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Breeders' Cup: British and Irish runners shine on day one
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Mischief Magic and Buick power home after being last early on (focusonracing.com)
Mischief Magic swept in with a late run to land the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Mischief Magic was boxed in on the rail turning for home.
However, the colt was threaded through the leaders to lunge in the final yards.
Showing an impressive turn of foot, the bay streaked past Karl Burke’s Dramatised to prevail in a British one-two, with the Richard Hannon-trained Persian Force back in fourth.
Enjoy a full replay
Buick said: "He really enjoyed coming off the turn, he's a closer and I expected him to come from off the pace.
"He's worked into the race and it opened up for us. He was always going to do enough. When I set him alight, he switched his legs and he just flew.
"He's a very straightforward horse to ride and he was very tough today."
Mischief Magic was last seen finishing fourth to the now-retired Blackbeard in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in September and Appleby felt that had been a good prep outing.
Appleby said: "Going into the Middle Park, we were always mindful that it was a stepping stone to this race and that he was pitching with the best colts in the UK.
Appleby and Buick reflect on a dramatic success
"The plan was for him to sit a bit closer but after missing the break, Will let him find his legs and it was a great ride.
"He's such a willing horse and it's also great that he's a homebred.
"He will have the winter off and with his scope, I can see him developing into a contender for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot."
The Platinum Queen was widely expected to take a hand in the finish for Richard Fahey after her Group One success in the Prix de l'Abbaye last time, but she was under pressure from some way out in the hands of Hollie Doyle and finished down the field.
Fahey said: "I was disappointed with her run. Nothing seemed to go right and Hollie said she felt a bit flat.
"She will have a well-deserved holiday now. Hollie said she got more worked up today than she had done before and I think it was all a bit of a shock to her system.
"She jumped well but one came around her outside and from then it was not going right for us."
Meditate cut for Guineas glory
Meditate was a dominant winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland.
What a performance! Watch a full replay of Meditate's win
Settled at the rear of the field under Ryan Moore, the Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old was patiently ridden from a relatively wide draw in stall 10.
After the final bend, Moore asked the filly to go up a gear and she answered readily, sweeping past the leaders to breeze to a facile win.
Meditate’s victory saw her price for next year’s 1000 Guineas contract, with Betfair going 8-1 from 16s while she is a 7-1 shot with Coral.
O’Brien confirmed a Classic campaign is uppermost in his mind after the daughter of No Nay Never successfully stepped up to a mile for the first time.
He said: “The last twice she was beaten at the Curragh and Newmarket, she encountered bad ground in Ireland and then I think the other race came a bit quick for her, so there were genuine excuses.
“After that in her training, I gave her every excuse not to come here but she kept passing all the tests.
“We were thinking of bringing a filly called Never Ending Story over for this race but Michael (Tabor, part-owner) felt this was the right race for Meditate.
“Ryan rode her to get the trip and I will now train her for the Guineas. Ryan said he would rider her more patiently which is exactly what he did and she looked very high class.
“She’s by No Nay Never who is a big influence on speed, but with the No Nay Nevers, we were a little bit worried they all might end up being sprinters, while mindful that they could stay further.
“Looking at this filly today, she’s a good mover has a good mind and relaxes very well.”
Moore was also impressed with Meditate’s performance.
He added: “She was always comfortable having started well. There was bit of speed beside us, but the pace steadied round the bend when I worked her out wide and she went up to them very quickly and I knew I had a lot under me well over furlong out.
“I felt she was a level above them and hopefully there will be more to come.”
Pleasant Passage and Cairo Consort filled the minor placings, with the Richard Fahey-trained Midnight Mile coming home fourth.
Fahey said: “She ran well and came home well, but I was never happy with her in the preliminaries. She didn’t look happy.
“She looked in bad form with herself and I am worried that she may be in season.
“If I could have scratched her before the start, I would have, because she just didn’t look happy at all – but, look, she’s run her race, so not too bad.”
Victoria Road grabs dramatic Juvenile Turf verdict
Victoria Road snatched success in the final strides of a dramatic Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.
What a race!
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt cut through a busy field in the home straight, surging forward at the same time as Charlie Appleby’s Silver Knott battled out from a boxed-in spot on the inside rail.
