Yibir’s Longines Turf Win for Red-Hot Connections Headlines Breeders’ Cup Saturday Undercard
In successful two earlier Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar, Charlie Appleby skilled various feelings, watching as a pair of his horses (and almost a 3rd) had been scratched because of unruly gate antics and two runners emerged as victors.
Saturday within the $3,680,000 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, he simply watched all of the race drama unfold, cheering on Godolphin‘s blossoming 3-year-old Yibir as he stormed late to catch Broome by a half-length.
“It was a bit extra stress-free, anyway,” Appleby stated, smiling.
All three Breeders’ Cup wins got here for Godolphin with sons of Dubawi ridden by William Buick.
Buick wanted to name upon all his ability within the Turf, doing his greatest to coax a headstrong Yibir into settling early. However he was finally profitable, settling him into Thirteenth-place early within the 14-horse area behind a swift tempo set by Tribhuvan.
Tribhuvan led the sphere via in splits of :48.38, 1:12.41, and 1:36.76. However quickly after passing the mile marker, the pacesetter and his nearest challengers had been in retreat.
One after one other foe started to select them off, although not defending champion Tarnawa, whose signature late kick was absent.
As an alternative, it was Broome that surged previous the leaders, taking a midstretch lead below Irad Ortiz Jr., seemingly with victory in his sights. However Yibir was ending even sooner, and shutting furiously down the middle of the course he caught the Aidan O’Brien-trained Broome within the closing strides. The winner was timed on agency turf in 2:25.90, a course report.
“Midway across the residence flip I may see Broome had gone, however I used to be at all times assured of selecting him up,” Buick stated. Yibir has “an incredible flip of foot and I could not pull him up after the road. Superb horse, and I believe he did one thing at this time that not many horses can do, so all credit score to him.”
European-based horses swept the highest 4 positions, with the Roger Varian-trained filly Teona working third and Japan, one other O’Brien trainee, checking in fourth. Tarnawa ran 11th as the two.10-1 favourite.
Yibir supplied the primary victory within the Turf for each coach and jockey. His win was the sixth general within the Breeders’ Cup for Appleby and fifth for Buick.
“I have been coming to Breeders’ Cup for a few years, and lots of instances issues haven’t gone my approach,” Buick stated. “I perceive how laborious it’s to have winners right here so I admire each little bit of success. The luck has gone my approach this yr.”
Appleby was additionally delighted along with his steady’s success, his solely poor finisher being Walton Street, who ran ninth within the Turf. Even his two horses scratched on the gate appeared to dodge critical harm.
“A unbelievable weekend. I can take a few them residence recent,” Appleby quipped.–Byron King
House Blues Outfinishes Easy Like Strait to Win FanDuel Mile
Godolphin, Appleby, and Buick received the ball rolling earlier Saturday within the $1,840,000 Fanduel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF when Space Blues, a 5-year-old son of Dubawi and a Godolphin homebred, outfinished pacesetting Smooth Like Strait by a half-length. The 5-year-old Dubawi gelding, making his closing begin, tracked Easy Like Strait via the far flip whereas saving floor earlier than angling out within the stretch and powering to victory.
“I used to be stunned we went as gradual as we did,” stated Buick, who rode House Blues in 11 of his 18 races. “It definitely helped. He settled effectively and was at all times in a great spot with out having to do an excessive amount of.”
It had been greater than two years since Appleby had requested House Blues to run so far as a mile. The coach was fast to level out, nevertheless, that European milers are of sterner stuff than their flat, turning American cousins. House Blues was coming off consecutive victories in testing seven-furlong occasions at York and Longchamp.
“To offer you an thought of what we have at all times considered him, although,” Appleby famous, “I used to be coaching him at first with the (Epsom) Derby in thoughts.”
House Blues completed the mile in 1:34.01 as the two.10-1 favourite. He retires as whiz at distances from six to eight furlongs and a Breeders’ Cup world championship on his résumé, together with the everlasting gratitude of his jockey.
