey Colin Keane.

“It was my first time bringing a horse to America, and we all had a bit of luck on our side,” Sinnott said, his lyrical tone rising to accentuate the emotion of the moment. “In the test barn (after the win) my phone was just buzzing away in my pocket, and it was actually Dermot Weld himself and he couldn't have been happier; it was a very special win for him.”

Coming into the Breeders' Cup off wins in the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines, Tarnawa was sent to post as the third choice in the talented field of 10. She was facing 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up and world-traveler Magical, Group 1 winners Mogul and Lord North, as well as top American hopes Channel Maker and Arklow.

She lost her footing a bit at the start of the 1 1/2-mile contest, and Keane guided Tarnawa over to the rail to save ground along the rail near the rear of the pack. The filly worked her way out to the five-path and moved up into fifth near the head of the lane, but still had nearly four lengths to make up.

Sinnott was watching from the rail, cheering Tarnawa home as she powered to a one-length victory over Magical.

The field for the 2020 Breeders' Cup Turf makes its way around the Keeneland turf course

“When she came into the home straight my heart began to beat a little bit quicker,” Sinnott remembered. “I tell ya, I was nice and calm, but I think I just jumped off the wall and let a few rolls out. The emotions got the best of me. It was an incredible moment, and I'll never forget it as long as I live. It was brilliant to do what she'd done.”

Everything had gone well since Tarnawa arrived in the United States over a week before the race, from her morning gallops under Sinnott, gate schooling, and her attitude in the stall. Stable lads in Europe are both the exercise rider and the groom, so Sinnott knew the filly was as well prepared as possible for the biggest test of her career.

“In a strange sort of way, I was more anxious for her to not let herself down,” said Sinnott. “Things were going very well, everything according to plan, and we were expecting a big run. I was just hoping that she would do herself justice.

“It was just a fairytale plan.”

Born in Wexford, Ireland, Sinnott has worked around horses for as long as he can remember.

“At my home place in Ireland we've always had young horses and mares,” the lad said. “One year I decided I might try riding a few. It was madness maybe, but we kind of progressed into actually trying to make a living out of it. I don't think we made too much of a bad decision!”

Sinnott went first to a local trainer's yard to learn how to ride, then attended the racing academy at the Curragh for a year before he was sent to a trainer in France for further schooling. Sinnott spent 2 1/2 years with trainer Connor O'Dwyer, also from Wexford, before the full-time opportunity to ride for Weld came about six years ago

Today, Sinnott rides out for several other trainers early in the morning at the Curragh, then works for Weld, then rides a few other mounts during lunch hours. He also rides a few races both on the flat and over jumps, and even rode over timber in the United States for Leslie Young during a three-month span two years ago.

With all that experience, it isn't hard to see why Sinnott would be entrusted with a promising filly like Tarnawa. He has been aboard her all season and said she's actually pretty easy to work around.

“She's a very straightforward filly, as honest as you get,” Sinnott said. “It's unbelievable, I've never ridden a horse that has passion as she does… She's after establishing a big fan base in Ireland.”

When Sinnott returned home this week, he was required to begin a 14-day quarantine due to pandemic restrictions. He also had to pass a COVID test before traveling to the United States for the Breeders' Cup, but said the extra steps were all worth it in the end.

“It was an unbelievable result,” Sinnott said. “We were fairly confident, but as you know it was such a competitive race. We figured if she runs well, we'll be happy, but to go and win was really incredible.

“She's actually after winning me heart. I've been lucky enough to ride very good horses in the yard, like Harzand, but this one is by far the best one I've ever ridden.”

Dean Sinnott (right) with the victorious Tarnawa

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Odds And Ends: Cox Second Trainer To Win Four Cup Races, Quartet Of Jockeys, Trainers Have Breakthrough Wins

Brad Cox became the second trainer in the 37-year history of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to train four winners during a single Championships, matching the feat of Richard Mandella in 2003 at Santa Anita.

Cox won the final two races on Future Stars Friday with Aunt Pearl (IRE) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) with Essential Quality.

On Saturday, he sent out Knicks Go, who shattered the track record in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1), and Monomoy Girl to her second victory in the Longines Distaff (G1).

In 2003, Mandella saddled four Breeders' Cup winners under the single-day format of the Championships conducted from 1984-2006.

