BC Turf

Shirocco gave jockey Christophe Soumillon his first Breeders’ Cup win (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

Baron Georg Von Ullmann’s homebred SHIROCCO (Ger) (Monsun) tracked the
pacesetting Shake the Bank (Sandpit [Brz]) through opening splits of :23 4/5,
:47 4/5 and 1:13 1/5 in the $2,090,760
Breeders’
Cup Turf (G1) at Belmont Park on Saturday, before taking the lead and going
on to post a 1 3/4-length victory under an exuberant Christophe Soumillon.
Trained by Andre Fabre, who won the 1990 Turf with In the Wings (GB), Shirocco
had to hold off the game Ace (Ire) (Danehill) but managed to draw off to finish
1 1/2 miles on the firm turf in 2:29 1/5.

“He acts on any ground, and he’s a horse that has a lot of stamina,” Fabre
said. “So he needs to be ridden like that, close to the pace. I was very
confident when I saw him at the front. He stays in training next year.”

Sent off the 8-1 fifth choice, Shirocco battled back in midstretch to pay
$19.60, $11.80 and $4.70 while starting the $296.50 exacta and $1,560 trifecta.
Ace had  just enough to hold off the fast-closing Azamour (Ire) (Night Shift) at
the wire by a neck, returning $15.40 and $10 at 16-1. Azamour, the 7-2 favorite
when the gates opened, gave back $4.70 and was followed another three parts of a
length by Bago (Fr) (Nashwan), who ended the $4,694 superfecta (2-6-5-3).

Shirocco is his trainer’s second Turf winner (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

Shirocco was named highweight last year in Germany as a sophomore and opened
this season with with a third in the Prix Foy (Fr-G2). His only other race this
year, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1), saw the bay colt finish fourth, and
he now shows a 9-4-1-3 career mark with $2,076,055 in earnings. Shirocco’s wins
last year included the Deutsches Derby (Ger-G1) and Gran Premio del Jockey Club
Italiano (Ity-G1) in Milan.

“This is just a dream,” said Soumillon, notching his first Breeders’ Cup win.
“I always dream of winning races like the Arc de Triomphe and Breeders’ Cup and
to ride for trainer Andre Fabre makes it special. To win in New York is
unbelievable.”

The German-bred Shirocco is out of So Sedulous (The Minstrel), making
him a full brother to Group 2 winner Subiaco and listed victor Storm Trooper.