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O’Brien-Trained Mogul Returns To Defend His Title In Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase

Last year's G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles) winner Mogul returns on Sunday (Dec. 12) to defend his title and leads a three-pronged attack on International Day at Sha Tin from the formidable Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore training and riding combination.

Mogul, a 4-year-old son of Galileo, has not won in four starts since last year's Hong Kong success. However, that victory was his third from as many runs right-handed at 2400 metres on good ground and jockey Moore believes his 2021 performances can be excused.

“He's had a quiet year,” Moore said. “He started in Dubai and ran respectably and (then) ran a good race in Paris in the Prix Ganay (G1, 2100m) before the ground was very soft at Epsom for the Coronation and he didn't like it and it was the same again when he went back to Deauville.

“A few things haven't gone quite right for him through the summer, so he's been lightly raced. His work's been good at home and he looks great. We know he likes Sha Tin and he likes quick ground. I believe Aidan's very happy with him, so we're hoping that he can step back in the right direction.

“He showed a couple of times last year he's very talented. He's a handsome horse with a great pedigree and I still have faith that he can get back on track. Aidan would like to have put a run in him but that didn't happen but we think he's in good shape. I suppose Mogul would look our best chance on paper.”

Moore and O'Brien, of course, combined with the most recent multiple Vase winner Highland Reel who scored in 2015, was second in 2016 and won again in 2017 immediately before his retirement to stud.

Zoffany filly Mother Earth, a dual Group 1 winner in 2021, represents the stable in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Moore says she can be forgiven a last-start Breeders' Cup Mile failure and be competitive in what he describes as a “very strong” edition of the Group 1.

“She's a wonderful filly. She's strong and she's been very busy, on the go all year and late on as a two-year-old as well,” Moore said. “The race in Del Mar (G1 Breeders' Cup Mile), she drew in the middle and didn't get away that quickly, the pace was steady and it was impossible to make up ground in that very short straight there.

“She's been consistent all year. The race on Sunday is very strong with Golden Sixty and a live Japanese contingent. It's going to be tough for her but she's got a nice draw, gets a nice weight pull and she usually runs a good race. I think Sha Tin will suit and she'll enjoy the quick ground.” Moore said.

Bolshoi Ballet returns to 2000 meters (1 1/4 miles), after two failures at 2400 metres, in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and the drop in trip may be key to his prospects, according to the jockey.

“He won a Grade 1 in America at ten (furlongs) and his two wins at the start of the year were over the ten furlongs (2000 metres). He's obviously very happy at that distance. I had high hopes for him and (while) he hasn't run bad races lately I would like to have seen a little bit more from him.

“The quick ground will be in his favor and I don't think Sha Tin will be any problem. The two Japanese fillies (Lei Papale and Loves Only You) bring a high level of form and will be tough to beat but he (Bolshoi Ballet) is a nice type of horse and I still believe there's a good horse in there. He's a Group 1 winner and hopefully can run a respectable race,” Moore said.

Recently crowned LONGINES World's Best Jockey, Moore also picks up the ride on Hot King Prawn for trainer John Size in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, six furlongs).

“He's very consistent horse and obviously a Group 1 winner around Sha Tin. He's got a nice draw. Pixie Knight might be a level above but I'm very much looking forward to riding him (Hot King Prawn). He's had his prep race and hopefully will come forward. He's in there with a definite chance,” Moore said.

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Japan Cup: O’Brien Sending Breeders’ Cup Runners Broome, Japan

Ballydoyle master Aidan O'Brien plans to send Breeders' Cup Turf second and fourth-place finishers Broome and Japan to the Nov. 28 Japan Cup, according to racingpost.com. The 1 1/2-mile contest at Tokyo Racecourse is worth ¥648 million (about US$5.6 million), and has also drawn Group 1 winner Grand Glory from the barn of trainer Gianluca Bietolini.

Broome, the 5-year-old son of Australia, won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud back in July. He also ran second in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, and in the Breeders' Cup he finished second, beaten a half-length by Yibir under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Japan, a 5-year-old son of Galileo, won a pair of Group 3 races in Europe this season and ran a big second in the G1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga in August, beaten just a neck by Gufo.

Grand Glory, a 5-year-old daughter of Olympic Glory, won the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and was beaten just a nose in the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc day. The Japan Cup will be the final race of her career.