“I am going to miss him,” Buick stated. “He was at all times a pleasure to journey. An awesome persona, and he did not actually need a jockey. With him, the rider may solely mess issues up.”
The Mile’s three-quarter break up in 1:11.02 successfully neutralized the possibilities from something attacking late. Ivar made one of the best run to complete a size behind Easy Like Strait, whereas Raging Bull was fourth, simply forward of the 6-year-old mare Got Stormy in her closing race.–Jay Hovdey
Aloha West Edges Dr. Schivel in Dash Thriller
Jose Ortiz does not journey at Del Mar commonly, however that does not cease him from successful there. Because the end line loomed within the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Ortiz saved scrubbing on Aloha West. The gallant little colt was flying from sixth, laser centered on chief Dr. Schivel. The query was, may Aloha West get there in time?
Dr. Schivel by no means gave up, however neither did Aloha West. Aloha West drew even with the chief, and the 2 raced collectively proper to the wire. It could be not a nostril bob however a nostril bob, and Aloha West’s nostril received the job finished.
“I simply journey laborious, three or 4 jumps to the wire,” stated Ortiz. “I assumed I had it, however I wasn’t certain.”
The six-furlong Dash generally is a duel for speedsters, and this yr Jackie’s Warrior was thought of the quickest, accounting for his 1-2 favoritism. He zoomed to the lead firstly, simply as anticipated, whereas Grade 1 winner Dr. Schivel lurked in fourth, ready for his alternative.
Aloha West raced farther again in seventh as Jackie’s Warrior clocked the primary quarter-mile in :21.91. Across the flip, Dr. Schivel moved up on the surface, and he caught chief Jackie’s Warrior once they turned for residence.
Simply as Dr. Schivel appeared residence free, 11.30-1 shot Aloha West got here laborious, charging on the surface. Aloha West closed floor relentlessly, gamely by no means giving up, to attain about as slender a victory as attainable with no lifeless warmth.
Dr. Schivel completed second, 1 ½ lengths forward of Following Sea. Favored Jackie’s Warrior light to sixth. Aloha West accomplished the six furlongs in 1:08.49.
“I appreciated the place we had been early within the race, and the head-bob was a troublesome one,” coach Wayne Catalano stated. Catalano received his fourth Breeders’ Cup race within the Dash and his first in 10 years.
For the Aron Wellman-led Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which owns Aloha West, the Dash marked the easiest way ever to have fun 10 years of racing. These on this specific partnership vary from longtime homeowners to first-timers, they usually all will need to have introduced a bevy of pals to swamp the winner’s circle.
“That is surreal,” stated Wellman, Eclipse’s president. “That is my residence monitor – I simply stay 5 minutes down the street.”
Wellman instantly turned to Catalano and started heaping reward on him.
“This man is a treasure,” Wellman stated. “He has finished an unbelievable job creating this colt. (Aloha West) solely ran for the primary time in February this yr as a 4-year-old, and 10 months later he is a Breeders’ Cup Dash champion. That takes grasp horsemanship to have the ability to accomplish one thing that monumental.”–Tracy Gantz
Japan’s Loves Solely You Wins Filly and Mare Turf with Late Rush
In April, Loves Only You helped make some historical past for Japan racing in Hong Kong. On a fall Saturday at Del Mar, she stood alone in a historic racing second for her residence nation in North America.
Loves Solely You turned the primary Japan-based horse to win a Breeders’ Cup race when the 5-year-old daughter of the late sire Deep Impression break up favored War Like Goddess and longshot My Sister Nat to win the $1,840,000 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. That turned out to be a the primary in a two-win day for Japan, as longshot Marche Lorraine, skilled by Loves Solely You’s conditioner Yoshito Yahagi, would upset the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff three races later.
