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Breeders’ Cup Notes: Clement, Yahagi Get First BC Victories, Ward Wins Juvenile Turf Sprint For Third Consecutive Year

There were 14 World Championship races this weekend at Del Mar and no one main base of operations had a stranglehold on the victors.

Domestically, four winners were based in Kentucky, three in New York and two in California, European runners accounted for three victories and Japan posted its first two World Championships victories.

In all, six foreign-breds won Breeders' Cup races, a record for a single year. Plus, winning owners came from Japan, England, Ireland, South Korea, and the UAE.

The Kentucky-based winners were Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the Grade 2 Juvenile Turf Sprint, Golden Pal in the G1 Turf Sprint, Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Sprint, and Knicks Go in the G1 Longines Classic.

The New York-based winners were Echo Zulu in the G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies, Pizza Bianca in the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Life Is Good in the G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile.

The California-based winners were Corniche in the G1 TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Ce Ce in the G1 Filly and Mare Sprint.

The European-based winners were Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF ,and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

The Japan-based winners were Loves Only You (JPN) in the G1 Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf and Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff.

Godolphin Becomes First Owner and Breeder to Win Three Races at One Championship

Godolphin, led by its prominent sire Dubawi (IRE), produced several firsts at the just-concluded Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.

With victories by Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup l Mile presented by PDJF, and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, Godolphin became the first owner and breeder to win three races at a single Championship and Dubawi (IRE) became the first sire to have three of his offspring win Breeders' Cup races in a single year.

Charlie Appleby trained all three winners and William Buick rode all three winners.

Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Fourth Consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award

Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode three winners and added a second-place and three fourth-place finishes, won the 19th annual Bill Shoemaker Award given to the most outstanding jockey in the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships hosted by Del Mar.

Ortiz's victories came on Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint, Golden Pal in the G1 Turf Sprint, and Life Is Good in the G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile. He finished second in the G1 Longines Turf on Broome (IRE).

William Buick also rode three winners, but had no other top-four finishes that formed the basis for the Shoemaker Award tiebreaker with jockeys riding an equal number of winners. Buick's wins came on Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF, and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz each rode two winners.

Rosario won aboard Knicks Go in the G1 Longines Classic and Echo Zulu in the G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies and Ortiz was victorious on Pizza Bianca in the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf and Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Sprint.

Shoemaker remains the oldest jockey to ride a Breeders' Cup winner when he guided Ferdinand to victory in the 1987 Classic at Hollywood Park. He was 56 years, 3 months, and 2 days old at the time.

On Friday, Mike Smith recorded his record-enhancing 27th Breeders' Cup victory aboard Corniche in the G1 TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Smith is a week younger than Shoemaker was when he rode Ferdinand to the 1987 victory.

Two Jockeys Claim Initial Breeders' Cup Victories

Yuga Kawada, who was making his Breeders' Cup debut, and Oisin Murphy, who was riding in his fifth World Championships, each posted their initial Breeders' Cup victories on Saturday.

Kawada scored with his second mount, Loves Only You (JPN) in the G1 Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf and Murphy won with his 11th overall mount, Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff.

Clement, Yahagi Notch First Breeders' Cup Victories

Christophe Clement saddled his first Breeders' Cup starter in 1997; Yoshito Yahagi saddled his first Breeders' Cup starter on Saturday.

By the end of the weekend, both trainers had added Breeders' Cup winner to their resumes.

Clement won with his 42nd starter when Pizza Bianca won the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday.

Yahagi did him one better by winning with his first two starters: Loves Only You (JPN) in the G1 Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf and Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff.

Knicks Go, Golden Pal Claim Second Different Breeders' Cup Victory

Until this year's World Championships, only four horses had won two different Breeders' Cup races.

Add two more to the list.

Two 2020 winners at Keeneland came back in different races this year to return to the winner's circle in different races. Knicks Go, winner of the 2020 G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, scored a front-running victory in the G1 Longines Classic and Golden Pal, winner of the 2020 G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint, repeated his front-running performance to win the G1 Turf Sprint.

