Irish Trainer Loughnane ‘Couldn’t Be Happier’ With First Breeders’ Cup Runners Go Bears Go, Hello You

David Loughnane is excited about next year for Go Bears Go and Hello You after they ended their juvenile campaigns with excellent performances at the Breeders' Cup.

Go Bears Go was a fast-finishing half-length runner-up to Twilight Gleaming in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar, while Hello You just faded in the last half-furlong when fifth to Pizza Bianca in the Juvenile Fillies' Turf.

Both horses were Group Two winners in 2021 with Go Bears Go taking the Railway Stakes at the Curragh and Hello You the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket.

“It was a great experience and both ran great races. I couldn't be happier with them,” said the Shropshire handler.

As for next year, Loughnane plans to aim Go Bears Go at the Commonwealth Cup and Hello You will begin in a Classic trial.

“I thought going into it five might be a bit sharp for him over there. He missed the break by a millisecond which he's never done before,” he said.

“I don't know whether it was the stalls are wider over there or having a stalls handler in the gate with him that just took his mind off the job for half a second.

“Had he jumped, he'd have won. In four more strides he'd have won, but I couldn't be any prouder of the horse. He ran an absolute belter of a race and it capped off a fantastic year for him.

“Five to six furlongs will be his trip over here next year. I suppose the most logical option would be something along the lines of the Commonwealth Cup.

“We'll see how it goes. He thrived off the whole travelling. There are loads of options, including Dubai at the end of February. He'll go for a nice holiday now and then we'll take it one step at a time. We'll see how he is come January and then we'll make a plan from there.”

Loughnane felt the long trip to California took its toll on Hello You, but has no concerns about her staying a mile next season.

“The journey over there probably took a bit more out of her. She jumped, she travelled, she got a lovely run through the race,” he went on.

“She travelled like a dream and turning for home, I thought how far does she win, then when Johnny (Velazquez) asked her she just didn't go though with it completely. She pulled up a tired horse. It took a lot out of her. She was only beaten a length and a half in a Grade One over there when she wasn't at her best.

“I have no doubt on her day she was probably the best horse in the race. She'll go for a holiday as well now and we'll come back and try for a Guineas trial with her.

“I have no concerns about her getting the mile. I said whatever she did this year was only going to be a bonus to what she does next year.”

The post Irish Trainer Loughnane ‘Couldn’t Be Happier’ With First Breeders’ Cup Runners Go Bears Go, Hello You appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Twilight Gleaming Completes Ward, Ortiz Hat Trick In Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

Stonestreet Stables' Twilight Gleaming was the quickest 2-year-old out of the starting gate in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, then never relinquished her lead to give both conditioner Wesley Ward and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. their third straight win in the Grade 2 event. The Irish-bred daughter of National Defense beat the 12-strong field with a gate-to-wire performance timed in 56.24 seconds over Del Mar's firm turf course.

“She surprised me a little bit the way she broke today,” said Ortiz. “She was ready to win today.”

“You could just tell she was figuring it out,” said Stonestreet's Barbara Banke, who was recently elected as the first female chairperson of the Breeders' Cup.

A 5-1 chance at the start, Twilight Gleaming held off the late run of the David Loughnane-trained Go Bears Go (12-1) by a half-length on the wire. Ward trainee Kaufymaker (24-1) completed the trifecta, with Derrynane (10-1) finishing fourth. The 8-5 favorite, Ward-trained Averly Jane, checked in fifth.

“I was really confident in this filly,” Ward said. “I feel bad for the other two owners because we are all trying to win, but this filly, she had good spacing from her win in France and every work at Keeneland just kept getting better and better. She was coming into it just fresh and fit and ready to go and she did it.

“And, I'm not just saying this because she's Barbara Banke, but Barbara has been a loyal supporter of ours and she really got the itch to go over to England. We got some good horses and Ben McElroy got this filly for her and we bought some others for next year to go to Ascot with and I'm excited to see those. She's just such a great lady and she loves the sport. We are really excited.”

Twilight Gleaming out-broke the field by nearly a length, and Ortiz simply went on with the filly. One Timer came up on her outside to press the first quarter in 21.61 seconds, hanging with the leader all the way through the turn. Twilight Jet and Averly Jane made up the next pair, while Run Curtis Run and Kaufymaker were also prominent early.

One Timer dropped away nearing the straight, and Ortiz took that opportunity to ask Twilight Gleaming to sneak away from the field. She got away by nearly two lengths at the three-sixteenths pole, before the rush of closers began to make their moves. Go Bears Go was moving best of all late under John Velazquez, but came up just a half-length short at the wire. It was another half-length back to Kaufymaker in third, with Derrynane a head behind in fourth, and Averly Jane a nose back in fifth.

The remaining order of finish was: Hierarchy, Vertiginious, Armor, One Timer, Twilight Jet, Time To Party, and Run Curtis Run.

