Road to the Breeders’ Cup: Three Heating Up, Three Cooling Down

Legatissimo (above) glided to victory in the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 12 to punch her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, for which she figures to be an overwhelming favorite. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
A capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and three horses whose Breeders’ Cup chances are not quite as strong as they were a week or two ago. There was no shortage of key races from last weekend, so there are a few extra names in both sections ...
Heating Up

1. Legatissimo     

Eclipse Sportswire 

The Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf became considerably tougher on Saturday and Legatissimo overwhelmed the opposition in the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes (VIDEO) at Leopardstown on Sept. 12 and subsequently was confirmed for the Breeders’ Cup by trainer David Wachman. Let’s make this simple: Legatissimo is a star. She has four wins and two seconds in her last six races this season, including a classic win in the one-mile QIPCO One Thousand Guineas in May and a runner-up finish by a nose in the 1 ½-mile Investec Epsom Oaks that showed her versatility. After a somewhat disappointing second by a nose in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, Legatissimo bounced back with consecutive dominant performances in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes and the Group 1 Matron. She’s fast enough to romp at a mile and has enough stamina to win at 1 ¼ miles, so the 1 3/16-mile Filly and Mare Turf should be right in her sweet spot. She is by a fantastic miler in Danehill Dancer and her dam (mother) is a full-sister (same dam and sire [father]) to 2009 Irish Derby victory Fame And Glory. British bookmakers have her listed at less than even-money for the race, and Wachman was effusive in his praise for Legatissimo after the Matron. “She is probably the best I’ve ever trained at this stage,” winning trainer David Wachman told Racing Post. “She has been so good all year and this was probably her best performance.” 

2. Dothraki Queen      

Photo by NYRA 

Did I really pick a horse for this blog based on her being named for a fictional character who aims to rule the seven kingdoms as the “Mother of Dragons”? Of course not, but I'm not going to lie and say it didn’t help just a little bit. The reality is Dothraki Queen delivered a true breakout performance in the Grade 2 Pochahontas Stakes on Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs. After a seven-length runaway win in her debut on turf at Ellis Park in July that earned an uninspiring 67 Equibase Speed Figure, Dothraki Queen charged from off the pace to win the Pochahontas for trainer Ken McPeek. The 88 Equibase Speed Figure was a nice improvement with the switch to dirt and earned Dothraki Queen an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. “She’s a really brave filly. When you’re in the barn with her, she’s extremely intelligent; she’s a little bit mean which I like,” McPeek said. “She’s always done everything right. I wasn’t so sure she would take to the dirt the way she would the turf but we’re thrilled.” With wins and a mile and 1 1/16 miles on turf and dirt, the future looks extremely bright for Dothraki Queen. She is out of the winning Saint Ballado mare Sharaiji Blossom, a half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to 2002 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Electronic Unicorn, Canadian champion Ambitious Cat and 1997 Kentucky Oaks winner Blushing K. D.

3. Casse Turf 2-year-oldsCatch a Glimpse    

Eclipse Sportswire
Conquest Daddyo

Eclipse Sportswire

Mark Casse is an elite trainer in North America who always seems to have a deep, talented group of 2-year-olds, so it came as no surprise that he enjoyed a big day at Woodbine on Saturday with his juvenile runners on the turf. Casse runners Catch a Glimpse and Conquest Daddyo punched their tickets to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course with victories in the Natalma and Summer Stakes, respectively. The Natalma is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series race for the Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Summer Stakes serves as a “Win and You’re In” race for the Juvenile Turf. Both victories were impressive, but I came away thinking that Catch a Glimpse could be more formidable in the Breeders’ Cup than her stablemate. After a fifth-place finish in her career debut on the main dirt track at Saratoga Race Course, Catch a Glimpse won a seven-furlong turf race at Woodbine in front-running fashion to earn an 82 Equibase Speed Figure. She led from start to finish in the Natalma as well and improved her speed figure to a 96. The turf at Keeneland seems to favor horses who come from off the pace, but the turf in Canada in September could be very similar to the condition of the turf at Keeneland in late October for the Breeders’ Cup. Catch a Glimpse also has a very nice pedigree. She’s by City Zip out of multiple stakes winner and stakes producer Halo River, by Irish River. “She always looked like she’d probably be headed to the turf with her pedigree and she proved us right,” said Jeff Begg, part-owner of Catch a Glimpse, after the Natalma. “[The Breeders’ Cup is] in Kentucky this year, there’s a good chance the turf will be similar to today with a little give and she obviously liked it.” Conquest Daddyo improved upon a runner-up finish in the Vandal Stakes — a three-quarter-mile sprint on the synthetic main track at Woodbine — with an off-the-pace victory by 1 ¾ lengths in the Summer Stakes that earned him a career-best 89 Equibase Speed Figure. His running style should suit the grass at Keeneland, and he’s shown he can handle a little give in the ground should there be rain in Central Kentucky in late October.