The other four winners were Zenyatta, 2008 Distaff and 2009 Classic; Beholder, 2012 Juvenile Fillies and 2013 and 2016 Distaff; Stephanie's Kitten, 2011 Juvenile Fillies Turf and 2015 Filly & Mare Turf; and Secret Circle, 2011 Juvenile Sprint and 2013 Sprint.

Ward Wins Juvenile Turf Sprint for Third Consecutive Year

The past three years, the Breeders' Cup World Championships have started with the G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint and for the past three years, Wesley Ward-trained runners have been the first to visit the winner's circle.

Twilight Gleaming (IRE) opened this year's event Friday afternoon with a half-length score to follow in the hoofprints of Four Wheel Drive in 2019 and Golden Pal in 2020.

Two other trainers besides Ward have won the same race in three consecutive years: D. Wayne Lukas, who did it twice, and Chad Brown.

Lukas won the Distaff in 1985, 1986, and 1987 with Life's Magic, Lady's Secret, and Sacahuista, respectively, and the 1986, 1987, and 1988 Juveniles with Capote, Success Express, and Is It True, respectively.

Brown won the Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2016, 2017, and 2018 with New Money Honey, Rushing Fall, and Newspaperofrecord (IRE), respectively. Bob Baffert won the Classic from 2014-2016 with Bayern, American Pharoah, and Arrogate.

Channel Maker, Firenze Fire Make Fifth Breeders' Cup Starts

A total of seven horses have made five starts in the Breeders' Cup World Championships with Channel Maker and Firenze Fire joining the club Saturday.

Channel Maker finished fifth in the Longines Turf, his fourth appearance in that race to go with a Juvenile Turf start in 2016 at Santa Anita.

Firenze Fire finished eighth in his third Sprint start. Previously he had run in the Juvenile and Dirt Mile.

Other five-year starters are Better Talk Now (all in the Turf), California Flag (all in the Turf Sprint), Kona Gold (all in the Sprint), Obviously (IRE) (four times in the Mile and once in the Turf Sprint), and Perfect Drift (all in the Classic).

Gun Runner 10th Classic Winner to Sire a Breeders' Cup Winner

When Echo Zulu won Friday's G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies, she made 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Gun Runner the 10th Classic winner to sire a Breeders' Cup winner.

The other Classic winners to have sired World Championships winners are A.P. Indy, American Pharoah, Awesome Again, Curlin, Ghostzapper, Pleasantly Perfect, Tiznow, Unbridled, and Wild Again.

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Five Favorites Won Over the Weekend

Five favorites delivered victories from the 14 Championship races during the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

The winning favorites were Echo Zulu (G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies), Corniche (G1 TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance), Golden Pal (G1 Turf Sprint), Life Is Good (G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile), and Space Blues (IRE) (G1 FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF). Echo Zulu and Life Is Good were odds-on choices.

The highest price winner of the weekend was Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff with a $101.80 win mutual on a $2 bet.

The post Breeders’ Cup Notes: Clement, Yahagi Get First BC Victories, Ward Wins Juvenile Turf Sprint For Third Consecutive Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Loves Only You Breaks Through For Japan With Thrilling Filly & Mare Turf Triumph

It's been 35 years since Japanese Triple Crown winner Symboli Rudolf came to the U.S. in search of a major stakes victory in California that never materialized. It's been 26 years since Ski Captain traveled from Japan for an historic, but ultimately futile, attempt to win the Kentucky Derby. Sixteen years ago, Cesario scored a breakthrough Grade 1 victory for a Japanese-trained Thoroughbred in the American Oaks at Hollywood Park and it's been six years since French-trained Karakontie won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile to become the first Japanese-bred winner of a Breeders' Cup race.