Flay Homebred Pizza Bianca Gives Clement First Cup Victory In Juvenile Fillies Turf

Last of 14 runners with a quarter mile to run, Bobby Flay's homebred Fastnet Rock filly Pizza Bianca was masterfully guided through a narrow opening along the inside by jockey Jose Ortiz and accelerated powerfully in the final furlong to score a half-length victory over Irish-bred Malavath in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf was one of five Breeders' Cup races for 2-year-olds on what has come to be known as Future Stars Friday. The championships continue on Saturday, culminating with the $6-million Classic, last of nine Breeders' Cup races on the day.

The win by Pizza Bianca ended a long string of frustrating losses in the world championships for trainer Christophe Clement, who was 0-for-40 in Breeders' Cup races entering the day. An earlier loss by Derrynane in the Juvenile Turf Sprint extended that streak to 0-for-41 – the most defeats by any trainer who had yet to win one of the 14 Cup races.

Coming off a second-place finish in the G1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 19, Pizza Bianca was winning for the second time in three starts. She covered one mile on firm turf in 1:36.08 and paid $21.80 on a $2 win mutuel.

Runner-up Malavath finished a neck in front of Haughty, one of two entrants in the Juvenile Fillies Turf for trainer Chad Brown, who was gunning for his sixth victory in this race in its 14th running. Irish-bred Cachet finished a head back in fourth, with another Irish-bred, Hello You, finishing fifth.

They were followed by Consumer Spending, Koala Princess, Helens Well, Cairo Memories,Mise En Scene, California Angel, Bubble Rock, Sail By and Turnerloose.

The win was the second in a Breeders' Cup race for celebrity chef Flay, who won this same event with Todd Pletcher-trained More Than Real in 2010.

Turnerloose and Florent Geroux tried to make the early running but were beaten to the punch by Luis Saez aboard Cachet, who set fractions of :23.59 for the opening quarter mile, :47.84 for the half and 1:11.85 through six furlongs.

Ortiz and Pizza Bianca were fourth from the rear as the field hit the backstretch, and were shuffled further back approaching the far turn. With a quarter mile to run, Ortiz could see the entire field in front of him. He slipped through an opening inside of a second Brown entrant, Consumer Spending at the top of the stretch, then swung outside a path to overtake the front-running Cachet inside the furlong pole. Malavath, racing along the rail, was passed by Pizza Bianca at the top of the stretch, then re-rallied in the final sixteenth to make it close at the end.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf chart

“If I go outside I was going to be eight, nine wide and that wasn't the plan,” said Ortiz. “The only instruction they gave me was to save ground. And I stick to it and when we hit the three-sixteenth pole she did a beautiful turn of foot, I knew I had a shot to win the race. And at that point, passing the eighth pole, I knew I was going to go between those two horses because the turn that she gave me, I knew I was going to go blow by them and I was going to play them easy.”

Ortiz was riding the filly for the first time after Joel Rosario opted for Koala Princess, who went off the 9-2 favorite but was never a factor while finishing seventh.

“I watched the replays, I did my homework,” Ortiz said. “The filly is a very nice filly, she run second behind a very, very talented filly (Wild Beauty) last time at Woodbine. I talked to Christophe this morning and said, I told him what I wanted to do. I said, Christophe, I want to break good, save ground, use her a little bit out of the one hole and take some solid position. He said, I agree with you a hundred percent that's what I want to do also. Things didn't work out like I wanted, I wanted to be closer two or three, but she was very comfortable to where she was.”

“Very nice. Great win. I'm delighted,” said Clement. “I was surprised with (agent) Ron Anderson and Rosario didn't ride the filly because we always thought that she a nice one and she proved us right today. I'm absolutely thrilled with the confidence showed in us. It's nice.”

“He's the best trainer in the world that hasn't won the Breeders' Cup, and I'm glad that that story's over,” said Flay. “He is a very deserving trainer. He's so great at what he does, cares so much about his horses … clearly pays attention to every detail.

“His team, his son Miguel, his assistant, who is also named Christophe, I mean, these guys eat and sleep these horses, and to be part of a victory for them, their first victory in the Breeders' Cup, it's a very special feeling.”

Flay purchased Pizza Bianca's mare, White Hot (by Galileo) for approximately $2.1 million as a yearling in 2014.at Tattersalls in England. Though she never made it to the races herself, she has now produced a Breeders' Cup winner with her very first foal.

