Godolphin Makes It Three at BC With Yibir in the Turf

In winning two earlier Breeders' Cup races Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar, Charlie Appleby experienced varying emotions, watching as a pair of his horses (and nearly a third) were scratched due to unruly gate antics, and two runners emerged as victors.

Saturday in the $3.68 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), he just watched all the race drama unfold, cheering on Godolphin's blossoming 3-year-old Yibir  as he stormed late to catch Broome  by a half-length.

The win, unlike those from Space Blues  in Saturday's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) and Modern Games  in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), was free of gate issues.

"It was a bit more relaxing, anyway," Appleby said, smiling.

All three wins came for Godolphin with sons of Dubawi  ridden by William Buick.

Buick needed to call upon all his skill in the Turf, doing his best to coax a headstrong Yibir into settling early. But he was ultimately successful, settling him into 13th-place early in the 14-horse field, behind a swift pace set by Tribhuvan , with Acclimate  in close attendance.

The duo opened up on the field in the 1 1/2-mile race, with Tribhuvan timed in splits of :48.38, 1:12.41, and 1:36.76. But soon after passing the mile marker, the leaders were in retreat.

One after another foe began to pick them off, though not immediately defending champion Tarnawa , whose signature late kick was absent.

Instead, it was Broome that surged past the leaders, taking a midstretch lead under Irad Ortiz Jr., seemingly with victory in his sights. But Yibir was finishing even faster and closing furiously down the center of the course as he caught the Aidan O'Brien-trained Broome in the final strides. The winner was timed on firm turf in 2:25.90, a course record. 

"Halfway around the home turn I could see Broome had gone, but I was always confident of picking him up," Buick said. Yibir has "an amazing turn of foot and I couldn't pull him up after the line. Amazing horse, and I think he did something today that not many horses can do, so all credit to him."

European-based horses swept the top four positions, with the Roger Varian-trained Teona  running third and Japan , another O'Brien trainee, checking in fourth. Another O'Brien runner, Bolshoi Ballet  finished sixth.

"They've all run well, but just not quite good enough today," O'Brien said. 

Channel Maker , North America's reigning champion turf male, ran best of the U.S.-based runners, finishing fifth after grabbing the lead at the 1 1/4-mile marker. He was third in the Turf last year.

"He ran his heart out," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said.

Japan and Yibir did have a degree of prior U.S. experience, both having competed in New York this fall, with Yibir winning the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park. 

Tarnawa ran 11th as the 2-1 favorite. Her jockey, Colin Keane, described her race as "flat." 

Yibir provided the first victory in the Turf for both trainer and jockey. His win was the sixth overall in the Breeders' Cup for Appleby and fifth for Buick. 

"I've been coming to Breeders' Cup for many years, and many times things have not gone my way," Buick said.  "I understand how hard it is to have winners here so I appreciate every bit of success. The luck has gone my way this year."

Appleby was also delighted with his stable's success, his only poor finisher being Walton Street , who ran ninth in the Turf. Even his two horses scratched at the gate seemed to dodge serious injury.

"A fantastic weekend. I can take a couple of them home fresh," Appleby quipped.

The victory was worth $2,080,000 and increased Yibir's earnings to $2,895,580 with a record of 6-1-2 from 12 starts for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Godolphin operation. All three of their Breeders' Cup winners came with homebreds.

"So it's been, I'm sure, a big team effort, and a lot of credit goes to Charlie and his team for being able to present him on a day like today," said Jimmy Bell, president and racing manager for Godolphin USA.

Yibir, a gelding, is out of the Monsun  mare Rumh . He is his dam's fifth foal, and her second top-level stakes winner, following prior multiple group 1 winner Wild Illusion . The latter also ran second in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Rumh has a 2-year-old colt named Wild Crusade , a full brother to Yibir and Wild Illusion, and a yearling colt by Golden Horn .