West Level Thoroughbreds’ Terry Finley and coach John Sadler do not hesitate to leap the proper horse to a number of class ranges. It carried out admirably with Flightline, who was promoted instantly from allowance to Grade 1 firm en path to eventual Horse of the 12 months honors, and was linked once more with Tremendous Corredora within the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
Owned by West Level with Spartan Equine Racing, Robert Gardiner and Michael Olszewski, Tremendous Corredora truly made an even bigger leap than Flightline from his first win to the Breeders’ Cup. This daring transfer might have shocked some skilled runners.
Jockey Bob Baffert had two robust prize winners on this race, Explorer and Bottle of Rouge. Todd Pletcher took Tommy Joe, who gained two Grade 1s, and Percy’s Barr outran Tommy Joe within the Darley Alcibiades Stakes, however was disqualified for interference. Bettors gave all 4 of those horses a greater likelihood than fifth selection Tremendous Corredora, joint with Frisette Stakes winner Iron Orchard.
Iron Orchard slowly moved to the entrance and adopted swimsuit all through the race, whereas jockey Hector Berrios stored Tremendous Corredora within the lead. Sadler and Berrios had mentioned their technique earlier than the race.
“He mentioned, ‘Okay, let’s take the lead,'” Berrios mentioned. “So after I go on the lead, the opposite guys watching me in all probability determine, ‘Oh, she’s a longshot, you are the lead.'” She took the lead and was very snug. ”
The Tremendous Corredora was very snug and will shock even probably the most skilled discipline. She clocked quarter-mile instances of twenty-two.42 seconds and 45.63 seconds, seemingly with little effort.
“I believe she’s very rhythmic. She has a fantastic stride,” Sadler mentioned. “I felt that even when she was working a little bit sooner, if she was snug, she would preserve working.”
The Tremendous Corredora actually stored working. Explorer, a well-liked horse with 3 wins and a couple of losses who gained the Oak Leaf Stakes sponsored by the Oak Tree Horse Racing Affiliation, approached her in a straight line. As Explorer approached from fourth, Tremendous Corredora evaded her and by no means let the opposite filly get even. On the end, Tremendous Corredora beat Explorer by three-quarters of a size, stopping the timer in 1:43.71. Explorer proved to be higher than the opposite horses, as proven by his three size lead over third place Percy’s Bar.
Berrios gained his first Breeders’ Cup, which is able to all the time be emotional. He instructed reporters in each English and Spanish how particular it was to have “the entire household, the children right here.” He got here closest in his third of 11 Breeders’ Cup makes an attempt up to now, ending second by a nostril to Marathat, ridden by Blue Stripe, within the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Sadler is aware of all too properly that he comes near successful the Breeders’ Cup with out successful it. It took 45 tries to win the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Traditional, making Speed up the primary Sadler to win. Since then, Sadler has gained the 2022 Traditional with Flight Line, gained the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Filth Mile with Furserrano, and can look to make it back-to-back wins within the Nov. 1 race.
“There was a time when folks would say, ‘He is the most effective coach that hasn’t gained a Breeders’ Cup,’ however after Speed up they stopped saying that,” Sadler mentioned.
Sadler had beforehand educated at West Level, and Finley spoke extremely of the conditioner.
“He is top-of-the-line trainers of all time – I really consider that,” Finley mentioned. “I believe he ought to go to the ceremony at Saratoga in a number of years.”
Gstaad wins Juvenile Turf for record-setting O’Brien
Legendary Irish coach Aidan O’Brien, often known as the ‘Grasp of Ballydoyle’ with over 400 Grade/Group 1 race wins, is now often known as the winningest coach in Breeders’ Cup historical past.
On Oct. 31, the 56-year-old coach gained the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf below coach Christophe Soumillon on the primary day of the two-day Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar, passing the late Corridor of Fame coach D. Wayne Lucas for the Breeders’ Cup wins lead. The victory gave O’Brien his twenty first Breeders’ Cup victory, breaking his report tie with Lucas at 20 wins, and Gstaad completed confidently by three-quarters of a size over stakes-winning California horse Stark Distinction.
“He is only a nice coach,” co-owner Michael Tabor mentioned of O’Brien, who gained his first Breeders’ Cup in Johannesburg in 2001.
With 14 2-year-old horses in attendance, Gstaad fell behind with a report of 6 wins and 5 losses regardless of being out of the working, and with jockey Soumillon in scorching pursuit, a large draw and late break gave the impression to be unimportant. Ninth after the opening quarter mile, outfielder pressured by Hey Nai Nai to take the lead on a agency monitor, Gstaad made regular progress, transferring into seventh place after half a mile with a time of 46.52 seconds, and because the discipline approached the tip of the second nook he moved into fifth place with a time of 1:11.45 after six furlongs measured by Hey Nai Nai.
“Once I received into the straight, I knew it was recreation over,” Soumillon mentioned.
it was. He took the lead by halfway by the stretch and maintained a transparent benefit over second place Stark Distinction. Stark Distinction needed to wait within the working room close to the stretch to start stalking below Kazushi Kimura. Gstaad crossed the end line with a remaining time of 1:34.93. He paid $4.40 to win.