Additional Post-Race Quotes:

Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard (second with Malavath (IRE)) – “I'm absolutely delighted with the run. She gave it her all. It's obviously disappointing to be narrowly beaten however I'm very proud of the filly. She's going to be even better next year.”

Jockey Ryan Moore (second with Malavath (IRE)) – “Ran a great race. She's a very good horse.”

Trainer Chad Brown (third with Haughty) – “Tyler (Gaffalione) rode a great race from that post. I was very happy with the trip. I think, in the end, the three weeks' rest really did me in. She made a really big jump in her numbers from her first to her second race and I think I just didn't have enough space between races. Not every horse can do that back in three weeks. I think that's where she lost a little bit of the starch from the quarter-pole home.”

On Consumer Spending, sixth – “She got a good trip inside and she ran fine. Flavien (Prat) remarked that she probably wants to go a little bit farther. She might not be up to this class level.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (third with Haughty) – “I felt real confident coming into the stretch. She gave me a nice kick but it wasn't enough to hold off the closers. It was a great performance coming off the maiden victory.”

Jockey Joel Rosario (seventh on beaten favorite Koala Princess) – “She ran well but hung a little bit. I got stopped a little bit right before the quarter pole but what can I say? We will try another time.”

Jockey Luis Saez (fourth with Cachet) – “She ran big. I thought she was going to win but she just got tired at the end. She tries so hard and gave me everything. I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to take the ride.”

Trainer George Boughey (fourth with Cachet) – “I thought for a minute we were going to win. Luis gave her a fantastic ride. I was delighted with her coming over. Her preparation was excellent. She's only two years old and will be better at three. She's going to be really exciting next season.”

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Bolshoi Ballet Will Try To Get Back On Track In ‘Win And You’re In’ Jockey Club Derby Invitational

Grade 1-winner Bolshoi Ballet and Group 2-victor Yibir lead a talented field of sophomores in Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational, a 12-furlong test on the Widener turf at Belmont Park.

The $1 million Jockey Club Derby, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar, is the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for males that commenced with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby [won by Bolshoi Ballet] in July and continued with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby [won by State of Rest] in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's lucrative 11-race card which will also feature the 1 3/8-miles $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 9; and the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational in Race 4.

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Bolshoi Ballet, by the late Galileo, was a stewards scratch from the Group 2 Prix Niel on September 12 at Longchamp due to an irregularity with the vaccination record in his passport and subsequently redirected to New York.

Bolshoi Ballet, trained by Aidan O'Brien, rallied to victory under jockey Ryan Moore in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 10, capturing the first leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series by 1 1/4-lengths over good turf. Last out, a more prominent Bolshoi Ballet faded to fourth in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational.

T.J. Comerford, O'Brien's traveling assistant, said the team is expecting another top performance.

“He was in France on Sunday, but we didn't run him so we decided to bring him here. I think the wider turns suit him well,” Comerford said. “He's won here two starts back and seemed to go around here over a shorter distance. His last start was a good experience for him. He's won here and has form here, so that's always a big help.”

The talented colt launched his sophomore season with decisive wins in the Ballysax on April 11 and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on May 9, both Group 3 events at 1 1/4 miles at Leopardstown.

Bolshoi Ballet entered the Belmont Derby from a disappointing seventh as the beaten favorite in the Group 1 Epsom Derby on June 5, emerging with a cut to his right hind leg.

Comerford said the stretch out in distance should be beneficial.

“He won at a mile and a quarter here, so that suited him but he's definitely a better horse going farther,” Comerford said. “He ran a mile and a half in the English Derby but got a bad cut on his leg, so he really didn't have a race. All of his wins this year were at a mile and a quarter, but he always steps up like a mile and a half horse.”

Bolshoi Ballet will jump from the outermost post 8 with Moore in the irons.

Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, who have already teamed up to win a pair of New York Grade 1s this year with Althiqa, will invade once more with the talented homebred Yibir.

Appleby successfully raided the NYRA circuit this summer with one-two finishes by Althiqa and Summer Romance in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game in June at Belmont and the Grade 1 Diana in July at Saratoga. On Saturday, the Newmarket-based conditioner will look to add to his good run with the regally-bred Yibir, who enters from a 1 1/4-length score in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur on August 18 at York Racecourse.

By Dubawi and out of the Monsun mare Rumh, Yibir is a full-brother to multiple Group 1 winner and 2018 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf runner-up Wild Illusion.

