A day after a contingent of French-based horses made their first appearance
at Santa Anita, international horses for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup races
continued to get acclimated to the new surroundings on Tuesday.
Telescope, trained in Newmarket, England by Sir Michael Stoute, and the mount
of Ryan Moore, put in his first appearance following his arrival in the
quarantine barn at Santa Anita last Saturday. The four-year-old son of Galileo
did no more than a very light canter on turf, but Highclere Thoroughbred’s Harry
Herbert was happy with what he saw.
“Everything has gone to plan with the horse so far,” Herbert said. “Sir
Michael has a great record in preparing a horse for this race, and this has been
the plan for some time. I wondered at one point whether we should be running the
horse in the Arc (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp), but Sir Michael was
adamant that we should stick to the plan and come here.
“We will see how things go, but my hope is that he will stay in training next
year and be campaigned internationally again.”
Telescope is listed as the 4-1 second choice on the Turf morning line.
English-based Mile contenders Mustajeeb, Toronado and Trade Storm were out
for the first time as well.
Irish trainer Dermot Weld, who has enjoyed plenty of international success in
his distinguished career, including a Belmont Stakes with Go and Go, and two
Melbourne Cup wins in Australia with Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle, but who has
yet to win a Breeders’ Cup race, sends out Mustajeeb in an attempt to correct
that omission on his resume.
His big race jockey Pat Smullen was on board Tuesday morning for a light
piece of exercise on the main track shortly after 7 a.m. (PT). Smullen, who also
has the rides on Caspar Netscher in the Turf Sprint and on Secret Gesture in the
Filly & Mare Turf, was happy enough with his horse.
“Mustajeeb seems in good form and I think this race will suit him,” the
jockey said. “His best trip is at seven furlongs back at home, (the distance at
which he won the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot in June), and an easy mile here
should be what he needs.”
England’s best hopes of success in the Mile would appear to rest with
Toronado, trained by Richard Hannon, who is the 5-2 morning line favorite for
the race. Winner of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, and not disgraced in
his two most recent runs behind Kingman in the Sussex Stakes and Charm Spirit in
the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Toronado, a four-year-old son of High
Chaparral, is giving his connections hope that he can go out on a high on
Saturday in what will be his last race before he retires to stud.
“The horse seems very well,” Herbert said of Al Shaqab Racing
colorbearer. “Sean Levey who rides him every day says the horse has never been
better. He has had a relatively light campaign this year as the owners also have
Olympic Glory and we have kept the two of them apart. He has got a good draw
(post 5) and that gives his jockey (Richard Hughes) options in the race. These
races take a lot of winning, but we are hopeful going into Saturday.”
Newmarket trainer David Simcock saddles England’s other runner in the race,
Trade Storm, who comes to Santa Anita off an international success in the
Woodbine Mile in Toronto in September. Trade Storm had a quiet canter on the
main track Tuesday morning shortly after 8 a.m.
A quartet of European-based runners for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
— Dank, Fiesolana, Just The Judge and Secret Gesture — stretched their legs
for the first time Tuesday morning. Dank, Fiesolana and Just The Judge all went
out on the turf at 7:30 a.m. while Secret Gesture’s connections decided to keep
her on the dirt.
Willie McCreery, Fiesolana’s trainer, arrived in California Monday night and
was pleased with his filly’s draw in post six.
“The draw is grand and we will be riding her to get home in the race,”
McCreery said.
Trainer Charlie Hills was also at the track to see Just The Judge go out for
the first time since arriving at Santa Anita from Woodbine and expressed his
delight at what he saw.
“Everything is absolutely tip top,” he said of the recent E.P. Taylor winner.
English jockey James Doyle got the leg up on Just The Judge and was very
happy with the way his filly went.
“Although I only did a gentle canter, it is quite quick but not firm, and
there is a lovely cushion of grass,” Doyle said when asked about the condition
of course. “It is different grass to back home but it is absolutely fine.”
Group 2 hero and Pacific Classic runner-up Toast of New York, who will make
his first dirt start in the Classic, took everything in his stride when he
gained his first experience of the main track Tuesday morning when doing a hack
canter of a couple of circuits under the guidance of James McCarthy.
“He was really good today and I was really pleased with him,” McCarthy said.
Trainer Jamie Osborne is expected in California Wednesday evening.
Wind Fire, the sole European representative in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint took
a while to get used to his new surroundings in the hands of regular rider Claire
Murray when out on the main track Tuesday morning.
He was doing a gentle canter out on the dirt, but when entering the home
stretch took a keen hold and started looking around at everything, that was
going on, but to Murray’s credit she soon had him under control.
The son of Distorted Humor will attempt to become only the second European
winner of the race, the last win coming in 1991 via Sheikh Albadou.
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