Skilled by Michael McCarthy, Stark Distinction completed 2 1/4 lengths forward of present finisher North Coast, one other European consignor conditioned by O’Brien’s son Joseph.
Gstaad’s win was price $520,000, and his six-race, three-win, three-second report elevated his prize cash to $993,157. The Juvenile Turf gave him his first G1 victory after ending runner-up 3 times in Europe’s prime international corporations.
“We thought he might win some Group Ones at this stage,” O’Brien mentioned. “However issues did not go properly for him. Little issues labored in opposition to him.”
The Gstaad victory continued the dominance of European-trained horses. They’ve now gained 5 juvenile turf races and 13 out of 19 races. O’Brien, who trains for Coolmore and its accomplice house owners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Taber, has contributed to eight of these wins, together with the final 4.
“Everyone knows that we’re simply in an extremely privileged place,” O’Brien mentioned.
Jockey O’Brien is closing in on his calendar-year report of 28 top-level stakes wins from 2017, and with three horses working within the Breeders’ Cup race at Del Mar on Nov. 1, he can add to his report of 26 Grade/Group 1 wins this season.
With the victory, Soumillon retains the coveted place of O’Brien within the saddle this summer season after the steady’s common jockey Ryan Moore was sidelined with damage, giving him his first Breeders’ Cup win since successful the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2005 aboard Scirocco.—Byron King
Valantina beats Donnacha in Juvenile Fillies Turf
A $1 million John Deere remained within the Friday morning scratch of Aidan O’Brien-trained Exact, a significant prize favourite with 6 wins and 5 losses. The grass on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies is large open. Nonetheless, nice performances nonetheless exist, and you did not have to go removed from your loved ones tree to seek out them.
That substitute was none aside from O’Brien’s son Donnacha. Donnacha gained her first profession victory on the World Championships on Oct. 31, when Valantina dazzled on the Del Mar grass course.
Jockey Oisin Murphy, who gained his second Breeders’ Cup, rode the Ten Sovereigns two-year-old daughter completely, dropping to the rail from publish place 10 and saving the sector close to the clubhouse flip. Japanese runner Swap In Love set a quick tempo forward of him with quarter-mile splits of:22.33, :45.96, and 1:11.01. Murphy briefly went off the rail through the stretch, then returned to the rail and took the lead on the sixteenth pole.
On the end line, Valantina held off the oncoming Pacific Mission by 1 1/4 lengths, with Floor Assist working properly and nearer to the tempo than the highest two, taking third place. Valantina accomplished the mile in 1:35.07.
“She settled into the course rather well,” Murphy mentioned. “Donnacha was so upbeat at her morning exercise and extremely athletic. She hit the monitor prefer it was made for her.”
Valantina races for the partnership of Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Lissa Ann McNulty. Medallion additionally gained the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Dash at Cy Honest with the Swinbank steady, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton.—Sean Collins
Cy Honest provides coach Weaver his first Breeders’ Cup win within the Juvenile Turf Dash.
Multi-time Eclipse Award successful rider Irad Ortiz Jr. is aware of the way to play properly when he is dealt a hand.
Ortiz had anticipated to offer Cy Honest a little bit credit score within the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Dash, however when the daughter of Not This Time carried out properly within the five-furlong check, Ortiz put her in a stalking place among the many horses early on and proper behind the main Schwarzenegger on the flip.
Cyfair then let go of Schwarzenegger round pole eight and was not a lot of a risk the remainder of the way in which, ending with a three-quarter size lead in his first graded begin.
In solely its eighth yr, the Juvenile Turf Dash has been a welcome addition to the Breeders’ Cup for Ortiz, who has gained half of its races. On the different finish of the spectrum, Friday’s race opened a sequence of 5 youth Breeders’ Cup races and gave coach George Weaver his first world championship victory.
“I have been right here a number of instances and it is a actually tough race to win,” mentioned Weaver. He beforehand positioned in final yr’s Juvenile Turf Dash with Governor Sam and within the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Summer time of Enjoyable. “You have to usher in the proper horses. You have to have some luck. It is thrilling for me, my crew, my household and (my spouse) Cindy. That is why we do what we do.”
Cy Honest, raced by Swinbank Stables, Medallion Racing, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton, accomplished the 5 furlongs on agency grass in 56.02 seconds. Co-owner Regan Swinbank identified that Cy Honest refers back to the Cypress-Fairbanks space of Houston, the place her mom’s household is from and the place she attended highschool. Swinbank mentioned every part went properly within the Del Mar sunshine Friday as she wore a Cy-Honest Excessive College ring that belonged to her mom (Helen). Swinbank’s uncle and aunt additionally got here on the journey.
“Actually, I felt actually good all day,” Swinbank mentioned. “All you want is a world-class horse, a world-class coach, a world-class jockey, and an incredible journey. All of it comes collectively.”—Frank Angst
