As he often does, trainer Aidan O’Brien entered a pacemaker in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International (G1) at York, ostensibly to ensure a proper gallop for Coolmore’s star three-year-old City of Troy. However, the way the International ultimately unfolded, City of Troy figuratively responded with a “thanks, but no thanks.”
Eagerly breaking on top and allowed to stay there by jockey Ryan Moore, City of Troy turned in a smashing performance, making all over the extended 1 1/4 miles while setting a course record of 2:04.32 over ground listed good-to-firm.
“He got away well, and I didn’t want to be taking him back. Just let him use his rhythm, and he traveled beautifully the whole way,” Moore said.
The winning margin was one length over the France-based gelding Calandagan, who acquitted himself well following a blowout win in the King Edward VII (G2) at Royal Ascot. Making a wide bid from the second tier, Calandagan used up much of his energy to get within hailing distance of City of Troy but could get no closer.
Finishing 3 1/2 lengths farther back in third was another three-year-old, Ghostwriter, while the best effort by an older runner was the mare Bluestocking, who finished fourth in the field of 13.
City of Troy, who was favored at odds of 5-4 at home, returned $3.80 to win as an odds-on choice in the pari-mutuel world pool.
The victory completed a sweep of the three Group races at York on Wednesday for Coolmore, O’Brien, and Moore, who also scored in the Acomb (G3) with the eye-catching two-year-old The Lion in Winter, who earned an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). They also won the Great Voltigeur (G2) with Los Angeles, arguably the second-best middle-distance three-year-old in Britain and Ireland behind City of Troy.
Victory in the International by City of Troy followed earlier wins this season in the Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Eclipse (G1) at Sandown, a triple last achieved in 2009 by Sea the Stars, whose course record City of Troy eclipsed on Wednesday. Sea the Stars also won the 2000 Guineas (G1), but City of Troy threw in an unexpected clunker in that race to start the season. It remains his only loss in six starts.
Nonetheless, O’Brien was effusive with the highest praise for City of Troy.
“He’s the best I’ve ever trained; we always thought that when he was a two-year-old,” O’Brien said. “We went off the road first run this year; we went right down into the swamp, so to get back to where he is today is incredible.”
The International was a “Win & You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge prep for the Classic (G1) at Del Mar in November, a race that connections have pursued over the years with several top-class turf performers to no avail. City of Troy perhaps will prove cut from a different cloth. A son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, he inherently has the scope to transfer his remarkable grass form to dirt.
America’s best three-year-olds will compete Saturday in the Travers (G1), but they and the few legitimate Classic contenders among the older ranks might need to improve if City of Troy brings his A game to Southern California this fall.
