Saint Liam headed to breeding shed after Breeders’ Cup
victory
SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) went out on a high note Saturday by taking the
22nd running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and making strong case for Horse
of the Year honors.
“This was the reason we bypassed the Breeders’ Cup last year and Dubai, for
the chance to be Horse of the Year this year,” trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said
Sunday. “This is exciting. It is something you dream of.”
Saint Liam followed the same path as last year’s Horse of the Year,
Ghostzapper, by taking the Woodward (G1) prior to his Classic victory. In fact,
the five-year-old bay was second to Ghostzapper in last year’s Woodward by only
a neck. He’ll head to the breeding shed at Lane’s End Farm near Versailles,
Kentucky, to begin his stud career.
Dutrow became the third consecutive trainer to win at least two races on
Breeders’ Cup Day when he saddled Saint Liam in the Classic. Earlier on the day,
he sent out SILVER TRAIN (Old Trieste) to a head victory over TASTE OF PARADISE
(Conquistador Cielo) in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
“I took (Silver Train) to Saratoga and he just didn’t like that track at all, but he
loves this track,” Dutrow said. “If the Breeders’ Cup had been at a different
track, we would not have run.”
Silver Train could get a vacation now as Dutrow said the dark bay sophomore
will probably point for the Met Mile (G1) next year.
LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier), the heavy 3-5 favorite in the Sprint while
trying to keep his record perfect in his 11 career start, returned in good
condition, trainer Greg Gilchrist said.
“I think excuses are for losers,” Gilchrist said. “I’m not going to make any
excuses. He just got outrun.”
The dark bay three-year-old will get a two or three-month break at Southern
Chase Farm near Ocala, Florida, according to Gilchrist, before returning for his
four-year-old season sometime in the spring. Lost in the Fog is scheduled to
ship to Florida from New York on Tuesday.
Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) hero SHIROCCO (Ger) (Monsun) made history by becoming
the first German-bred runner to win a Breeders’ Cup race. However, it was
familiar territory to the bay’s trainer, Andre Fabre, who won the 1990 Turf with
In the Wings (GB). Fabre said Shirocco would likely stay in training next year
and go for a title defense when the Breeders’ Cup moves to Churchill Downs on
November 4, 2006.
PLEASANT HOME (Seeking the Gold), who pulled off a shocker in the Breeders’
Cup Distaff (G1) with a 9 1/4-length victory, could show up next in the Top
Flight S. (G2) at Aqueduct on November 25, according to trainer Shug McGaughey.
“I’ll have to talk with Mr. Phipps. She was a little bit of a surprise to be
able to tell you whether or not she’ll run again this year,” said McGaughey, who
has racked up three winners and five runner-up finishers in the Distaff. “She’ll
either run in the Top Flight or she’ll rest on her laurels.”
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Pleasant Home stamped her ticket to the
championship event with a nice second in the Spinster S. (G1) at Keeneland on
October 9.
“The fillies just came around at the right time, which was the case with this
one,” McGaughey said.
ASHADO (Saint Ballado), who was going for a title defense in the Distaff,
just missed second by a neck and is set to be sold as a broodmare prospect on
November 7 at Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale.
ARTIE SCHILLER (El Prado [Ire]) exited his three-quarter-of-a-length win in
the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) in good order, according to Steve Moyer, assistant
to trainer James Jerkens.
“He’ll get a few days off, but he won’t be getting any kind of long break,”
Moyer said. “He could still race again this year.”
Garrett Gomez was aboard the bay colt and earned his second Breeders’ Cup win
after taking the Juvenile (G1) earlier on the day with STEVIE WONDERBOY (Stephen
Got Even). Because of his accomplishments, which also included a second in the
Sprint with Taste of Paradise, Gomez was the winner of the Bill Shoemaker Award
as the outstanding Breeders’ Cup Jockey of 2005.
“He’s a big strapping colt and I thought the race would set up for him,” the
33-year-old Gomez said of Stevie Wonderboy. “The (Kentucky) Derby (G1) is quite
a ways down the road but I think he has the capabilities to do it. The farther
the better with him.”
The Bobby Frankel-trained INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill) brought back
memories of another bay mare running down the Belmont turf in the Breeders’ Cup
Filly & Mare Turf (G1). Intercontinental duplicated the feat accomplished by her
older full sister Banks Hill (GB) in the 2001 Breeders’ Cup.
“It was deja vu, just like her older sister,” Frankel said.
The conditioner said that Intercontinental will leave sometime this week and
head to Kentucky to begin her new career as a broodmare.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner FOLKLORE (Tiznow) and EX CAELIS
(Fusaichi Pegasus), fourth in the Juvenile Fillies, were already back home in
Barn 33 at Churchill Downs before noon on Sunday. The pair are both trained by
D. Wayne Lukas and have the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on the calendar for their next
major objective.
Total wagering on the Breeders’ Cup established a record of $122,106,154 from
common and separate pools on Saturday’s 10-race card at Belmont Park. Although
the numbers from Italy, Sweden, Norway and the Caribbean nations are not yet in,
the mark still breaks last year’s all-sources total of $120,897,141. Total
wagering on the eight championship events also set a new record when
$112,865,068 was wagered.
The pool for the Breeders’ Cup Ultra Pick 6 totaled $4,856,700, but there
were not tickets with all six winners. There were 40 tickets with five winners
for a payout of $90,325.