Authentic Becomes Sixth Kentucky Derby Winner to Take Classic 
Authentic became the sixth Kentucky Derby winner to capture the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and fourth to do it in the same year. The other 3-year-olds to win the Classic are Sunday Silence (1989), Unbridled (1990) and American Pharoah (2015). Ferdinand, the 1986 Derby winner, and Alysheba, the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner, both came back the following year to win the Classic as 4-year-olds.                               

Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Third Consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode two winners and added a second- and third-place finish, won the 18th annual Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey in the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships hosted by Keeneland.

Ortiz's victories came on Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2) and Whitmore (Sprint-G1). He finished second on Improbable in the Classic (G1) and third on Sharp Samurai in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1).

Joel Rosario, Florent Geroux, John Velazquez and Pierre-Charles Boudot also rode two winners.

Rosario, who rode three winners in 2018 at Churchill Downs and two last year at Santa Anita, got his 2020 victories on Vequist (Juvenile Fillies-G1) and Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1)

Geroux's two victories came on Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1). Velasquez won the Longines Classic (G1) on Authentic and the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on Gamine. Boudot picked up his first two Breeders' Cup victories on Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on Order of Australia (IRE).

Four Jockeys Claim Initial Breeders' Cup Victories 
Four riders posted their first Breeders' Cup victories over the weekend.

Pierre-Charles Boudot, who was riding in his third Breeders' Cup, picked up his first two Breeders' Cup victories on Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on Order of Australia (IRE).

Luis Saez, riding in his seventh World Championships, won the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) on Essential Quality.

Tom Eaves, riding in his first Breeders' Cup, won the Turf Sprint (G1) on Glass Slippers (GB).

Colin Keane, also riding in his first Breeders' Cup, won the Longines Turf (G1) on Tarnawa (IRE).

Weld, Three Other Trainers Post Initial Breeders' Cup Victories
Dermot Weld, who saddled his first two Breeders' Cup starters in 1985, broke through Saturday with his first victory in the World Championships when Tarnawa (IRE) won the Longines Turf (G1). Tarnawa represented Weld's 17th Breeders' Cup starter.  james fan

Also picking up their initial victories were Ron Moquett, Kevin Ryan and James Fanshawe.

Moquett won the Sprint (G1) with Whitmore who was running in the Sprint for the fourth consecutive year. Moquett, who saddled his first Breeders' Cup runner in 1999, has started two other horses besides Whitmore.

Ryan, who won the Turf Sprint (G1) with Glass Slippers (GB), had had only one previous Breeders' Cup starter with East (GB), who had finished second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Fanshawe won with his first Breeders' Cup starter, Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Five Favorites Won Over the Weekend 
Five favorites delivered victories from the 14 Championship races during the 2020 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland with three more finishing second.

The winning favorites were Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2), Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1), Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1), Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1).

The highest price winner of the weekend was Order of Australia (IRE) in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) with a $148.40 win mutuel on a $2 bet.

Kentucky and European-Based Runners Dominate at Keeneland 
There were 14 World Championship races this weekend at Keeneland and Kentucky-based runners accounted for victories in half of them.

The Kentucky-based winners were Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2), Fire At Will (Juvenile Turf presented by Coolmore America-G1), Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1), Essential Quality (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-G1), Whitmore (Sprint-G1), Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1).

The Europeans made a clean sweep of the four turf races Saturday starting with Glass Slippers (GB) in the Turf Sprint (G1) and followed by Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1), Order of Australia (IRE) in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) and Tarnawa (IRE) in the Longines Turf (G1).

California was represented by two winners, both trained by Bob Baffert and both track record-setters: Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1) and Authentic (Longines Classic-G1).

The other winner was Parx-based Vequist in Friday's Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Jockeys (by earnings)

Jockey Earnings
Mike Smith* $36,634,605
John Velazquez* $27,730,275
Frankie Dettori* $25,751,862
Pat Day $23,033,360
Joel Rosario* $22,182,535
Jerry Bailey $22,006,440
Javier Castellano* $20,547,600
Gary Stevens $20,299,255

*Denotes Active Jockey

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Jockeys (by wins)

Jockey Wins
Mike Smith* 26
John Velazquez* 18
Jerry Bailey 15
Frankie Dettori* 14
Garrett Gomez 13
Javier Castellano* 12
Pat Day 12
Joel Rosario* 13
Irad Ortiz Jr. 11
Gary Stevens  11

*Denotes Active Jockey

 

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Trainers (by earnings)

