1 of 3 | Economics wins the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Photo by and courtesy of Katsumi Saito
Sept. 16 (UPI) — With eight Breeders’ Cup slots up for grabs and big year-end races from France to Japan to Australia on the horizon, weekend horse racing hardly could have been more global.
Let’s hope to put the results in perspectives by considering them as an international whole.
More parochially, the weekend also saw the first race in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series with several other big 2-year-old events pointing toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies.
Hold tight.
Turf
Saturday’s Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown was most likely the most cosmopolitan event of the weekend, with participants pointing to big races around the world.
Economics rallied to the lead in the final furlong, raced alongside Auguste Rodin and finally inched ahead to win by a hard-fought neck. Japan’s Shin Emperor was third, another 3/4 length back and gaining at the end.
Economics, a 3-year-old Night of Thunder colt trained by William Haggis, improved to 4-for-4 this season while contesting his first Group 1. Auguste Rodin’s stablemates — Los Angeles, Luxembourg and Hans Andersen — got home fourth, sixth and last of eight, respectively.
Los Angeles and Shin Emperor are under consideration for next month’s Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Auguste Rodin is headed to November’s Japan Cup. The race was a “Win and You’re In” for the Longines Breeders Cup Turf, but Haggis seemed to be considering the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 19 for Economics.
On Sunday at Longchamp in Paris, Iresine won the Group 1 Qatar Prix Foy by a short head over Zarir and Sosie posted a mild upset win in the Group 2 Prix Niel for 3-year-olds. Both were at 2,400 meters or about 1 1/2 miles.
Turf Mile
When an opening appeared along the rail at the top of the stretch in Saturday’s $1 million (Canadian) Grade I Rogers Woodbine Mile, the favorite, Naval Power, and 13-1 long shot Win for the Money had every chance to take advantage.
It was the long shot who got the job done, roaring straight for home to win by 1 1/2 lengths over pacesetting Filo Di Arianna.
Win for the Money earned his first graded stakes win and a “Win and You’re In” spot in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Saturday’s Group 2 Toneybet Solonoway Stakes at Leopardstown returned another good one, and a potential international traveler, for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Diego Velazquez took charge in the final furlong to win by 1 1/2 lengths and O’Brien said he “could go to the Breeders’ Cup Mile or the Cox Plate.”
Filly & Mare Turf
Porta Fortuna was the heavy favorite in Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes at Leopardstown and never looked like anything but the winner.
The Caravaggio filly made her move outside rivals when asked by jockey Tom Marquand and won by 1 length. Porta Fortuna, trained by Donnacha Aidan O’Brien, finished second in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and earned a “Win and You’re In” spot for this year’s Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Full Count Felicia charged out to a huge lead in Saturday’s $750,000 (Canadian) Grade I E.P. Taylor Stakes on the Woodbine turf and wasn’t for catching. At the end of the 1 1/4 miles, the 5-year-old War Front mare was still 3 1/2 lengths ahead of her nearest competition, Moira.
Also, Beautiful Love won Saturday’s $350,000 Grade III Belmont Oaks Invitational at Aqueduct and Bluestocking emerged victorious from a tough edition of the Group 1 Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares Sunday at Longchamp.
Marathon
Kyprios continued his remarkable stroll through the European staying races with a 2 1/4-lengths score in Sunday’s Group 1 Comer Group Irish St. Leger at the Curragh. He now is 5-for-5 this year and trainer Aidan O’Brien sounded as if he’s considering an Arc bid with the Gold Cup specialist.
On Saturday at Doncaster in England, O’Brien saddled the first two finishers in the English St Leger with Jan Brueghel and Illinois. The result had the trainer talking Melbourne Cup for the 1-2 finishers, with a slight nod to the Arc: “Either of them could go to Melbourne,” Racing Post quoted him as saying.
And yes, Ireland uses the period in the St. Leger, while England does not.
Turf Sprint
Bradsell was too good for the other 17 in Sunday’s Group 1 Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh.
With Holly Doyle riding, the 4-year-old Tasleet colt rolled home 1 1/4 lengths better than Believing and Ryan Moore. That was the same result as in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Aug. 23 and earned Bradsell a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Now, those 2-year-olds
The Road to the Roses (and the Breeders’ Cup)
Move Jonathan’s Way to the top of the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
The Vekoma colt, trained by Philip Bauer, remained undefeated after two starts with a front-running, 2 3/4-lengths victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs. The race was the first along this season’s “Road.”
Jonathan’s Way won his first start handily at Saratoga and seemed to have no trouble moving along to the one-turn mile. “I’m still trying to put it all in perspective,” Bauer said. “We’re the favorites on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.”
Juvenile Fillies
Trainer Mark Casse added to his stellar day at Woodbine with a victory in the $300,000 Grade III Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday as La Cara rallied from far back in the big field to win by 3/4 length over Liam in the Dust. The favorite, Kimchi Cat, was eased in the stretch and finished last.
La Cara, a Street Sense filly, ran 1 mile on a fast track in 1:37.82 under Ricardo Santana Jr. She made it two straight wins after taking four tries to find the winner’s circle.
Andrea, the odds-on favorite, took the early lead and extended it at every call in Saturday’s $95,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park and eventually won by 7 3/4 lengths.
The Kentucky-bred daughter of Thousand Words, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., ran 1 mile on a good track in 1:38.38, remaining undefeated after two trips.
Juvenile Turf
Qatar Racing’s New Century earned a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” bid with a victory in Saturday’s $500,000 (Canadian) Grade I bet 365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine. He’s likely to contest that race.
Not so Green Impact, who won a Breeders’ Cup bid by upsetting Saturday’s Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile in Ireland. Trainer Jessica Harrington said the colt has Epsom Derby potential and will get the rest of this year off.
Scorthy Champ stepped up to win Sunday’s Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National for 2-year-olds at the Curragh.
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Lake Victoria rallied to win Sunday’s Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at the Curragh by 1 1/2 lengths, earning a “Win and You’re In” spot in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
And One More Time got a narrow win in Saturday’s $500,000 (Canadian) Grade I Natalma Stakes at Woodbine. She, too, banked a “Win and You’re In” for the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup race.
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