“We have had so many horses problem within the Breeders’ Cup however we might by no means had a victory at Breeders’ Cup,” stated DMM Dream Racing director Takumi Nomoto via an interpreter. “That why I felt prefer it was a problem to return in right here and we received the massive win.”
Loves Solely You received the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Sha Tin again in April, main residence 4 Japan-based runners in that race. It marked the primary time Japan-based runners had taken the highest 4 spots in that prime Hong Kong occasion.
Two weeks after that Hong Kong victory, Yahagi approached Nomoto about working within the Breeders’ Cup and whereas they did not fully decide to it at the moment, they set on that path, which might be realized.
“The race appeared like a extremely powerful race, a aggressive race, however earlier than the race we thought our horse was Quantity One,” Yahagi stated via an interpreter. “It was a extremely nice race however we believed in her and now she received this nice race.”
Within the 1 3/8-mile Filly and Mare Turf, it will be a U.S.-based horse who would transfer first when jockey Julien Leparoux made a sweeping, six-wide transfer within the third and closing flip aboard Battle Like Goddess to loom massive coming into the. Surging Battle Like Goddess would seize the lead within the stretch and carry that benefit previous the eighth pole.
Chad Brown-trained My Sister Nat made a sweeping transfer of her personal within the closing flip after which engaged Battle Like Goddess in deep stretch. However it will be Loves Solely You shifting better of all in deep stretch. Prominently positioned in fourth or fifth all through by jockey Yuga Kawada, Loves Solely You was affected person as she encountered site visitors within the lane earlier than discovering a seam contained in the sixteenth pole to ship her successful surge.
Loves Solely You prevailed by a half-length over My Sister Nat; finishing the 1 3/8-mile race in 2:13.87 on agency turf. Battle Like Goddess held third, 1 ½ lengths forward of twin English traditional winner Love in fourth.–Frank Angst
Life Is Good Blazes to Overpowering Filth Mile Rating
Life Is Good has the form of identify that bespeaks happiness and conjures visions of blissful days.
After what occurred within the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, it is almost not possible to keep away from gushing about what kind of life awaits this fairly “good” 3-year-old in 2022.
Not solely was China Horse Club and WinStar Farm‘s Life Is Good a decisive, front-running 5 ¾-length winner of the Filth Mile, he powered to his first Grade 1 win with such a dynamic show of early and late pace that the group gasped when monitor announcer Larry Collmus knowledgeable them that the son of Into Mischief sprinted via the opening quarter-mile in :21.88.
Good? Oh, he was a lot better than that.
“He was nice,” Elliott Walden, CEO, president, and racing supervisor of WinStar Farm, stated concerning the colt skilled by Todd Pletcher. “When (jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) got here again after the race, he advised Todd that he thought he was going :23 and :47.”
It is uncommon {that a} horse can sprint via a :44.94 half-mile and trick an Eclipse Award-winning rider akin to Ortiz into believing that he was working some 10 lengths slower, however Life Is Good has that dynamic mix of expertise and pace that enables him to make one thing demanding look easy.
“He is an distinctive expertise,” Pletcher stated after Life Is Good’s fifth win in six profession begins. “Generally once you anticipate to win, it is laborious to win, however he did it.”
Switched to Pletcher’s barn from Bob Baffert over the summer time, Life Is Good was valiant in defeat when he completed second to Jackie’s Warrior within the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes in August. After that race, a plan was crafted to make use of the Filth Mile as a springboard to the highest 2022 races. Since then he has reeled off wins within the Kelso Handicap and Filth Mile and is now poised for longer and richer exams subsequent yr.
Life Is Good, who led by a size a lot of the best way earlier than pulling away within the stretch, lined the mile in 1:34.12 because the 7-10 favourite with Ortiz placing a finger to his lips as he crossed the wire in a tribute to jockey Miguel Mena who died when struck by a car in Louisville earlier within the week.