Bred in Ireland by Pier House Stud, Twilight Gleaming is out of the Dansili mare Thames Pageant. She was a $96,931 yearling purchase at Goffs, and ran second on the dirt in her Keeneland debut in April 2021. Switched to the turf at Belmont Park in May, Twilight Gleaming graduated by 7 1/2 lengths. Ward was impressed enough to run her in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, in which she ran second to the highly-regarded Queen Suzy.

Twilight Gleaming returned overseas in August to run in a listed stakes race, which she won by a neck in convincing fashion. The long break before the Breeders' Cup was by designed, Ward explained, and the filly responded with her first graded stakes win.

Her record stands at three wins and two seconds from five starts, with earnings of $637,251. Ward and Ortiz combined to win this race in 2019 with Four Wheel Drive and 2020 with Golden Pal. It is the fifth Breeders' Cup victory for Ward and the 12th for Ortiz.

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Dave Loughnane (second with Go Bears Go) – “I'm a bit emotional really, he's a superstar. He's been life changing for us. He just sat in the gates for half a stride which might have cost him the race but I can't be disappointed. I'm very proud of the horse and all the team at home. Johnny (Velazquez) gave him a super ride and on another day he might have won. It's a massive day for my career.”

Jockey John Velazquez (second with Go Bears Go) – “He ran a great race. A little better break and we would have won it. I thought for one second we were going to get it. I wanted to be a bit closer earlier which has cost him but he's run very well.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz (third with Kaufymaker) – “She ran very good. I made the wrong choice at the top of the lane and I decided to go outside and follow Tyler (Gaffalione). I probably should have stayed inside. It was tight on the inside though. In the end, I was happy and she responded well.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (fifth with favorite Averly Jane) – “She broke sharp but she just didn't really get it going. I looked to my inside and outside and I was already getting outrun. She wasn't grabbing the bit on me so I dropped my hands to see if she will take me a little bit. She did but she just didn't have it today.”

The post Twilight Gleaming Completes Ward, Ortiz Hat Trick In Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeders’ Cup Next Step For Loughnane

Del Mar, CA–Friday's Breeders' Cup card has been branded as 'Future Stars Friday', and that tag rings true for not only the juveniles vying for divisional championships, but also for a handful of ascendent British-based trainers who have their first runners at the meeting. James Ferguson, who recently joined the Group 1 ranks, sends out Mise En Scene (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf, while fellow Newmarket conditioner George Boughey saddles Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) in the same race and Thunder Love (GB) (Profitable {Ire}) in the GII Juvenile Turf Sprint. The Galway-born, Shropshire-based Dave Loughnane likewise has live chances in both the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf Sprint in Amo Racing's Hello You (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}).

Loughnane and his wife Sarah, who is also a pivotal member of the team based at Helshaw Grange, arrived in Del Mar on Sunday night, just in time to meet their stable stars as they exited quarantine on Monday morning, having themselves flown on Friday.

“Thankfully they both traveled over well and have taken it all in their stride,” said the 34-year-old Loughnane. “They got out onto the track for the first time [Monday] morning and they were both very enthusiastic and happy to get out and stretch their legs. We couldn't be happier with them. They both moved great and took it all in. For two 2-year-olds going away from home and for a trip of this extent for the first time, they've taken it all really, really well.”

Hello You broke her maiden by 6 1/2 lengths at first asking at Wolverhampton in May prior to placing in the G3 Albany S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. for trainer Ralph Beckett. In her first two runs for Loughnane, Hello You had to fight traffic in the closing stages to finish sixth in the G2 Lowther S. and fourth behind Mise En Scene in the G3 Prestige S., but she put it all together last out to beat Cachet and the admirably consistent Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in the G2 Rockfel S. going seven furlongs at Newmarket on Sept. 24.

Loughnane wasn't hiding his admiration for the bay filly, who is a close relative of Group 1-winning sprinter Signs Of Blessing (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). “I absolutely love her,” he said. “She's all quality. She has the physique to match her pedigree and whatever she does this year is going to be a bonus. She's going to be a gorgeous 3-year-old. Since she's joined us she's progressed and grown up mentally and physically. She was exceptional in the Rockfel; she was under a second slower than US Navy Flag over the seven furlongs at Newmarket [in the Dewhurst], and he holds the track record. It was a great performance and I think if she can repeat something like that on Friday I think she could run a huge race. So fingers crossed we get a nice draw and we'll see where we are from there. I think a mile for her will be no problem. I've made it pretty clear I think she's a Guineas prospect for next year. I think the quick mile around here should be absolutely fine for her. She was doing her best work over a stiff seven last time out in Newmarket.”