But until Loves Only You and jockey Yuga Kawada burst through a narrow opening in midstretch to beat My Sister Nat to the wire in Saturday's Grade 1, $2-million Filly & Mare Turf, no Japanese-bred and Japanese-trained horse had been successful on the world's biggest stage for Thoroughbreds, the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 5-year-old mare by Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, a son of 1989 U.S. Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, was considered the best runner ever sent by a Japanese horseman to the Breeders' Cup, and the globe-trotting Loves Only You did not disappoint. Sent off the 4-1 third betting choice, she secured a ground-saving spot just behind the early leaders in the 1 3/8-mile Filly & Mare Turf, awaited room at the top of the stretch and then demonstrated a quick turn of foot to overtake the front-runners and hold off a fast-finishing My Sister Nat by a head.

War Like Goddess, the 2-1 favorite, finished a head back in third after moving to the lead with an eye-catching, wide rally from the three-eighths pole to the wire. Love, the Aidan O'Brien-trained multiple Group 1 winner from Ireland, finished fourth as the 3-1 second betting choice, with defending Filly & Mare Turf winner Audarya fifth in the field of 12 fillies and mares. She was followed across the finish by Ocean Road, Rougir, Pocket Square, Acanella, Dogtag, Going to Vegas and Queen Supreme.

Loves Only You, owned by DMM Dream Club Co. and bred by Northern Farm, ran the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:13.87, about 2 4/5 seconds off the course record, and paid $10.60 on a $2 mutuel.

Going to Vegas went to the front, as expected, setting fractions of :24.10, :47.83, 1:13.06 and 1:38.20 while under pressure Dogtag. War Like Goddess, last early, turned up the heat with her move entering the far turn and was in front with an eighth of a mile to run after a mile and a quarter was clocked in 2:02.46.

A classic winner of the G1 Japanese Oaks at 3, Loves Only You was winless in five starts as a 4-year-old in 2020, but rebounded this year to win the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong in April after finishing a close third to Mishriff in the G2 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in Dubai. After a summer freshening, Loves Only You returned with a second-place finish in the G2 Sapporo Kinen in Sapporo, Japan, her last start before the Breeders' Cup.

“You know, when we finished second at Sapporo, I picked that race because the turf track is similar to Del Mar,” said trainer Yahagi.

The Filly & Mare Turf winner was produced by the U.S.-bred Loves Only Me, an unraced daughter of Storm Cat who was purchased by Japan's leading breeder, Katsumi Yoshida, for $900,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Loves Only Me was bred by the Niarchos and is a granddaughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner Miesque.

“I'd like to say thank you to my horse,” Yahagi said. “She did a great job. It's a dream come true for Japanese horse racing history. I'd love to come back Breeders' Cup at Keeneland next year and do the same thing, to win!”

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Chad Brown (My Sister Nat (FR), second) – “My Sister Nat ran great. Pocket Square just couldn't run that far. Jose (Ortiz) rode a great race. We had a plan to follow War Like Goddess, which he executed perfectly. I just said, 'If you have any chance to win, just follow her and draw alongside of her in the stretch and if our horse is good enough battle it out.' That's what Jose did. I'm so proud of this mare. It's bittersweet because she ran the race of her life, but it was her last race, and unfortunately, she never got that Grade 1 win that she deserves. She had a couple of tough beats. Nevertheless, she is off to the breeding shed and she has been a wonderful mare to train. I look forward to training her babies.”

Trainer Bill Mott (War Like Goddess, third as favorite) – “Being third's not as good as first. She ran hard. She made the lead a little early, maybe, and was a little wide off the turn – didn't have much choice about that.”

Jockey Julien Leparoux (War Like Goddess, third as favorite) – “We had a good trip. She was nice and relaxed relaxed early. Just before the three-eighths pole she took a hold of the bridle on her own and made that big move. I had to go on with her then and we got carried wide. It was sooner than I would have liked. She ran a very good race.”

Jockey Ryan Moore (Love, fourth) – “She ran well just not good enough on the day.”