Honorable Mention: Sentiero Italia

NYRA photo

Sentiero Italia came out of nowhere—she was unraced at two—to become arguably the best 3-year-old filly on the grass (still in training) in the United States. After a distant seventh-place finish in her career debut, Sentiero Italia has won four of five starts. A half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to Grade 1 winner Ashkal Way, she finished a solid fourth behind Lady Eli in her stakes debut in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes before a career-best performance in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes, in which she powered clear in the stretch to win by 1 ¼ lengths and post a career-top 116 Equibase Speed Figure. She confirmed her elite ability with another convincing victory in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes on Sept. 12 at Belmont Park. The 111 Equibase Speed Figure was a slight regression but she won by an easy 3 ¾ lengths in a race that should leave some gas in the tank for her expected next start in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes on Oct. 10 at Keeneland. If the Medaglia d’Oro filly was definitely targeting the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Sentiero Italia might have cracked the top three on this list. For now, she checks in with an honorable mention. “She just continues to impress. So professional and she just gives everybody so much confidence. I think she’s still climbing the ladder in getting better,” said Jimmy Bell, racing manager of owner Godolphin Stable. “As much as her performances have impressed us, she's very mentally focused and very strong. We love her mental outlook. She's a lamb around the barn, but she's all business at the track.”

Also of Note: Mondialiste (below) and Strut the Course

Let’s not overlook the two Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge series performances from Sept. 13 at Woodbine. Mondialiste was incredibly impressive in winning the Grade 1, $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes in his North American debut. He reeled in Grade 1 winner Lea deep in the stretch to prevail by a half-length and posted a 118 Equibase Speed Figure that stamps him a legitimate player for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Strut the Course also looked strong in winning the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes that earned her a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Problem is, the connections of both horses sounded lukewarm at best about sending them to Keeneland Race Course for the Breeders’ Cup. Mondialiste is headed back to Europe with trainer David O’Meara. “Today was the big race that we had in mind, stepping up to Group 1 level,” O’Meara said after the Woodbine Mile. “The Breeders' Cup will be under consideration, but we'll just take the horse home and see how he is. We thought we’d come here with the long straight and the big track. I'm not quite sure whether Keeneland would suit him as well.” Trainer Barbara Minshall said she might just prefer to keep Strut the Course at Woodbine, her home track, and target the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes on Oct. 18. “I have to talk to the owner [about the Breeders’ Cup],” Minshall said. “I am not sure. The E.P. Taylor looks pretty tempting here, but we’ll talk about it.” Stay tuned, both Mondialiste and Strut the Course could be interesting if they wind up at Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup.  

Cooling Down

1. Wise Dan 

Eclipse Sportswire

I could not let this opportunity pass to pay homage to one of the great horses of my lifetime. Last week marked the retirement of future Hall of Famer Wise Dan, a two-time Horse of the Year who was targeting a return in the Woodbine Mile Stakes before a tendon injury halted the comeback. Wise Dan most likely would have been the heavy favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Mile had he reached the race with a solid race under his saddle, having won that race twice en route to Horse of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013. I dabbled with dropping him down to second or third on this list since he hadn’t raced in nearly a year, but Wise Dan doesn’t do second. He won each of his last 14 races on grass and when he becomes eligible for the Racing Hall of Fame, voters will have a slam-dunk decision. A six-time Eclipse Award winner, Wise Dan won 11 Grade 1 races in his career with at least one stakes victory every year he raced. His presence will be missed on the racetrack and at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, but Wise Dan’s legacy will last forever in horse racing’s history books.

2. Just Wicked    

Eclipse Sportswire 

When Just Wicked, a gray or roan filly by leading sire Tapit, streaked to a 1 ¼-length win in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes for her second straight victory, she jumped to the top of the 2-year-old filly division. The 101 Equibase Speed Figure she earned in the Adirondack is tied for the second-best among 2-year-olds fillies in stakes competition this year. Sent off as the overwhelming 1-to-2 favorite in the Grade 2 Pochahontas Stakes on Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs, Just Wicked looked to be positioned ideally approaching the stretch but came up empty when asked to accelerate and finished fourth, beaten by six lengths. The biggest concern here is that this was her first time stretching out beyond a sprint and she did not display the same explosiveness at 1 1/16 miles that she did in the 6 ½-furlong Adirondack. Based on pedigree, at first glance you would think stretching out in distance should not be an issue. Tapit’s runners tend to excel at a mile or 1 1/16 miles and her dam’s sire, Harlan’s Holiday, was a three-time Grade 1 winner at 1 1/8 miles. But Just Wicked’s dam (mother), Wicked Deed, was a pure sprinter who won a stakes race at three-quarters of a mile. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still hope that Just Wicked might be fine in longer races and she just came up a little short in her first attempt trying something new. But she went from one of the top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to one with something to prove in her final prep before the World Championships.

