Breeders' Cup Mile a Wide-Open Affair

The hunt for a key race to help predict the outcome of the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) Nov. 6 at Del Mar leads through a spider's web of cross references and compelling individual performances.

Space Blues , the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Mile, was dazzling in the Qatar Prix de la Foret (G1) at ParisLongchamp on the day of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), coming on the heels of an equally impressive victory at York. However, it is entirely possible that in the deepening Parisian twilight jockey Billy Lee and his filly, Pearls Galore , did not get a chance to engage the hurtling winner, busy as they were with Entscheiden , the horse in between.

Before that, Pearls Galore was a close second in the Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown in September, with favored Mother Earth  third, handcuffed on the rails. That was a tough beat for Mother Earth, but if she and Ryan Moore expect a smoother trip around two turns among 14 runners at Del Mar, they are in trouble.

Raging Bull   is batting one for his last eight starts, and yet he seems to grow wings for Chad Brown when placed on firm West Coast ground, as he displayed in winning the 2020 Shoemaker Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita Park and the 2018 Hollywood Derby (G1T) at Del Mar. Raging Bull's stablemate, the Dansili  mare Blowout , also thrives by the Pacific, as she did when a close second in the 2020 Matriarch (G1T) at Del Mar.

Now 6 and making her third Breeders' Cup appearance, Got Stormy  has earned far more than any other horse in the race. That was Got Stormy finishing second to Uni  in the 2019 Mile at Santa Anita. She is in good form, and 6-year-old mares have won Breeders' Cup races before—namely Bayakoa, Blue Prize , Beholder , Stephanie's Kitten , and Maryfield . After 31 starts, Got Stormy could join them.

Deeper in the field, it is probably wise not to neglect the Brazilian pair from the Paulo Lobo stable. In Love  enters the Mile in high form after stakes wins at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland, while Ivar  will be making his third start of the campaign in hopes of reliving his win in the 2020 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1T).

Charlie Appleby, who trains Space Blues, also runs Master of The Seas . Casa Creed  has been beaten by several in the race, but that's Bill Mott in his corner. And Vin de Garde , a son of Deep Impact, gives Japan a rooting interest.



Then again, at the end of the day the Mile might turn out to be one more chapter in the ongoing squabble among the three contentious Californians—Mo Forza , Smooth Like Strait , and Hit the Road . The most recent races for the West's best milers have unwound in the above order, just in case no one was paying attention to the Del Mar Mile (G2T) and needed the City of Hope Mile (G2T) at Santa Anita to refresh the memory. No more than a length separated the trio at the end of either event.



But because he won them both—and eight of his last nine starts—5-year-old Mo Forza deserves most of the attention from horseplayers. While Mo Forza was sidelined during the first part of the season, Hit the Road beat Smooth Like Strait in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita, then tried the Maker's Mark Mile (G1T) at Keeneland, to no avail. Smooth Like Strait also went east to be third, beaten only a neck by the dead-heating Colonel Liam  and Domestic Spending  in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs. Back home in California, with neither of his rivals in the way, Smooth Like Strait won the Shoemaker Mile in a waltz.

Michael McCarthy, who trains Smooth Like Strait for Cannon Thoroughbreds of Mike and Jennifer Cannon, was asked if the key to winning the Mile was figuring out how to finish in front of Mo Forza.

"Obviously he's a very talented horse," McCarthy replied. "He shows up sporadically, but when he shows up he shows up in a big way."

Mo Forza has run five times in the last two seasons. By contrast, 4-year-old Smooth Like Strait has run 13 times. Only once in that stretch was he worse than third, when fourth in the 2020 American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2T) at Churchill Downs in which he pressed a blistering pace and gave way only in the final 50 yards.

"I think he's put together a rèsumè that's as consistent as anybody in the division," McCarthy said. "And he's a horse who can do it all. He's fast. He carries his speed."

McCarthy knows better than to give his rider, Umberto Rispoli, any detailed strategy in a two-turn race with 14 quality milers.

"On a day like Breeders' Cup day, everyone gets into the gate being the best they can possibly be," McCarthy said. "You just hope everyone gets a clean break, and your horse is where you want him to be turning down the backside. Let the horses figure it out from there."

OFFICIAL: Post Positions for the $2 Million @FanDuel #BreedersCup Mile presented by @PDJFund at @DelMarRacing.

ℹ️: https://t.co/DO0DQmLCJA #BC21 pic.twitter.com/6ib2SGVf6b

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 1, 2021

Entries: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T)

Del Mar, Saturday, November 06, 2021, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 1m
• Turf
• $2,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Master of The Seas (IRE)	James Doyle	123	Charles Appleby	12/1
2	2Smooth Like Strait (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	126	Michael W. McCarthy	10/1
3	3Space Blues (IRE)	William T. Buick	126	Charles Appleby	3/1
4	4Raging Bull (FR)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	126	Chad C. Brown	15/1
5	5Vin de Garde (JPN)	Yuichi Fukunaga	126	Hideaki Fujiwara	20/1
6	6Mo Forza (KY)	Flavien Prat	126	Peter Miller	5/1
7	7In Love (BRZ)	Alex Achard	126	Paulo H. Lobo	8/1
8	8Hit the Road (KY)	John R. Velazquez	126	Dan Blacker	15/1
9	9Mother Earth (IRE)	Ryan L. Moore	120	Aidan P. O'Brien	8/1
10	10Blowout (GB)	Joel Rosario	123	Chad C. Brown	8/1
11	11Got Stormy (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Mark E. Casse	10/1
12	12Pearls Galore (FR)	Billy Lee	123	PADDY TWOMEY	12/1
13	13Casa Creed (KY)	Junior Alvarado	126	William I. Mott	15/1
14	14Ivar (BRZ)	Joseph Talamo	126	Paulo H. Lobo	12/1
15	15Real Appeal (GER)	Shane Foley	126	Mrs. John Harrington	15/1
16	16Queen Supreme (IRE)	James Doyle	123	Andrew Balding	30/1