Porta Fortuna an International Success for Partners

Purchased privately out of her maiden win last year by a partnership of Americans, Porta Fortuna  has taken her connections on the ride of the lifetime—from the riches of Royal Ascot to the salty shores of Del Mar. The 3-year-old filly, arguably one of the best of her sex in Europe, faces her tallest task yet in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) Nov. 2.

"When we bought her last year the goal was that she was good enough to make Ascot, that was the primary thing," said Phillip Shelton, racing manager of Medallion Racing. Trained by Donnacha O'Brien, Porta Fortuna is owned jointly by Medallion, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Barry Fowler.

"And then we said after Ascot we're just going to regroup and see what makes the most sense," Shelton said. "We thought maybe we had a Breeders' Cup filly when we won at Ascot. Then we ran in the Breeders' Cup and made the decision to keep running her in Europe where there was more opportunity. And she's gotten even better this year."

After capturing the 2023 Albany Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot, Porta Fortuna placed in two group 1 contests before landing the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket. From there, it was onto the Breeders' Cup, where the daughter of Caravaggio  battled gamely in between rivals late to miss by a half-length to Hard to Justify  in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).

Since that effort, Porta Fortuna has won all but one of her four starts this year in Europe, including her last three, all in group 1 company. Opening her season with a narrow runner-up finish in the One Thousand Guineas (G1), Porta Fortuna soared to the top of her division with her second Royal Ascot win in the Coronation Stakes (G1) and a 3 3/4-length romp in the Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket.

In her final tune-up before the Breeders' Cup, the mile specialist handily defeated older mares for the first time in the Sept. 14 Matron Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown.

One of several Euro contenders in the field, Porta Fortuna enters with the advantage of having endured the lengthy ship and quarantine over to California last year. She also arrives with the added bonus of having raced in the United States, navigating tighter turns and a firmer turf course than most Europeans are accustomed to overseas.

Shelton believes Porta Fortuna gained a great deal of education from her first stateside appearance.

"Last year talking to (jockey) Oisin (Murphy) after the race, he felt like she was a little inexperienced going around the bend. She just ran in the Matron which was a left-handed bend and then she ran in last year's Breeders' Cup so we're hoping that touch of experience now will help," Shelton said.

"She likes the firm ground. I know Notable Speech will likely be favored, and he likes the firm ground too," Shelton said.

Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Notable Speech  stamped his ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a scintillating victory over older rivals in the July 31 Sussex Stakes (G1).

"She's going to have to run the race of her life but we feel like American racing suits her. She has a high cruising speed," Shelton said. "In Europe, she generally runs pretty close to the pace but in the One Thousand Guineas she was 13th of 17 early and still showed a big closing kick. But I just think getting that good position early is critically important for her."

Porta Fortuna is scheduled to make one final breeze in Ireland over the weekend before shipping to Del Mar. While the Mile may be the filly's toughest test yet, Shelton said it will not be her last trip to the starting gate.

"The plan at this point is to run next year. After the Breeders' Cup, she'll get a break and we'd like to target a win at Royal Ascot for the third year in a row," Shelton said.

"Our partners don't take it for granted how hard it is to get horses to the level that she's at. Right now our goal is to have as much fun as we can have with her assuming she's happy and healthy."

Fierceness Posts Final Work ahead of Breeders' Cup Classic

Repole Stable's multiple grade 1-winning homebred Fierceness  logged his final preparations over the Oklahoma dirt training track the morning of Oct. 25 at Saratoga Race Course as he readies for a start in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

The City of Light   colt worked a half-mile in :48.98 in company, according to New York Racing Association clockers. Fierceness, under regular exercise rider Danny Wright, started slightly behind his workmate, before drawing up on the outside nearing the lane to finish in front at the wire, galloping out the five furlongs in 1:02 1/5.

"It was another good breeze from him. He is pretty consistent with the way he goes every time. He appears to be doing it effortlessly," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "I was happy with the way the breeze went and the way he's been doing."

The reigning champion 2-year-old male has once again risen to the top of his division with wins in the Travers Stakes (G1), Florida Derby (G1), and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2).