Trainer Earnings
Bob Baffert* $34,985,000
Aidan O'Brien * $26,645,590
D. Wayne Lukas *  $22,672,520
Todd Pletcher* $21,508,030
Chad Brown* $20,000,690
Bill Mott* $19,936,900
Steve Asmussen* $14,262,180

*Denotes Active Trainer

 

 

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Trainers (by win)

Trainer Wins
D. Wayne Lukas* 20
Bob Baffert* 17
Chad Brown * 15
Aidan O'Brien * 13
Todd Pletcher* 11
Shug McGaughey* 9
Bill Mott* 9
Richard Mandella* 9
Sir Michael Stoute* 8
Brad Cox 7
Neil Drysdale 6
Bobby Frankel 6

*Denotes Active Trainer

 

Jockeys Who Won Their First Breeders' Cup World Championships race in 2020

Jockey Horse Race
Pierre-Charles Boudot Audarya (FR) Filly & Mare Turf
Tom Eaves Glass Slippers (GB) Turf Sprint
Colin Keane Tarnawa (IRE) Turf
Luis Saez Essential Quality Juvenile

 

Trainers Who Won Their First Breeders' Cup World Championships race in 2020

Trainer Horse Race
James Fanshawe Audarya (FR) Filly & Mare Turf
Ron Moquett Whitmore Sprint
Kevin Ryan Glass Slippers (GB) Turf Sprint
Dermot Weld Tarnawa (IRE) Turf

 

Future Sites

The 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, Nov. 5-6, 2021 and return to Keeneland for the 39threnewal Nov. 4-5, 2022.

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Tarnawa Gives Weld First Cup Victory With Late-Running Turf Triumph

With jockey Christophe Soumillon taken off his second winning mount of the day after testing positive for COVID-19, substitute rider Colin Keane guided the 4-year-old Irish-bred Shamardal filly Tarnawa to a stretch-running victory over Magical, the 2-1 favorite, in Saturday's $4-million, Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

The win gave globe-trotting Irish trainer Dermot Weld his first Breeders' Cup victory from his 17th starter. The Aga Khan homebred finished a length to the good of the 5-year-old Galileo mare Magical and jockey Ryan Moore, with pacesetter Channel Maker finishing third, another half-length back and 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Lord North. They were followed across the line by Mogul, Arklow, Mehdaayih, United, Red King and Donjah.

Time for 1 1/2 miles was 2:28.02 on firm turf after fractions of :25.57, :51.06, 1:15.99, 1:40.52 and 2:04.45.

Tarnawa, the third choice in the wagering, paid $11.40 to win.

This was the third victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf for the Aga Khan, having won the inaugural running in 1984 with Lashkari and again in 2000 with Kalanisi. Tarnawa, produced from the Cape Cross mare Tarana, is the fifth generation of mares bred by Aga Khan Studs.

Tarnawa is the third filly in the last six years to win the Turf, following in the footsteps of Found in 2015 at Keeneland and Enable in the 2018 running at Churchill Downs. Distaffers Pebbles in 1985 and MIss Alleged in 1991 were earlier winners.

Tarnawa, who was winning for the eighth time in 14 career starts, was coming off a neck victory over Alpine Star in the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp on Oct. 4. Before that she won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille by three lengths at the Paris, France, track. She began her 2020 campaign with a victory in a Group contest in her native Ireland at Cork.

Soumillon rode Tarnawa to her two  recent French victories but tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival in Kentucky. He lost the mount on Order of Australia in the G1 Mile for Aidan O'Brien and that horse was ridden to a 73-1 upset victory by Pierre Charles Boudot.

 

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Tarnawa Gives Legendary Weld a Maiden BC Win in the Turf

Trainer Dermot Weld, widely regarded as the pioneer of traveling horses, has accomplished most everything there is to accomplish in this business, winning the 1990 GI Belmont S. with Go and Go (Ire) (Be My Guest) and the G1 Melbourne Cup twice with Vintage Crop (Ire) (Rousillon, 1993) and Media Puzzle in 2002, to name just a few of his considerable achievements.

The latter was a son of Theatrical (Ire), trained by Weld for Bert and Diana Firestone to a runner-up effort in the 1985 G1 Irish Derby before finishing a low-odds 11th to Pebbles (GB) (Sharpen Up {GB}) in the second running of the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf at Aqueduct. Ironically, under the care of Bill Mott, Theatrical would go on to just miss to Manila (Lyphard) the following year at Santa Anita before going one better at Hollywood Park in 1987.

