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30-1 Karakontie lives up to pedigree in Mile
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| Karakontie led home a one-two for France with runner-up Anodin
(Charles Bernhardt/Horsephotos.com) |
Two races after Main Sequence captured the Breeders' Cup Turf, fellow
homebred Karakontie capped a big double for the Niarchos Family by upsetting
Saturday's Grade 1, $1,840,000
Breeders'
Cup Mile at odds of 30-1. Picking up the pieces late following a frenetic
pace, the Jonathan Pease pupil inhaled the weakening Obviously and held the
belated thrust of Anodin for an all-French exacta. The French-based colt thus
averted a shutout for the Europeans over the two-day championships, and lived up
to his mouthwatering pedigree as a great-grandson of two-time Mile star Miesque.
Karakontie's odds were not reflective of his ability, which was proven by his
Group 1 wins in the 2013 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and May 11 Poule d'Essai des
Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas). But he had been unable to put his best
foot forward in his last pair, through no fault of his own. Failing to stay the
about 1 5/16-mile trip in the June 1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby),
Karakontie was not seen again until the October 5 Prix de la Foret, where he was
badly hampered and lost all chance in 11th.
Although eligible to rebound with a better trip at Santa Anita, his post 14
could have been the recipe for another unlucky passage. As it turned out,
though, jockey Stephane Pasquier neutralized the potential disadvantage and
anchored him well off the pace, giving him the opportunity to shine. And so he
did. |
Perennial speedball Obviously was supposed to go to the front, but no one
scripted that 2-1 favorite Toronado, an English shipper, would gun it from the
start. While Obviously did scramble ahead through an opening quarter in :21 4/5,
Toronado gave chase all the way through torrid splits of :45 and 1:08 4/5.
Toronado blew the far turn and began to labor in pursuit at the top of the
stretch, allowing Obviously to pull clear in his third try at the Mile.
By that point, Karakontie was bursting from the pack. Surging past the
longtime leader as if he were standing still, the Bernstein colt appeared well
on his way to victory. Fellow French invader Anodin then arrived on the scene,
but after costly trouble, the full brother to three-time Mile legend Goldikova
was a fraction too late. Karakontie crossed the wire a one-length winner in a
final time of 1:32 4/5 on the firm course and sparked a $62 win payout.
"I had a bad draw on the outside but got a good position," Pasquier said. "It
is easier when you are on the best horse in the race and he gave me everything
and quickened very well.
"Emotionally, this is the biggest win of my career, to win a Breeders' Cup
race here in America. The trainer didn't give me any instructions. I just rode
him like the quality horse he is. A mile is his distance."
"It's a great result," Pease said. "He was a brilliant two-year-old and was
very good this spring. We gave him a break and he showed a great turn of foot
today."
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| Karakontie made his great-granddam Miesque proud
(Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) |
England's Trade Storm closed for third, with Summer Front the best of the
Americans in fourth. Obviously tired to fifth, trailed by Mustajeeb, Tom's
Tribute, Toronado, Seek Again, Kaigun, Grand Arch, Veda, Tourist and Sayaad. The
also-eligible Mr. Commons didn't draw into the field.Tourist, who floated out wide on the clubhouse turn, was the final mount for
retiring rider Rosie Napravnik.
Bred in Japan, Karakontie became the first Breeders' Cup winner produced by
that country. But he is the sixth Mile winner for the Niarchos Family, emulating
his third dam, Miesque (1987-88), Spinning World (1997), Domedriver (2002) and
maternal relative Six Perfections (2003).
Karakontie is the third stakes victor out of the Sunday Silence mare Sun Is
Up, who is also responsible for Sunday Sunrise and Bottega. Sun Is Up is herself
a half-sister to South African Group 1 heroine Amanee. Their dam, Group 3-placed
stakes winner Moon Is Up, is a daughter of the great Miesque.
In addition to her Hall of Fame career on the racecourse, Miesque was a
prolific broodmare. Her progeny include multiple Group 1 star and renowned
international sire Kingmambo and French highweight East of the Moon -- both
French classic winners -- as well as Group 3 heroes Mingun and Miesque's Son
(sire of 2006 Mile victor Miesque's Approval). Miesque is also the ancestress of
European champion Rumplestiltskin, the dam of current Yorkshire Oaks winner
Tapestry and exciting Aidan O'Brien juvenile John F Kennedy. Victorious in the
September 13 Juvenile Turf at Leopardstown, John F Kennedy is now a hot prospect
for the 2015 classics.
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Karakontie was himself a top two-year-old, garnering the Prix la Rochette
prior to the Lagardere and also missing narrowly in the Prix Francois Boutin.
The bay opened 2014 with a neck loss to Ectot in the April 13 Prix de
Fontainebleau, his prep for the French Guineas. His Breeders' Cup heroics
improved his scorecard to 9-5-2-0, $1,908,799.
Click here for the
transcript from the winning connections.
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