Order of Australia Upsets Breeders' Cup Mile at 73-1
Description:
Top international trainer Aiden O'Brien pulled off the biggest stunner of the Breeders' Cup World Championships by winning the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) with 73-1 Order of Australia and saddling the top three finishers in a race he's never won before.
Order of Australia's winning price of $148.40 set a Breeders' Cup record for highest winning payout and delivered a second win Nov. 7 for French jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot, who is making his first appearance this year in the World Championships and got his first win earlier with Audarya in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).
The 3-year-old son of Australia was bred by Whisperview Trading, a racehorse training and bloodstock firm owned by the Ballydoyle stable trainer and his wife Anne Marie. He is out of the unraced Danehill mare Senta's Dream, making him a half brother to multiple grade/group 1 winner and 2019 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) winner Iridessa.
Owned by O'Brien with longtime partners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, Order of Australia drew into the race off the also-eligible list with the scratch of One Master. Jockey Christophe Soumillon was originally scheduled to ride the colt but came up positive for COVID-19 Nov. 5 and had to enter isolation immediately, which opened the door for Boudot to get the mount.
"It's been unbelievable," Boudot said after the race. "Aidan told me he is a fast and proper horse the mile and the ground. I took a position behind the leaders and he traveled very nicely, and then he gave me a nice turn of foot."
Prior to the Breeders' Cup, Order of Australia had won twice out of six starts and had made three prior starts in group company with a fourth-place finish his best showing. His career earnings of $39,846 and an unplaced finish last-out in the €47,000 Novi IT Services International Stakes at the Curragh contributed to his longshot price.
When the gates sprang in the Mile, anticipated pacesetter Halladay hustled to the lead accompanied by fellow frontrunner Factor This. They were quickly joined by Kameko and the trio tracked in this order through early fractions of :23.48, :46.97, and 1:10.39. Order of Australia stalked a length behind Kameko through the turn where he started his advance against the leaders. He passed Halladay a furlong from the wire held off a furious rally from O'Brien's Circus Maximus to win by a neck in 1:33.73. O'Brien's third entrant Lope Y Fernandez also made an impressive run from seventh, with jockey Frankie Dettori weaving him through traffic down the stretch to finish third by three-quarters of a length.
"It's a real team effort, we're very happy," said Pat Keating, the traveling head man O'Brien. "First three home is unbelievable. You need a lot of luck in this game. We're looking enough to have good horses and good jockeys. I'm just happy for everyone involved."
Ryan Moore, who rode Circus Maximus, said his horse ran a lovely, solid race.
Dettori said he lost his running room in the turn but he was pleased with Lope Y Fernandez's effort.
"I lost my spot on the turn. That cost me a bit. Then he came in good," Dettori said.
New York trainer Chad Brown had three horses in the race, including 6-1 second choice Uni, who won this race last year. Uni finished fifth and his other starters Digital Age was 10th and Raging Bull finished 11th.
"Uni clearly ran the best race and none of my horses got good position," Brown said. "Uni just couldn't secure that mid-pack spot I was hoping for. Watching how the turf is playing, it encouraged my jockeys, if possible, to be near or in some sort of striking range turning for home. None of them could and it seems that only one of the three actually kicked off the quarter-pole and could have possibly won the race if in better position was Uni."
Brown said Digital Age leapt at the start. Jockey Javier Castellano told him the horse was rocking back and forth when the gate was opened.
"He lost all chance there just sitting in the back. He tried to make a little run, but from that point forward he was a little disinterested. Raging Bull, for him, he wasn't in terrible position, but was a little bit flat down the lane," Brown said.
Jockey Joel Rosario, who was aboard Uni, said: "It seemed like it was going good. It's tough sometimes from an outside post but it looked like I was going to get some part of the race in the last part. It was a fast race today and it seemed like that didn't come back."