Order of Australia Out of BC Mile, 'Off to Stud Now'

Order of Australia , pre-entered to defend his title in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T), will miss the Nov. 6 race at Del Mar after a physical setback Oct. 27, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Speaking during a teleconference with reporters Wednesday, O'Brien indicated the colt would be retired, saying, "He'll go off to stud now.

"He had a small fracture, and he just had to get a pin put in this morning," he noted. "But the operation, everything went well."

The 4-year-old son of Australia  owned by the Coolmore-affiliated Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Anne Marie O'Brien went 1-for-6 this year following his 73-1 upset in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland. Order of Australia's winning price of $148.40 set a Breeders' Cup record for highest Mile payout, the second-highest payout for the World Championships overall. 

He further led a 1-2-3 finish for O'Brien-trained runners in the Mile last fall, with his stablemates Circus Maximus  and Lope Y Fernandez  running in the place and show spots.

Order of Australia, bred by Whisperview Trading, a racehorse training and bloodstock firm owned by the Ballydoyle stable trainer and his wife, Anne Marie, is out of the unraced Danehill  mare Senta's Dream . He is a half brother to multiple grade/group 1 winner and 2019 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) winner Iridessa  and to Santa Barbara , a dual grade 1 winner this year in the U.S. who was euthanized due to a pelvic injury last month.

This year, Order of Australia took the Romanised Minstrel Stakes (G2) at the Curragh in July and picked up top-tier placings when third in the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville and second in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) at ParisLongchamp. In his most recent start he was last of 12 in the Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland Oct. 9.

He retires with a record of 4-1-2 from 15 starts and equivalent earnings of $1,527,335.

His defection from the Mile clears the way for the race's first alternate, Ivar , to gain entrance into the $2 million race.

O'Brien also mentioned that Love , cross-entered in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, could run in the latter race to allow another one of his entrants, Japan , to gain entry to the Turf. Japan is the first alternate in the Turf.

O'Brien also pre-entered Broome , Bolshoi Ballet , and Mogul  in the Turf, though as more distant alternates are determined by the Breeders' Cup Field Selection Panel, they need multiple defections to gain a starting position.

O'Brien's Breeders' Cup competitors will depart Ireland for California later this week.