Horse Racing

Appleby Focused on Races, Not Scene, at Breeders’ Cup


With its placement in early November, the Breeders’ Cup falls exterior the first racing season in Europe, offering a well timed vacation for the connections of foreign-based runners sending their horses to the two-day occasion. But when a visit to California for the Nov. 5-6 Breeders’ Cup is a trip, it is a working trip for British coach Charlie Appleby.

“We’re not likely right here for the celebration scene, as a lot as it’s pleasurable to be right here amongst you all,” he stated on the Del Mar backstretch Nov. 2.

Watch: Appleby Discusses Banner Year, Breeders’ Cup Entries

Whether or not he has run horses overseas or in North America this 12 months, Appleby—and his runners—have been all enterprise. In a season of highlights for the Appleby, a non-public coach for the worldwide Godolphin operation, he received his second Cazoo Derby (G1) at Epsom with Adayar  this year, and the 3-year-old repeated in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot later in June. Adayar became the first horse since Galileo  20 years earlier to capture the two races back to back.

Even on this continent, Appleby and Godolphin have excelled. The trainer is 6-for-14 in North America this year, winning the Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) and Diana Stakes (G1T) with Althiqa , and the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes with Yibir  this summer in New York. He then kept the momentum going into the fall, taking the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T) with Walton Street  at Woodbine, and in addition the Summer season Stakes (G1T) with Albahr  and the Natalma Stakes (G1T) there with Wild Beauty .

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“The extra you journey, the extra you get to be taught what it’s good to convey over to be aggressive world wide,” Appleby stated.

He was a fast examine. His first Breeders’ Cup winner got here together with his first starter in 2013 when Outstrip  won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). He’s added two more Breeders’ Cup winners since, capturing the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) in 2017 with Wuheida  and the Juvenile Turf once again with Line of Duty in 2018. 

Outstrip wins the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

Outstrip becomes trainer Charlie Appleby’s first Breeders’ Cup winner, taking the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park

Old Persian , his seventh and most recent Breeders’ Cup starter in 2019, ran 11th in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.

Appleby credit his workers, and naturally, his equine contributors for his stellar worldwide report over his profession.

“However on the finish of the day, with out the horses, you possibly can’t do it. There is no approach you are delivery them,” he stated.

He brings his deepest lineup this 12 months, exceeding his three Breeders’ Cup starters in 2018.

Modern Games  and Albahr are contenders at 5-1 and 6-1 odds in Friday’s Juvenile Turf; Master of The Seas  and Space Blues  are 12-1 and 3-1 in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) on Saturday; and Walton Street and Yibir are 8-1 and 12-1 to win the Turf, also that afternoon.

Space Blues walks around the iconic paddock at Del Mar racecourse in Southern California 2.11.21
Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post

Space Blues walks through the iconic paddock at Del Mar

Appleby was pleased to see his Juvenile Turf pair draw well in their race, a two-turn grass race at a mile with a relatively short run to the first of two turns.

“So both of them are big players, but as we all know around here on these tight tracks, you got to have a lot of lady luck on your side as well,” he said. “So as much as having a good draw, you have to make the most of it, as well.”

Space Blues has won two group 1s in a row in long sprints. His last 15 races, a stretch dating back to the spring of 2019, have been at seven furlongs or shorter. His maiden win came in a 1 1/16-mile race when making his career debut at Nottingham in November 2018.

In a deep Breeders’ Cup Turf, Walton Street and Yibir bring established form into the race though neither is as accomplished as the racing’s defending champion, Tarnawa , the 9-5 favorite trained by Dermot Weld.

Appleby said of his Turf duo, “They’re two lively candidates that we’ve all got a favorite to beat.”

Yibir wins 2021 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher

Yibir after winning the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park



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