From the previous 35 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup, Weld had saddled 16 horses without a winner. But in the course of 150 seconds on a sunsplashed Central Kentucky Saturday, Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) put pay to that streak with a commanding defeat of the boys at Keeneland.

Last-out winner of the G1 Prix de l’Opera over easy ground at ParisLongchamp in early October, Tarnawa dropped out to near the tail of the field as Channel Maker (English Channel)–making his fourth appearance at the Breeders’ Cup–led the way early, as expected, from 2019 runner-up United (Giant’s Causeway). The Aga Khan homebred was ridden patiently by two-time champion Irish jockey Colin Keane–replacing the COVID-19-stricken Christophe Soumillon–as they passed halfway in a pedestrian 1:15.99, and still had only one beaten as the field hit the three-eighths marker, with Channel Maker still bossing things from the front.

The Ontario-bred increased his advantage when United appeared to take an awkward step at the 2 1/2-furlong pole and, given the pace dynamics to that point, appeared a serious threat to lead them all the way. But, leaving nothing to chance and knowing how much he had underneath him, Keane allowed Tarnawa to circle some seven or eight wide off the final turn and she stormed down the center of the course to score handily. Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Turf runner-up in an epic battle with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the bog at Churchill two years ago, raced in the second flight of horses, but was beaten to the punch by the winner and settled for a battling second. Channel Maker held admirably for third.

“It’s thrilling to win this race, it doesn’t really get any bigger,” the trainer’s son Mark commented. “It’s been a long time since 1990 when my father first won the Belmont with Go and Go and it’s kept going ever. Instructions-wise, we left it to Colin. He’s not champion Jockey of Ireland for nothing. He took over from the late great Pat Smullen, who we miss terribly here today and I really must mention him. I also must mention Christophe, who had done so brilliantly on her in Paris as well.”

A maiden from three starts at two, Tarnawa was three times a winner at group level last season while finishing 11th in the G1 Investec Oaks. Saved for a second-half campaign this term, she resumed from an October absence to defeat Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G3 Give Thanks S. at Cork Aug. 8 and made her two most recent appearances at ParisLongchamp, carrying Soumillon to a victory in the G1 Prix Vermeille Sept. 1 and to a neck defeat of the talented Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Filly & Mare Turf heroine Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) when last seen in the Opera.

Tarnawa is the fourth runner to carry the Aga Khan green-and-red to victory in the Turf, joining inaugural winner Lashkari (GB) (Mill Reef); 1999 hero Daylami (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}, campaigned in partnership with Godolphin; and 2000 victor Kalanisi (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}). All were homebred winners.

Pedigree Notes:
Tarnawa–somewhat surprisingly–becomes the first Breeders’ Cup winner for her globally successful stallion (by Giant’s Causeway), who was euthanized at Darley’s Kildangan Stud this past April. Tarnawa’s dual stakes-winning dam was out of Irish highweight Tarakala, who won the Listed Galtres S. at York and was placed in the G3 Noblesse S. at Naas, each over 12 furlongs. One of 26 top-level, 77 graded/group and 150 overall black-type scorers for Shamardal, Tarnawa has an unraced 2-year-old half-brother named Tazaral (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and a weanling half-sister by Siyouni (Fr).

Saturday, Keeneland
LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP TURF-GI, $3,680,000, Keeneland, 11-7, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:28.02, fm.
1–TARNAWA (IRE), 123, f, 4, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Tarana (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire, $141,525), by Cape Cross (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Tarakala (Ire), by Dr Fong
                3rd Dam: Tarakana, by Shahrastani
O-HH Aga Khan; B-His Highness the Aga Khan’s Studs S.C. (IRE);
T-Dermot K. Weld; J-Colin Keane. $2,080,000. Lifetime Record:
MG1SW-Fr & MGSW-Ire, 14-8-2-2, $2,868,503. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Magical (Ire), 123, m, 5, Galileo (Ire) (Ire)–Halfway To Heaven
(Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier &
Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan
O’Brien. $680,000.
3–Channel Maker, 126, g, 6, English Channel–In Return, by
Horse Chestnut (SAf). ($57,000 RNA Ylg ’15 KEESEP).
O-Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable & Reeves
Thoroughbred Racing; B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON); T-William I.
Mott. $360,000.
Margins: 1, NO, 1 3/4. Odds: 4.70, 2.10, 9.10.
Also Ran: Lord North (Ire), Mogul (GB), Arklow, Mehdaayih (GB), United, Red King, Donjah (Ger). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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