Meditate | Horse Racing Free Tips

Moore Wins Bill Shoemaker Award

Ryan Moore, who guided three horses to Breeders' Cup victories during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 4-5, won the 20th Bill Shoemaker Award for the outstanding jockey of the two-day event. The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who rides the most winners in the 14 Championship races with the tiebreaker being 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Moore, who also won the Shoemaker Award in 2015, won Saturday's GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Tuesday (Ire), and Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Victoria Road (Ire) in addition to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Meditate (Ire). He also finished three seconds with Stone Age (Ire) in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, Emaraaty Ana (GB) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and Dramatised (Ire) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Irad Ortiz Jr., winner of the past four Shoemaker Awards, also rode three winners, including a pair of winners Saturday, but only had one runner-up finish.

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The Major European Talking Points From Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Action

The Europeans made their presence felt at Keeneland on Friday. Aidan O'Brien bagged a Grade I double while Charlie Appleby, who has two favourites to look forward to on Saturday, also landed a winner on the opening day of the Breeders' Cup.

From O'Brien working his magic to No Nay Never silencing his doubters and William Buick and Ryan Moore once again confirming themselves top of the international riding tree, we pick the bones out of a pulsating Friday at Keeneland.

Buick And Moore Confirm World-Class Status

One of the main topics of conversation at breakfast in the TDN house on Friday morning was the different approach trainers take to booking jockeys for the Breeders' Cup.

Some housemates felt it a no-brainer to utilise a local rider's extensive knowledge of Keeneland. Others believe it to be more important for the jockey to know his or her charge and, if that meant employing someone with no previous experience around the track, so be it.

There are many top-class riders in Europe who have been made to look ordinary at the Breeders' Cup down through the years. The same is true of American-based jockeys enduring forgettable days at the office in Europe, with Irad Ortiz, Jr.'s dismal Royal Ascot back in June the most recent example of such.

In short, there are few who can ride the straight course at Royal Ascot as well as the tight and turning track of Keeneland, but William Buick and Ryan Moore went some way to proving themselves masters of their craft with their respective displays on Friday.

Take Buick's winning ride aboard Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Trapped for room and three lengths down with just over 100 yards left in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Buick held his nerve in driving through a gap between horses 40 yards from the winning line to win by a length and going away at the post.

Buick was on the receiving end of a magical display from Moore when suffering an agonising defeat to Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) aboard heavy-favourite Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

It's hard to argue that Buick did much wrong aboard Silver Knott as he waited for the gaps to appear on the inner and actually took the lead with just over 50 yards left to race. He was just beaten by one better on the day, who was galvanised by Moore to plonk his head narrowly in front at the line.

Buick has been a joy to watch all season in Britain and his championship victory was richly deserved. Moore has been similarly excellent to watch and many people would say that this is the best form he has been riding in for the past five or six seasons. Both men are operating at the peak of their powers and Friday confirmed their status as world-class riders.

Don't Doubt Genius Of O'Brien

In the build-up to the Breeders' Cup, Victoria Road's breeder Trevor Stewart told TDN Europe readers how Aidan O'Brien convinced him to return to Saxon Warrior with the colt's dam Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) on the strength of what he had been seeing on the gallops at Ballydoyle.

Stewart must have thought O'Brien was confusing Victoria Road for one of his stablemates for the majority of the season. Here was a horse who was beaten at Roscommon on debut, only managed to finish fourth in the Ballyhane S. at Naas and took five starts to shed his maiden tag. Not exactly the profile of a world-beater.

However, all Victoria Road has done since that maiden success at Gowran Park in August is improve, confirming O'Brien's early evaluation of his ability to be bang on the money.

Not only that, but the victory of Victoria Road cemented a Grade I double for O'Brien following Meditate's impressive GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf display.

Considering some people were questioning the strength of O'Brien's juvenile brigade earlier in the campaign, that he could bag a Grade I double with two of his youngsters would have proved sweet for everyone at Ballydoyle.

Sweeter still is the fact that Meditate would have gone some way in silencing the No Nay Never doubters who feel the stallion will not produce Classic contenders. Meditate looked to be adept over the mile and hardened her Guineas credential in the process.

Bloody But Unbowed

Take nothing away from The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), who can be forgiven for running no sort of a race in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The combination of a wide draw and racing around the bend proved too much for her as she trailed home a disappointing 11th, but there's no doubt that she will be back and seen in a better light at more conventional tracks in Europe next season.

On the contrary, the Karl Burke-trained Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) enhanced her reputation in defeat. She was only collared late on by Mischief Magic and looks a smart sprinter for Steve Parkin to look forward to next season.

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O’Brien Gets No Nay Never Answers As Meditate Stays Breeders’ Cup Trip

LEXINGTON, KY–Meditate (Ire)'s barnstorming display in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf provided one of the strongest indications yet that No Nay Never would produce Classic types as well as deadly speedballs, according to the winning trainer Aidan O'Brien.

It has been a season to remember for No Nay Never with Little Big Bear (Ire) and Blackbeard (Ire) winning three Group 1 juvenile races in Europe over six furlongs between them.

However, in pulling over two lengths clear of her rivals to win the Keeneland Group I in stylish fashion, the Ryan Moore-ridden Meditate did her bit to alleviate any concerns about No Nay Never producing horses who will stay the Guineas trip and beyond.

O'Brien said, “She is by No Nay Never, who is a big speed influence. This is the first year where we have had such high quality 2-year-olds by him. We were a little bit worried if they were all going to be big sprinters or if they would stay further than five, six and seven furlongs.”