3. Leopardstown Trio
(Gleneagles pictured below)

Eclipse Sportswire

Last weekend was QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes weekend at Leopardstown, with a number of key races that could have a major impact on the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, including three “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series races. The only winner from the three races that appears destined for Keeneland on Oct. 30-31 is the aforementioned star filly Legatissimo. But there were three others I was watching closely that might now be less likely to deliver, or even show up, at the Breeders’ Cup. Gleneagles is unbeaten in three starts this year with classic wins in England and Ireland, and his reported fall target is the Breeders’ Cup Classic. For the second time in a row, Gleneagles was scratched from a race because the ground did not suit him. Gleneagles likes his turf firm and rain softened the Leopardstown grass to the point that his connections opted not to send him to the starting gate. Gleneagles is a proven, brilliant miler, but if he’s going to compete with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, two-time champion Beholder, freaky fast Liam’s Map and elite runners Honor Code and Keen Ice going 1 ¼ miles on the dirt, Gleneagles needs to build some racing foundation rather quickly. His last race was June 16. I’d love to see him here in Lexington in October, but let’s get a race in Gleneagles sooner rather than later or his chances could evaporate. Also on the card, 2014 Beverly D. Stakes winner Euro Charline was a bit headstrong early and faded late in the Matron Stakes, very similar to her performance in this year’s Beverly D. Euro Charline is an elite talent, better than her fifth-place finish in the Matron and fourth in this year’s Beverly D. would indicate, but she seems to be extremely difficult to control. I remained hopeful that we would see Secretariat Stakes winner Highland Reel return to the U.S. for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, even though his connections had mapped out a different agenda that included a trip to Australia. My hunch is that a fifth-place finish in the Irish Champion Stakes did not help the chances of a return. Too bad, I think improving 3-year-olds are often extremely dangerous in the Turf, especially ones like Highland Reel that have shown a fondness for the firmer turf usually found in the U.S. 

Racing Terms
Allowance race – A race for which the racing secretary drafts certain conditions to determine weights to be carried based on the horse’s age, sex and/or past performance.
Also-eligible – A horse officially entered for a race, but not permitted to start unless the field is reduced by scratches below a specified number.
Apprentice – A rider who has not ridden a certain number of winners within a specified period of time. Also known as a “bug,” from the asterisk used to denote the weight allowance such riders receive.
Blinkers – A cup-shaped device that limits a horse’s vision. Blinkers, often used to try to improve a horse’s focus, come in a variety of sizes and shapes to allow as little or as much vision as the trainer feels is necessary.
Bullet – The fastest workout of the day at a track at a particular distance.
Claiming race – A race in which each horse entered is eligible to be purchased at a set price.
Closer – A horse that runs best in the latter part of the race, coming from off the pace.
Connections – Persons identified with a horse, such as owner, trainer, jockey and stable employees.
Disqualification – Change in order of finish by stewards for an infraction of the rules.
Dam – The mother of a horse.
Entry – Two or more horses with common ownership that are paired as a single betting unit in one race.
Front-runner – A horse whose running style is to attempt to get on or near the lead at the start of the race and to continue there as long as possible.
Furlong – An eighth of a mile.
Graded race – A non-restricted race with added money or guaranteed purse value of $100,000 or more which has been run at least twice under similar conditions and on the same surface and has been assigned graded status for the year contested by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
Handicap – This race type refers to a race where the weights are assigned by the track’s racing secretary or handicapper based upon past performances.
Length – A measurement approximating the length of a horse, used to denote distance between horses in a race.
Off track – A track that has a wet surface and isn’t labeled as “fast”.
Pacesetter – The horse that is running in front (on the lead).
Past performances – A horse’s racing record, earnings, bloodlines and other data, presented in composite form.
Prep – A workout (or race) used to prepare a horse for a future engagement.
Post Parade – Horses going from paddock to starting gate past the stands. The post parade provides spectators with a chance to get a final look at the horse before the race.
Post Position – Position of stall in starting gate from which a horse begins a race.
Rabbit – A speed horse running as an entry with another, usually a come-from-behind horse. The rabbit is expected to set a fast pace to help the chances of its stablemate.
Rank – A horse that refuses to settle under a jockey’s handling in a race, running in a headstrong manner without respect to pace.
Scratch – To be taken out of a race before it starts.
Silks – Jacket and cap worn by jockeys.
Sire – Father of a foal.
Stakes – A race for which the owner usually must pay a fee to run a horse. The fees can be for nominating, maintaining eligibility, entering and starting, to which the track adds more money to make up the total purse. Some stakes races are by invitation and require no payment or fee.