Yibir upset the 12-furlong, left-handed Voltigeur under James Doyle, defeating the well-regarded trio of High Definition, Sir Lucan and Royal Ascot-winning stablemate Kemari.

The Voltigeur marked the second group score for Yibir since being gelded ahead of a 2 1/2-length victory in the 1 5/8-mile Group 3 Bahrain Trophy on July 8 at Newmarket. The chestnut finished a headstrong sixth between victories in the Group 3 John Pearce Racing Gordon on July 29 at Goodwood.

Yibir arrived in New York on Sunday in the care of traveling assistant Chris Connett, who said the Voltigeur effort was expected.

“We've always thought he had that type of talent in him,” Connett said. “He's just a bit of a character hence why he's been gelded. He has phenomenal talent and when things fall right for him, he can be any kind of horse.

“In the run at Goodwood, things just didn't go right. He got quite headstrong and he took off a little bit and did things completely the wrong way around,” added Connett. “In the Voltigeur, James just was able to get him switched off and he brought himself into the race and produced a lovely effort.”

Connett, who also worked closely with Wild Illusion, said the family holds a number of similar traits.

“She was a lovely big mare and I had a very soft spot for her. I was able to take her to the races many times and he's a big horse just like she was,” Connett said. “She was a big mama and temperament wise, they're very similar. She had a couple of quirks and so does he. Talent and mindset run in the family.”

Jamie Spencer will be tasked with engineering a winning trip from post 2.

“I think the plan will be to get cover early and carry himself into the race and make one run,” Connett said. “It's the kind of track that should suit him. It's one of the biggest galloping tracks in North America and it will suit the big horse that he is.”

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Teruya Yoshida's Tokyo Gold, a French homebred son of Kendargent trained by Satoshi Kobayashi, captured the 11-furlong Group 2 Derby Italiano on May 23 at Campanelle Race Course in Italy.

Last out, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, Tokyo Gold rallied from last-of-9 to finish second, 1 1/4-lengths back of Bolshoi Ballet in the Belmont Derby.

Velazquez will pilot Tokyo Gold from post 3.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Soldier Rising launched his career in France for trainer Andre Fabre, posting a record of 4-2-2-0, including a score in the 12-furlong Prix de Champlatreux in April at Chantilly.

Transferred to the care of Christophe Clement, the Frankel gelding made his North American debut with a closing second, defeated a length to the Joseph O'Brien-trained State of Rest in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational.

“I think O'Brien's horse got first run at us. We got through at the rail, but I'm not sure it would have made a difference. We were probably second best that day,” said Clement assistant Christophe Lorieul.

Lorieul said Soldier Rising, who breezed a half-mile in 50 flat Sunday on the Belmont inner turf, will be able to handle the added distance.

“He had an easy work here on Sunday over the turf and he went well. I've been told he had been working well at Saratoga as well,” Lorieul said. “The distance is not an issue. Obviously, the competition will be tough. We're happy with the horse and he looks great.”

Soldier Rising will exit post 4 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Calumet Farm's Tango Tango Tango enters from a pair of strong starts at Arlington Park, including a win in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 ahead of a prominent effort last out when second to Point Me By in the one-mile Grade 1 Bruce D. on August 14.

Trained by Jack Sisterson, the lightly raced Tourist colt will emerge from the inside post under Flavien Prat.

Hayward Pressman, Diamond M Stable and Donna R. Pressman's Step Dancer was squeezed at the start last out in the one-mile NYSSS Cab Calloway on July 28 at the Spa, but rallied four-wide down the lane to defeat his fellow eligible New York-sired rivals.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, the New York-bred son of War Dancer finished third in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October at Belmont ahead of a win in the open Awad at 1 1/16-miles over yielding Belmont turf to close out his juvenile campaign.

Following a difficult trip when eighth in the Cutler Bay in March at Gulfstream to launch his sophomore season, Step Dancer hit the board in a pair of Belmont turf starts, including a third in a 1 1/16-mile state-bred optional-claimer in May and a closing second in the seven-furlong NYSSS Spectacular Bid in June.

Dylan Davis retains the mount from post 5.

Rounding out the field are graded-stakes placed Slicked Back [post 7, Luis Saez] and the stakes-placed Experienced [post 6, Jose Ortiz].

First post on Saturday's 11-race card is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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