Unquestionable Tops O'Brien Exacta in BC Juvenile Turf
Image:
Description:
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Unquestionable wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park
When River Tiber , the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), was found to be a little stiff the morning of the race, it could have created a massive headache for jockey Ryan Moore.
Instead, after the 2-year-old was scratched from the Nov. 3 stakes, trainer Aidan O'Brien made a lineup change. He bumped Frankie Dettori off Unquestionable , put Moore on the son of Wootton Bassett , and the legendary Irish trainer's deep array of 2-year-old talent did the rest.
Al Shaqab Racing, Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor's Unquestionable pulled away in the final furlong for a 1 1/2-length victory Nov. 3 in the $920,000 Juvenile Turf for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita Park over Mountain Bear , another O'Brien-trained runner who sustained a non-displaced condylar fracture to the left fore after crossing the wire that is not considered life-threatening.
"(Unquestionable)'s obviously a lovely horse. We were looking forward to seeing him run," O'Brien said after his sixth Juvenile Turf win. "He's a very tough horse who we've always had a lot of faith in. Ryan gave him an unbelievable ride. He won very well in the end and I'm delighted. He did everything right in the preparations going into the race, so for him to go and win is brilliant."
Bred in France by C. Vitse, A. Vitse, V. Vitse, and G. Vitse, Unquestionable arrived in the United States off a runner-up finish by a length in the Oct. 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at Longchamp and was second by a nose two starts before that in the Railway Stakes (G2).
He now has two wins in six starts with earnings of $671,394.
Unquestionable, who inherited the role of favorite from his stablemate, broke from post 7 in the field of 11 and was third much of the way in the mile test on firm turf.
Air Recruit , a 21-1 shot, set the quick early fractions of :22.26 and :46.72 and was still battling in midstretch before retreating to seventh at the finish. My Boy Prince took a short-lived lead at the eighth pole but it wasn't long before Moore and the 3-2 favorite ($5) rushed past to cross the wire in 1:33.65 and give European-based trainers their 11th win in the 17 runnings of the Juvenile Turf.
Unquestionable gets the win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
"We go with the best horses at the time," said O'Brien who won last year's Juvenile Turf with Victoria Road and has 17 Breeders' Cup wins. "You need a horse that handles fast turf and has speed underneath him to handle a mile. You need good horses to win these races."
Mountain Bear, a son of No Nay Never owned by the Coolmore team of Magnier, Smith, and Tabor, rallied from 10th to take second by a head over My Boy Prince, a Cairo Prince colt trained by Mark Casse.
"It was a little fracture. It happens a lot. He'll be in a cast for four weeks. He's settled in back at the barn," O'Brien said about Mountain Bear. "He should be perfect."
Casse, who also trains fourth-place finisher Can Group , was pleased with the efforts of both of his starters.
"I'm proud of them both," he said. "They showed up and gave their best. It's tough to beat the Euros."
Casse said he would consider trying both horses on dirt next year.
"We've been known to do that," he said.
As for the scratch of River Tiber, O'Brien said he accepted what he was told by regulatory veterinarians.
"We were sorry to see him go out, but rules are rules. We thought he was ready to run, obviously the vets didn't and whatever the authorities decide, we accept that. There are going to be plenty of other days. We felt (Unquestionable) would be second to him," O'Brien said. "He was stiff this morning and I know I don't wake up the same every morning. In times gone by, you wouldn't bat an eye at it. But with all the hysteria and everything that's going on, no one wanted to take a chance. It is what it is. He'll be fine in the morning."
A son of the Sea The Stars mare Strawberry Lace, Unquestionable is her second foal and lone winner. He was bought for $348,705 from the Normandie Breeding consignment at the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.
Unquestionable's co-owner Michael Tabor, second from left, celebrates victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
Strawberry Lace also has a yearling and 2023 colt, both by Almanzor .