Jockey William Buick (defending winner Audarya, fifth) – “She ran a very big race considering the run we had. She got boxed in then denied a clear but ran on strong to the line.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy (Ocean Road, sixth) – “Had a great run round and she's put up a good performance.”

Trainer Hugo Palmer (Ocean Road, sixth) – “She ran very well and is going to be a lovely filly for next year. I expect her to keep improving.”

The post Loves Only You Breaks Through For Japan With Thrilling Filly & Mare Turf Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Daiwa Major Colt Stays Perfect in Niigata Nisai

Successful when unveiled at Chukyo in a newcomers' heat in June, Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) made it two on the bounce with a first black-type and group score in the G3 Niigata Nisai S. on Sunday.

Sent off as the 7-2 third choice, the Oiwake Farm-bred took advantage of his rail draw and saved every inch of ground against the fence in midpack through the early going as Otaru Ever (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) showed the way. After a half in :48.50, he was sitting sixth as that rival continued to lead.

Dashing up the rail with three furlongs remaining down the long Niigata straight, he gradually subdued Otaru Ever, and appeared to be home free. The 9-5 favourite, Arrival (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), made a late run, but finished 1 1/4 lengths back on the line. It was three-quarters of a length back to Otaru Ever in third.

Pedigree Notes

By one of the increasingly rare active sire sons of Sunday Silence, Serifos is the 38th black-type winner and 18th group winner for the 2004 Japanese 2000 Guineas hero Daiwa Major, who stood at Shadai Stallion Station this season for a private fee. Serifos's broodmare sire Le Havre already has a pair of black-type winners in that sphere, this season's progressive G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Des Ailes (Jpn), a Japanese Group 2 victress who is by the late Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence).

The winner is the second foal and scorer for his dam, who won the Listed Prix Maurice Zilber at four and placed in the G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines at five. Serifos is the last reported foal for Sea Front, who was purchased for €135,000 out of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in 2016 and sent to Japan.

Although Sea Front is the only black-type winner for her unraced dam, Freedom Herself (Fr) (Freedom Cry {GB}), the latter's half-sister Mediation (Ire) (Caerleon) won at the listed level in Ireland and placed at the group level there and Stateside. As a broodmare, Mediation has foaled GI Pacific Classic S. hero Go Between (Point Given), stakes winner Go Around (Medaglia d'Oro), the G2 Cherry Hinton S. third Extreme Beauty (Rahy) and the winning dam of GI Chandelier S. and GI Starlet S. third K P Dreamin (Union Rags).

Sunday, Niigata, Japan
NIIGATA NISAI S.-G3, ¥59,220,000, Niigata, 8-29, 2yo, 1600mT, 1:33.80, fm.
1–SERIFOS (JPN), 119, c, 2, Daiwa Major (Jpn)
1st Dam: Sea Front (Fr) (SW & GSP-Fr, $217,499),
by Le Havre (Ire)
2nd Dam: Freedom Herself (Fr), by Freedom Cry (GB)
3rd Dam: Redeem Herself (Ire), by General Assembly
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-G1 Racing;
B-Oiwake Farm (Jpn); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Yuga
Kawada. ¥31,434,000. Lifetime: 2-2-0-0. Werk Nick Rating:
D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Arrival (Jpn), 119, c, 2, Harbinger (GB)–Culminar (Jpn), by
Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥12,124,000.
3–Otaru Ever (Jpn), 119, c, 2, Leontes (Jpn)–Rouge Coeur (Aus),
by Redoute's Choice (Aus). (¥41,000,000 Ylg '20 JRHAJUL).
O-Ikuko Sumitani; B-Lake Villa Farm (Jpn); ¥7,862,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, NK. Odds: 3.50, 1.90, 3.00.
Also Ran: Comstock Lode (Jpn), Stunning Rose (Jpn), Kimiwa Queen (Jpn), Tagano Finale (Jpn), Grand Line (Jpn), Win Pyxis (Jpn), Crowned Magic (Jpn), Cradle (Jpn), Said (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Kingman’s Elizabeth Tower Shares the Spoils in Tulip Sho

Saturday's G2 Tulip Sho, a prep for the upcoming G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas next month, resulted in a dead heat between Nagoya Keiba's Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) and Shadai Race Horse's Elizabeth Tower (GB) (Kingman {GB}), with the latter the first black-type winner in Japan for her sire.

