After a disappointing sixth over soggy ground in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Juddmonte's Enable could make one more start before closing out her star-studded career. According to the Racing Post, the 6-year-old daughter of Nathaniel is under consideration for the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 17 at Ascot.
Trainer John Gosden told racingpost.com: “Enable did one canter on Warren Hill this morning and seems fine after her trip to Paris. Whether she runs again or not is up to her owner Prince Khalid Abdullah and I think a decision about her future will be made after the weekend.”
Enable won two editions of the Arc, in 2017 and 2018, then finished second in 2019. She won the 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf, and three editions of the Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Overall, the mare has earned a record of 15 wins from 19 starts.
Following his victory in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Sottsass (FR) [123] has joined the top 10 in the third edition of the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020.
In the Arc, Sottsass defeated In Swoop (IRE) [122] by a neck, and earlier this year, he won the Prix Ganay (G1). Sottsass, who also won the 2019 Qipco Prix du Jockey Club (G1), was retired after the Arc, and he will stand at Coolmore in 2021.
In Swoop won the IDEE 151st Deutsches Derby (G1) in July. He came into the Arc off of a second-place finish in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1), which was won by Mogul (GB) [121]. Mogul, who is a full brother to Japan (GB) [121], also won the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (G3) earlier in the year.
Kameko (USA) [122], meanwhile, improved his rating from 120 to 122 with his victory in the Shadwell Joel Stakes (G2). In June, he won the Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (G1).
The American filly Swiss Skydiver (USA) [122] finds herself ranked after beating Authentic (USA) [124] by a neck in the Preakness Stakes (G1). The pair finished 10 lengths in front of the next closest competitor, and the final time of 1:53.28 made it the second fastest 1 3/16-mile Preakness in history, behind only Secretariat.
Swiss Skydiver, who is only the sixth filly to win the race, notched her first top level victory of the year in the Alabama Stakes (G1) and came into the Preakness off a second-place effort in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Authentic was coming off back-to-back victories in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) and Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
Mo Forza (USA) [120] is also newly ranked following his win in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2), which was his first start since taking the Del Mar Mile Handicap (G2) in August.
Peter Brant's return to Thoroughbred racing and breeding in 2016 after a nearly 25-year hiatus hit its pinnacle on Sunday with a victory by Sottsass in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. The 4-year-old colt by the French stallion Siyouni, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and ridden to victory by Cristian Demuro, had no trouble with the heavy ground at ParisLongchamp, defeating In Swoop and pace-setting Persian King in the 12-furlong European classic for 3-year-olds and up.
Juddmonte Farms Enable finished sixth in her bid for a record third Arc de Triomphe victory, Jockey Frankie Dettori said of the John Gosden runner: “She hated that ground. I knew my fate at the 400.”
The victory was the first in the Arc de Triomphe for Brant, Demuro and Rouget.
Sottsass was prominent from the outset, saving ground inside of Chachnak as Persian King established the pace. In Swoop raced just behind Sottsass, alongside Enable. There was little change in the running until the field of 11 runners reached the stretch run.
Persian King was well off the rail giving Demuro an option to go inside or outside of the front-runner. He chose to swing Sottsass to the outside for his run while In Swoop and jockey Ronan Thomas took the inside route. Sottsass hit the front with 200 meters to run, but In Swoop was inching forwardly when they reached the winning post.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was one of five Group 1 races that were Breeders' Cup Challenge Series events at ParisLongchamp, giving the winners fees-paid berths to the world championship races to be held this year at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Nov. 6-7. The connections of the winners also receive $40,000 in travel allowances.
The victory by Sottsass gives him a fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the Turf. Other Group 1 Win and You're In Challenge Series races saw Tiger Tanaka win the Prix Marcel Boussac, giving her a berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; Sealiway win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, giving him a berth in the Juvenile Turf; Wooded win the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, giving him a berth in the Turf Sprint; and Tarnawa win the Prix de l'Opera, giving her a berth in the Filly & Mare Turf.
Enable, who won the 2017-'18 renewals of the Arc (and finished second in 2019) became the first horse to win both the Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year when she accomplished the feat in 2018.
Peter Brant at Belmont Park
Sottsass, who came into this year's Arc off a fourth-place finish behind Magical in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in Ireland on Sept. 12, had finished third behind Waldgeist in the 2019 Arc after earlier in the year winning the G1 French Derby and G2 Prix Niel. The French-bred colt was champion 3-year-old of 2019.
Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, Sottsass is a half-sister to Brant's American champion Sistercharlie (by Myboycharlie), who gave the owner his first G1 victory after being away from the game for so long when taking the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in 2018. Brant's horses in the U.S. are trained by Chad Brown.
Brant came back with a splash when he made the decision to return to racing, focusing heavily on broodmares but also buying weanlings and yearlings at both European and American bloodstock auctions. He spent $10 million in 2016 and doubled that investment the following year. Among his yearling purchases in 2017 was Sottass, bred by Ecurie Des Monceaux and purchased for 340,000 euros at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.
In a 2018 interview with the Paulick Report, Brant – who had campaigned such champions as Waya, Just a Game and Gulch in the late 1970s and '80s – spoke about how alliances and partnerships had become an important element in the current iteration of the Thoroughbred industry. As such, earlier this year he sold half-interest in Sottsass to Coolmore, where the Arc winner presumably will stand upon his retirement.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the general public was unable to attend the races at ParisLongchamp. Brant, presumably watched his colt win one of the world's most prestigious races from his home in the U.S.
FOX Sports will present live coverage and analysis of Sunday’s G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the New York Racing Association announced Friday. Sunday’s broadcast will air on FS1 from 9:30-11 a.m. ET, with the Arc featuring 6-year-old mare Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) for a record third win in the race. Coverage will also include the G1 Prix de l’Opera Longines for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 1/4 miles on the turf. Both races are part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, with the winner of the Arc earning a guaranteed spot in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf, and Prix de l’Opera heroine stamping her ticket to the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf. Post time for the Arc is 10:05 a.m. and the Prix de l’Opera 10:50 a.m.
