Rebel's Romance Takes BC Turf in Record-Setting Run

Rebel's Romance  has bounced from dirt to turf, from Dubai to Germany with stops in England in a two-year odyssey that brought him to triumph Nov. 5 in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland.

Now, as a gelding with his future on the track, his options are wide open and worldwide.

After a tardy start, James Doyle piloted the Dubawi  gelding, a Godolphin homebred, to the front of a tough international field of turf specialsts in the stretch run of the $4 million Turf as the wind howled over the Keeneland course.

Once in front, he ran on strongly to win by 2 1/4 lengths from Irish raider Stone Age  and jockey Ryan Moore as the European contingent continued to dominate the weekend's Breeders' Cup grass events.

War Like Goddess , a 5-year-old English Channel  mare coming off a victory in the Turf Classic Invitational (G1T) at the Belmont at the Big A meeting, finished third, salvaging a smidgeon of pride for the North American contingent. After that, though, it was Mishriff  fourth in his last start for trainer John Gosden with Frankie Dettori riding and Nation's Pride, the more highly fancied of the Godolphin runners, fifth.

Rebel's Romance finished the 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in course-record time of 2:26.35 but Doyle said it was not all clear sailing for the gelding, who can be a handful both before and during a race.

"We ended up in a nice position" after the slow break. "I was keen to get him off the inside rail and get him out to the middle of the track. It was a little raw on the turns," said Doyle, who celebrated his first Breeders' Cup win with his mother, Jacqui, on hand. "There were a couple of hairy moments until I got him some more room.

"He can be (difficult) but he was pretty good today."

After winning his first race on the Kempton Park all-weather in England in late 2020, Rebel's Romance moved to Dubai, where he won the 2021 UAE Derby (G2) on the dirt in March of 2021. He returned on the same surface after a 10-months absence only to flop badly in two starts at Meydan Racecourse.

Trainer Charlie Appleby then moved the problem child back to England and put him on the turf and he hasn't lost in five subsequent starts, accounting for a pair of Group 1 events in Germany in August and September before tackling the Breeders' Cup assignment.

"He's maturing and well-traveled now," Appleby said. "He's a typical Dubawi. He gets stronger as he goes along."

Rebel's Romance also might be more versatile now than he showed in his last couple efforts in Dubai, the trainer said.

"I watched him train on the dirt here this week and I thought I might put him back on the dirt," Appleby said. He quickly recanted, though, amending the thought to, "I don't know I'd be brave enough to switch back."

"In Dubai, they go hard and if you're too far back, you're out of luck," he said, explaining the earlier disappointments.

Both trainer and jockey said the variety of experiences and surfaces will stand Rebel's Romance in good stead whatever his future brings.

"They're not easy races in Germany," said Doyle, who rode Rebel's Romance to victory in the Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) at Hoppegarten Aug. 14. "They have some tough horses over there."

Stone Age jumped up to run one of the best races of his career for Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners and O'Brien said he now is ticketed for the Japan Cup (G1) at Tokyo in November.

"He was flying home," O'Brien said.

Nation's Pride, winner of the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) and the Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3T) in his last two starts for Appleby, is to be put away for the winter as all the Godolphin horses are due a rest, the trainer said.

Mishriff, a Group 1 winner on dirt and turf in Saudi Arabia and Dubai as well as England for trainer John Gosden, is slated for retirement.

For Doyle, it was a family affair as his mother joined him in the winner's circle ceremonies and expressed her joy at having both her son and daughter, Holly Doyle, as successful riders at the top level.

James Doyle added, "I've got my sister based over here for a couple years now and I'm glad I could make her proud."

But he declined to have his mum join in the interview room quiz, quipping, "We'd be here forever."

Rebel's romance capped a stellar weekend for Godolphin and Ireland's Coolmore partners. Each combine won three turf races on the two-day Breeders' Cup card, essentially dominating the proceedings on the Keeneland lawn.

"It's always good to be here at the Breeders' Cup," Appleby said. "It would be good to be here even if we left without a winner."

Not likely.