"It's hard to imagine him training any better than he did from the Jim Dandy to the Travers, but I would say he has been every bit as good, if not better," Pletcher said. "It seems like he's put on some weight and filled out a bit since the Travers as well—you always love to see that with a 3-year-old in the fall."

In addition to Fierceness, other Breeders' Cup contenders breezing Friday at the Spa included grade 1 winner Far Bridge  and the Saffie Joseph Jr-trained duo of Skippylongstocking  and Batucada .

LSU Stables' Far Bridge, arguably the U.S.'s best hope in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), breezed five furlongs in 1:02.11 on the turf training track for Christophe Clement. The improving son of English Channel is coming off back-to-back grade 1 victories in the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T).

Multiple graded stakes winner Skippylongstocking, second to Tapit Trice  in the Woodward Stakes (G2) last time out, worked a half-mile in a bullet :47.93 in company with grade 3-winning juvenile filly The Queens M G . Joseph confirmed to the Daily Racing Form Friday that Skippylongstocking, pre-entered in both the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the Classic, would target the Dirt Mile with the recent defection of likely race favorite National Treasure  .

Batucada, a gallant runner-up in the Beldame Stakes (G2) to Raging Sea  at 22-1 odds, impressed enough for connections to pre-enter the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) while also eyeing the one-mile Bayakoa Stakes (G3) on that day's undercard. Batucada breezed a half-mile in :48.20 on the Oklahoma. 

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Contender May Day Ready Works at Belmont

KatieRich Stables' undefeated May Day Ready  worked a half-mile in :49.60 Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track in preparation for a start in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).

Trained by Joe Lee, the Tapit   filly will look to parlay her Breeders' Cup Challenge Series nose score in the Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland to a first Breeders' Cup win for the conditioner with his first starter. Frankie Dettori, aboard for all three starts, will retain the mount at Del Mar.

May Day Ready, with her regular exercise rider Yosuke Ito up, worked head-and-head this morning to the outside of the Luis Cardenas-piloted maiden Change Your Name .

"She backed up to the seven-eighths and galloped to the half-mile pole. They were basically head-and-head the whole way," Lee said. "It was a good work, and I was happy with that."

Mullikin Heads Breeders' Cup Hopefuls Breezing Friday at Keeneland

For trainer Rodolphe Brisset, Forego Stakes (G1) winner and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) contender Mullikin  worked a half-mile in :47 3/5 in company with World Record  Friday morning at Keeneland.

"That is what we were looking for—nothing fancy," Brisset said. "He did it very easily with his regular exercise rider (Pedro Alvarez). We are where we need to be."

Winner of his past four races, including the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) in July at the Belmont at the Big A meet, Mullikin is owned by Siena Farm and WinStar Farm.

Earlier Friday, BBN Racing's undefeated Kilwin , winner of the $998,550 Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs in September, covered a half-mile in :48 3/5 under exercise rider Karine Continaud.

"The work was fine," trainer Rusty Arnold said of the filly, a contender for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. "Very smooth, no issues. Nice, easy half. She did her major work last week. Today was just to keep her in good shape. We weren't looking for anything spectacular, just a maintenance work."

Arnold was pleased with how Bregman Family Racing's Totally Justified  (also pre-entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf) came out of her Oct. 24 work. The daughter of Justify   clocked a half-mile in :50 2/5 on the main track.

"She galloped this morning," Arnold said about the runner-up in the Jessamine Stakes last time out. "She was so full of energy that we didn't even give her a day off. She went back to the track and was happy."

Getaway Car, Pleasant Breeze for Baffert at Santa Anita

Getaway Car  and Pleasant , both pre-entered in next week's Breeders' Cup, recorded timed workouts for trainer Bob Baffert Friday morning at Santa Anita Park.

Getaway Car, pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), went five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. Pleasant, pre-entered in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), worked five furlongs from the gate in :59 4/5. Pleasant's work was the fifth fastest of 37 at the distance.

A winner of the Best Pal Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, Getaway Car was most recently second to stablemate Citizen Bull  in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) when making his two-turn debut Oct. 5 at Santa Anita.

Pleasant will be making her stakes debut in the Filly & Mare Sprint. A homebred for Juddmonte, the 4-year-old Munnings   filly most recently returned from a 13-month layoff and romped by five lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claimer at Los Alamitos Race Course Sept. 22.