Silver Knott appeared to have grabbed the glory as he edged in front once he found space, but Victoria Road was flying down the outside.
The two horses tussled in dying strides of the one-mile race, with the naked eye barely able to pick out Victoria Road and Ryan Moore crossing the line first in the tightest of finishes.
Moore and O’Brien were completing a Grade One double after earlier landing the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Meditate.
The winning rider admitted he thought he had prevailed on the line.
Moore said: “My horse was in a nice spot and then the pace steadied down the back and there was a lot of traffic. There wasn’t much racing room but there was a gap and he got through.
“I thought the other horse was coming to get me, but on the line I thought he had won. The outrider said it was close, but I thought we were the winners.
“He’s a hardy horse who has travelled well.
“He’s out of a very fast mare but will be more of three-year-old than a two-year-old. He has a good mind and a good action and was very comfortable on that tight track.
“I rode him twice over six furlongs at the Curragh but as he’s gone up in trip, he’s got better. He’s adaptable and very straightforward.”
O’Brien said: “We thought he was precocious but we were disappointed he kept getting beat.
“He’s by Saxon Warrior and at Chantilly he took his time and came from a long way back to win.
“I think he could be a French Derby horse for next season.”
As far as the Epsom Derby is concerned, the horse was introduced to the market by Betfair at a price of 20-1.
Victoria Road’s victory denied Appleby and jockey William Buick a double of their own having won the Juvenile Turf Sprint with Mischief Magic.
Appleby felt Silver Knott emerged with plenty of credit in defeat.
He said: “It was a head bobber and we lost nothing in defeat. We were slow from the gate but it didn’t make any difference.
“Remember Aidan’s had won his last three and there are no excuses because we got the split down the rail.”
Forte denies hot favourite Cave Rock
Forte battled to a tough success in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Watch a full replay of the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Ridden by Irad Ortiz jnr, the colt broke well from the stalls and travelled quietly in the first half of the race.
Taking a wide line around the final bend, the bay locked horns with the race leaders, Cave Rock and National Treasure, and ground out an impressive win for trainer Todd Pletcher.
The winning handler said: “Obviously delighted with everything. He got a beautiful trip. Just kept coming. I think we both got a fair run at it today (referring to being second choice to Cave Rock).
“He got that two-turn experience (in the Breeders’ Futurity) and it paid off today. He’s much more professional today. We learned a little something (from the Breeders’ Futurity) and we tweaked off the last race and it paid off coming here.
“The last time, he made the lead pretty comfortably, but he got to waiting and laying on the horse next to him so today, if we were lucky enough to get in a position to get (the lead), we wanted to give ourselves plenty of space and not get close to the horse next to him.”
Part-owner Mike Repole won the extended nine-furlong contest with Uncle Mo in 2010 and feels connections have plenty to look forward to with this son of Violence.
He said: “I’m so blessed to have such a unbelievable trainer in Todd Pletcher, who is also an incredible person.
“These trainers have a tough job and outside of that, Todd is not only a great husband but also a son to his parents who are both still alive.
“Irad is an Eclipse Award-winning jockey and in all honesty he is five lengths ahead of the field and he gave our horse an amazing ride.
“In his last race he had to knuckle down and fight for the win and I think that helped him when we got alongside Cave Rock.
“It looks like Forte, whose name means strength, will get better and better and we have so much to look forward to with him.”
A wonderful performance from Wonder Wheel
Wonder Wheel was a convincing winner of the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Wonder Wheel wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Mark Casse, the two-year-old hugged the rail and rounded the final bend behind the leading duo.
Angled out by her rider on the home straight, the filly then quickened away from her rivals and strode on to an easy victory from Leave No Trace.
Gaffalione said: “She didn’t get away too well, there was a lot of traffic and she kind of got pushed back. But then she settled into a good rhythm and things opened up for us coming into the stretch.
“Approaching the quarter pole, I was really close to the fence but she didn’t flinch in taking the gap.
“I’ve been high on her since I first got on her and it was a joy to be in the saddle today.”
Casse said: “I thought she was impressive and I knew that she would be better than she was for her last race.
“I told Tyler that this was the best I’d ever seen her and that she had gone forward since a month ago.
“I think we will go back to the training centre in Ocala (Florida) and get ready to go for our Eclipse Award.
“If 10 is absolute class, she is a 10.”
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