Ginobili futilely chased the winner within the stretch and settled for second, three-quarters of a size forward of Restrainedvengence.–Bob Ehalt
Ce Ce Rallies Late to Win Filly and Mare Dash, Gamine Third
Horse possession has introduced proprietor/breeder Bo Hirsch to Cloud 9, however for one Breeders’ Cup, he stated he reached “Cloud Million.”
His 5-year-old homebred mare Ce Ce put him there in defeating longshot Edgeway and favored Gamine within the $860,000 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
He wasn’t alone in his pleasure. The victory gave jockey Victor Espinoza his first Breeders’ victory since American Pharoah‘s Breeders’ Cup Basic win in 2015. And for coach Michael McCarthy her win punctuated a memorable 2021 that included a Preakness Stakes victory from Rombauer.
Flanked by Espinoza and McCarthy in a post-race press convention, Hirsch showered them with reward.
“This man over right here,” turning to 49-year-old Espinoza, “is sort of a wonderful wine. He simply improves with age,” Hirsch stated. “And I really like him. He is one of the best.
“And this man over right here,” he added, turning to McCarthy, “(has) finished such an exquisite job with Ce Ce getting her to only proceed to enhance, and he is aware of when to put her up for a time frame and when to return again, and he simply did a outstanding job. And if you could find a coach on the market that works tougher than he does, I promise that particular person is on a day that is longer than 24 hours.”
As for Ce Ce, the chestnut mare shined Saturday in her 16th begin, simply as she on so many different events, akin to when she received two Grade 1 races in 2020. Fourth or 5 early, she swooped in motion late on the flip, reeling within the leaders earlier than midstretch and motoring away for a 2 ½-length victory.
Ce Ce, the third betting alternative at 6.20-1 odds, stopped the clock with a closing time of 1:21 for seven furlongs.
Gamine, the reigning champion feminine sprinter completed three-quarters of a size behind Edgeway and misplaced a one-turn race for the primary time in 9 such begins. She was hampered by tempo strain, jockey John Velazquez stated.
“While you go that quick early, it is laborious to maintain up the entire approach round when you find yourself pressed on a regular basis,” he stated. “On the quarter pole, I assumed she was going to have it, however as quickly as I moved my fingers and she or he did not reply the best way I assumed, I knew I used to be in bother.”–Byron King
Golden Pal Returns to Breeders’ Cup Victorious with Turf Dash Rating
Golden Pal did exactly what coach Wesley Ward predicted he would do within the $920,000 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, exploding out of the gate to clear the sphere in a matter of strides and denying the remainder of the sphere any hope earlier than they even hit the bend.
The three-year-old Uncle Mo colt by no means slowed down within the stretch, cruising to a 1 ¼-length win in 55.22 seconds and turning into a two-time Breeders’ Cup winner. He received the Juvenile Turf Dash at Keeneland final yr for the Coolmore group of Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg.
“He is received the title – he is one of the best horse (I’ve ever skilled),” stated the coach afterward, who picked up his sixth Breeders’ Cup win. “I hope everybody in horse racing has a horse like this, as particular as he’s.”
“He is at all times had a excessive opinion of the horse,” stated Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier, gesturing to Ward. “We received collectively and received the deal finished.”
The 5-2 favourite blitzed the sphere via a quarter-mile in 22.25 seconds and a half-mile in 43.91 seconds below Irad Ortiz Jr. and was not challenged within the stretch by runner-up Lieutenant Dan. Charmaine’s Mia completed third.
Ortiz additionally rode Golden Pal in final yr’s Juvenile Turf Dash victory.
“He was prepared at this time,” Ortiz stated. “I used to be completely satisfied to get the lead simply and he responded to me once I requested him for the run down the stretch. I used to be assured coming for residence and he nonetheless felt very sturdy.”
Ward prompt a return to Royal Ascot could be focused for Golden Pal’s 4-year-old season. He was second by a neck within the Norfolk Stakes as a 2-year-old. – Jim Mulvihill
