Ballydoyle, Ultra Capture Juvenile Stakes
Description:
Coolmore's Ballydoyle and Godolphin's Ultra kicked off the Oct. 4 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe card at Longchamp with victories in the day's two stakes for 2-year-olds.
In the Marcel Boussac Criterium des Pouliches (Fr-I) for 2-year-old fillies, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier's Ballydoyle rallied from mid-pack in the stretch and gradually pulled away to earn her third win in four starts.
She covered the about one mile in 1:35.44 on good-to-firm turf. Turret Rocks was 1 1/4 lengths behind in second, with Qemah third.
Ballydoyle, by Galileo out of the Storm Cat mare Butterfly Cove, was bred in Ireland by March Thoroughbreds. She won her first two starts, including the Cancer Research Debutante Stakes (Ire-II), and then finished second to Minding in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-I).
"She gets over the ground very easily," jockey Ryan Moore said.
"The conditions suited her today," Paul Smith, son of Derrick Smith, said of what he called quicker ground at Longchamp. "She was impressive."
The Marcel Boussac offered a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT). Trainer Aidan O'Brien indicated Ballydoyle probably wouldn't make the trip.
"She could go to the Breeders' Cup, but if not, she's plenty done," he said.
Ultra, a colt by German-bred Manduro out of the Nashwan mare Epitome, just held off stablemate Cymic, a Kitten's Joy colt, to take the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere Grand Criterium (Fr-I) for trainer Andre Fabre and jockey Mickael Barzalona. Galileo Gold finished third.
The time for the about one mile was 1:37.27. The race offered a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT).
Ultra was bred in Ireland by Darley.