There are countless examples of high-class runners by Galileo (Ire) who hailed from speedy mares and O'Brien suggested that crossing No Nay Never with stamina-influenced dams can achieve similarly high-class results on the track with the progeny.

He explained, “She is out of a Dalakhani (Ire) mare who has an Aga Khan pedigree so this was about finding out if No Nay Nevers out of stamina mares stay. Obviously, looking at the filly there, we found out if she is going to get a mile next year as a 3-year-old.”

“She's a very good mover, has a very good mind and she's relaxing very well. I think Ryan would have always thought that she was a lovely uncomplicated filly.”

Moore, who would go on to double his Group I tally aboard the fellow Ballydoyle-trained Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the concluding GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, added, “Very straightforward, does everything you want her to do. I think she's got an awful lot of class and I felt that she was a level above these.”

Meditate was trimmed into a general 6-1 chance for next year's 1000 Guineas and O'Brien is convinced that her Breeders' Cup victory makes 2023 even more exciting for the progeny of her sire.

He concluded, “Blackbeard, the horse we were going to run in the Juvenile Sprint, he was coming here but obviously he got injured. He had an awful lot of speed, a great mind and a big personality. They're very exciting horses, really. For this filly to be able to do what she did over a mile makes him [No Nay Never] even more exciting.”

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No Nay Never’s Meditate Dominates BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

LEXINGTON, KY–Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) scored the first of two victories for the Coolmore team, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore Friday, charging home to a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Favored at 2-1, Meditate bounded away from the stalls to establish position, settling in the three path near the back of the pack as 18-1 shot Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) carved out an opening quarter in :23.19 and a half in :47.60. Meditate crept up a bit on the outside to sit mid-pack while turning for home four wide. Kicking into high gear at the top of the stretch, the bay unleashed a powerful turn of foot, rolling clear with ease to win by 2 1/2 lengths. The Shug McGaughey-trained Pleasant Passage (More Than Ready) was the runner-up with Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince) in third.

“We had a reason (she didn't win) at the Curragh and a reason for her last race and weren't sure about the mile,” said O'Brien, who teamed up with Moore and Coolmore to take the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf two races later. “Ryan (Moore) gave her a brilliant ride. Michael (Tabor) was very confident that this was the race for her. It's incredible. We came to here to see if she would be a filly for the Guineas. And I heard Michael telling Ryan before the race, if she wasn't going to get the trip here, we might not train her for the Guineas. Obviously, the result was great. Ryan was very patient. He didn't have an easy draw and said he had to take his time the first half. Delighted for everyone.”

“It's obviously always very hard coming here,” Moore said. “Everything needs to go right. No one comes here to get beat. The filly did it very easy and has lots of talent. She hasn't run a bad race all year and gets better with every race. She started well, went hard for a little bit, I was going to be wide and the pace got steady. I followed a horse down the backside and she picked up really well down the stretch. She had them covered with a furlong out and in front pricking her ears. She was much the best.”

As for the runner-up, McGaughey said, “I thought she ran great. She missed the break just a tad, but I loved her position back there. When the winner moved, we sort of had to wait a little bit. When she got clear in the stretch I thought she finished really well.”

A good-looking debut winner at the Curragh in April, Meditate reeled off three more wins after that, taking the G3 Naas Fillies Sprint S. May 15, Royal Ascot's G3 Albany S. June 17 and the Curragh's G2 Debutante S. Aug. 20. Her hot streak came to an end Sept. 11 when she finished second in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and she completed the exacta again last time in Newmarket's G1 Cheveley Park S. Sept. 24

Pedigree Notes:

No Nay Never came up just a half-length short when second as the favorite in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, but the Coolmore stallion had a win on the 2022 championship card with his daughter Meditate. The filly is one of 26 group/graded winners for her sire, whose monster results this year include multiple Group 1-winning juvenile Blackbeard and Group 1-winning 2-year-old Little Big Bear.

Pembina is a half-sister to the dam of Group and Grade I winner Ectot (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). Meditate is her most recent foal. —Jessica Martini

Friday, Keeneland
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF-GI, $920,000, Keeneland, 11-4, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.38, fm.
1–MEDITATE (IRE), 122, f, 2, by No Nay Never
                1st Dam: Pembina (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Mahalia (Ire), by Danehill
                3rd Dam: Maresca (Ire), by Mill Reef
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€360,000 Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-Mrs. John
Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg;
B-Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan P.
O'Brien; J-Ryan L. Moore. $520,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW &
GISP-Ire, GSW & GISP-Eng, 7-5-2-0, $862,341. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pleasant Passage, 122, f, 2, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Peaceful Passage, by War Front
                2nd Dam: Flying Passage, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Chic Shirine, by Mr. Prospector
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-Claude R.
McGaughey III. $170,000.
3–Cairo Consort, 122, f, 2, by Cairo Prince
                1st Dam: Absolutely Awesome, by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Discreetly Awesome, by Awesome Again
                3rd Dam: Pretty Discreet, by Private Account
($37,000 RNA Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $95,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT).
O-Maple Lane Farm LLC; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Nathan
Squires. $90,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.04, 6.41, 19.14.
Also Ran: Midnight Mile (Ire), Free Look, Last Call, Comanche Country (Ire), Manhattan Jungle (Ire), Be Your Best (Ire), Delight, Basil Martini (Ire), Bling, Spirit Gal (Fr), Xigera. Scratched: Alluring Angel (GB), G Laurie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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