Very headstrong through the early stages against the fence, Meikei Yell raced just inside a tugging Elizabeth Tower. Yutaka Take gave the signal and Meikei Yell burst through the field to decisively take command with a half-mile remaining and entered the lane with a narrow lead. Elizabeth Tower joined her on the inside 250 metres from home and the duo were inseparable at the wire, with Stutti (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) a neck back in third.

As a juvenile, Meikei Yell landed a Kokura newcomer affair on Aug. 22 and followed up in the G3 Kokura Nisai S. over 1200 metres on Sept. 6. She added the G3 KBS Kyoto Sho Fantasy S. that November and ended her season with a fourth in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies to her maternal relative Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) on Dec. 13. The Tulip Sho was her 3-year-old bow.

More lightly raced than her rival, Elizabeth Tower saluted at Hanshin versus newcomers on Dec. 19 and was ninth in the Feb. 6 Elfin S. over this trip at Chukyo.

Pedigree Notes
Although unplaced on the racecourse, Shiroinger has hit the jackpot with Meikei Yell, who was winning her third group race on Saturday. She has foaled a juvenile colt by Just a Way and, although her date with Real Impact (Jpn) did not produce a foal, she was covered by Suave Richard (Jpn) last term. Meikei Yell's second dam is the MSW Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurfune), who is a half-sister to Buchiko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the dam of last year's Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, the aforementioned Sodashi.

A daughter of the G1 German Oaks heroine Turfdonna, Elizabeth Tower is her first foal and the 30th black-type winner for her Juddmonte sire. She has a juvenile half-sister by Postponed (Ire) and a yearling half-brother by Kizuna (Jpn). Turfdonna was bred to Kizuna (Jpn) last spring. This is the extended family of Italian champion and Group 1 winner Turfrose (Ger) (Big Shuffle), who is also the dam of Japanese dual Group 2 winner Rosa Gigantea (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}) and Japanese listed winner Star of Persia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), who was also group placed. German champion and sire Turfkonig (Ger) (Anfield {Ire}) is under the fourth dam.

Saturday, Hanshin, Japan
TULIP SHO-G2, ¥100,200,000, Hanshin, 3-6, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.80, gd.
1–MEIKEI YELL (JPN), 119, f, 3, by Mikki Isle(Jpn)
                1st Dam: Shiroinger (Jpn), by Harbinger (GB)
                2nd Dam: Yukichan (Jpn), by Kurofune
                3rd Dam: I Shirayukihime (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
(¥26,000,000 Ylg '19 JRHAJUL). O-Nagoya Keiba; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); T-Hidenori Take; J-Yutaka Take. ¥37,040,000.
Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
1–ELIZABETH TOWER (GB), 119, f, 3, Kingman (GB)
                1st Dam: Turfdonna (Ger) (G1SW-Ger, $343,824),
                                by Doyen (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Turfaue (Ger), by Big Shuffle
                3rd Dam: Turfquelle (Ire), by Shaadi
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Shadai Race Horse;
B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Tomokazu Takano; J-Yuga Kawada.
¥37,040,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
3–Stutti(Jpn), 119, f, 3, Maurice (Jpn)–Lilavati (Jpn), by Zenno
Rob Roy (Jpn). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥13,120,000.
Margins: DH, NK, NO. Odds: 0.60, 7.00, 7.40.
Also Ran: Tagano Diana (Jpn), Shirley Poppy (Jpn), Shadow Eris (Jpn), Tiny Romance (Jpn), Malina (Jpn), Rare Champagne (Jpn), Ten Happy Rose (Jpn), Barikono Yume (Jpn), A Shin Pixel (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or video.

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