Go Bears Go, meanwhile, was the first Amo Racing runner to arrive at Loughnane's yard and he has been mixing it with the best of his generation all season. A debut winner at Ascot in May, he missed by just a head to the subsequent dual Group 1 winner Perfect Power (GB) (Ardad {GB}) when second in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. Bouncing back five weeks later, Go Bears Go was a game winner of the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh. He was beaten just three-quarters of a length when third in the G1 Phoenix S. and a length when fourth in the G1 Middle Park S., but faltered late on in the G1 Dewhurst S. when trying seven furlongs for the first time.

“He's had a long year and he's danced every dance and hasn't let us down yet,” Loughnane said. “The Dewhurst in hindsight probably wasn't the right option for him at the time but we live and we learn from these things. We're taking a drop back in trip to five furlongs on a sharp track, but he hits the lids, he travels strongly and we'll hope he gets a nice draw and see what he can do. This will be his last run for the year and he'll go for a holiday after this. You don't get a chance to run for a pot like this very often and the team at home, Kia [Joorabchian] and Amo Racing were very keen to take a crack.”

Despite his falter in the Dewhurst, Loughnane said he thinks Go Bears Go will be a six to seven furlong horse next year.

“I think something like the [G1] Commonwealth Cup would be a very likely target on our minds,” he said. “But very much our target for now is Friday and the Juvenile Turf Sprint. I'd love for him to be drawn in the first five or six. They're going to be going hard but he's very, very quick out of the gates; he's like a bullet from a gun. We've put a set of blinkers on him to sharpen him up a small bit and I'm confident he'll hit the lids and wherever he lands we'll let him get into a rhythm from there. It'll be a fast-run five and we know he stays six so he'll be doing his best work in the final furlong.”

Hello You and Go Bears Go are the two best runners to date for Loughnane, who took out his license six years ago. Originally from Galway and with no family history in the business, Loughnane forged his own path, working in a local yard from the age of 13. He then ventured to Australia, where he spent five years between the stables of Bart and Anthony Cummings and Paul Messara, also mixing in some stud farm and pre-training experience along the way. Loughnane moved to the UK in 2013 and spent further time learning the trade under Daniel Mark Loughnane, John Quinn, Tom Dascombe, Sir Mark Prescott, Stuart Williams and David Elsworth. Loughnane took out his license in 2016 and set up in North Yorkshire, but moved into his current yard in Shropshire 2017, with just he and Sarah looking after seven horses. They now have 70 on the books, with 50 in the yard at any given time, and recorded a career-best year in 2020 with 41 wins in Britain, including a first stakes win with Santosha (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the G3 Princess Margaret S. In addition to their first wins at Group 2 level, 2021 also brought a Royal Ascot winner in Lola Showgirl (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who won the Kensington Palace S.

“We always felt we were good enough to be competing at the top level but we probably didn't expect to be here this quickly,” Loughnane said. “It's a dream come true to not just be here but to be here with two live chances. It's why we get up in the mornings.”

Though Shropshire is also home to trainer Tom Dascombe, it would be better known for it's National Hunt yards. Loughnane has proven, however, that a horse doesn't need to be stabled in a major training centre to win races.

“You can train winners anywhere, if you've got the facilities and know how they work,” he said. “We're in a very good location, we're in the centre of England and we have 27 tracks within 2 1/2 hours. Traveling around can get quite expensive for owners, so we're in a good location to be able to minimize those costs.”

Of his numbers, Loughnane said, “it's grown pretty rapidly, but that's as big as we'll get. We have no ambition to get any bigger. For us it's about 70 horses of the highest quality and it's just about trying to improve the quality each year.”

Loughnane said his ability to win with horses at all levels has resonated with owners.

“It's easy to train a good horse, they train themselves,” he said. “But you have to be able to win with lower-grade horses and we feel that's probably where we've made our mark, is winning with the lower-grade horses that maybe other people couldn't win with, or thought they couldn't win with, and getting the best out of them. That's our whole ethos, is to get the best out of every horse in our care. The horse comes first for us, and happy horses win races.

“Thankfully we have some very loyal and good owners who are willing to support us and allow us to buy horses for them. We always look for an angle in a horse to improve. Something that works for us may not have worked for someone else, so it's about finding that angle to improve the horse and get the best out of them.”

Loughnane's results last season caught the eye of another ascendant player in the game, Joorabchian of Amo Racing.

“He's brilliant for the game,” Loughnane said. “We constantly need new owners coming into our industry and sport and Kia is very much this new era of owner. He's put a lot of money into the industry and the sport and we're very lucky that he's entrusted us with some of his horses.”

“We had a very good year last year and were training a lot of winners during the winter,” Loughnane added. “Rossa Ryan, [Amo Racing's] stable jockey, was riding a lot for us and I suppose that helped make our name stand out a little more. Kia got in touch with me towards the back end of last season and said they'd be willing to send us a couple horses, and Go Bears Go was the first horse that came to us. They've been brilliant to send us some high quality animals, and that's the sort of horse we need to be able to showcase our talents at the top level.”

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