Golden Horn Ships in for BC Turf
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Photo: Caroline Norris
Golden Horn
All eyes will be drawn to the glitter of Golden Horn in the $3 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Keeneland Oct. 31.
Anthony Oppenheimer's 3-year-old colt by Cape Cross (IRE) has done nothing but dazzle throughout his campaign overseas and now intends to uphold the European tradition of waltzing away with the Turf trophy. In the 32 runnings of the 1 1/2-mile race, only eight North American-based horses have prevailed and one of those was in a dead head—Johar and High Chaparral (IRE) in 2003 at Santa Anita Park.
Despite having drawn the rail in the 12-horse field, trainer John Gosden is certainly bringing a monster with which to contend.
Golden Horn has won six of his seven starts. The only "blemish" on his record is having finished second by a neck to Arabian Queen in the group I Juddmonte International Stakes. Otherwise, Golden Horn has won decisively in the Investec Derby, the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, all group I races. If he wins the Turf, the colt will be the first complete the Arc/Turf double.
A strong continent of American-based runners will do their best to break with tradition, led by multiple grade I winner Big Blue Kitten, who double-qualified for the Turf by winning the United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) at Monmouth Park and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) at Belmont Park. The Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred is a 7-year-old son of the Ramsey's homebred stallion Kitten's Joy . He will be breaking from post 7. Since 2014, Big Blue Kitten has raced 10 times and only finished worse than second once. This year he has won three times (all in graded stakes) and finished second twice.
Trained by Chad Brown, Big Blue Kitten last worked at Belmont Oct. 17, when he went four furlongs in :48.74.
The other American contenders are quite familiar with one another.
Midwest Thoroughbreds' homebred star The Pizza Man defeated Big Blue Kitten and his stablemate Shining Copper on his way to become the first Illinois-bred to win the Arlington Million XXXIII (gr. IT). The 6-year-old son of English Channel will be breaking from the outside in post 10, which should not bother since he comfortable taking back and making a big run a the end. In the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) Oct. 3 at Keeneland, he tracked at the back or near the back for most of the race, then flew down the stretch to finish second by neck to Grand Arch, who is running in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT). English Channel won the Turf in 2007.
Slumber, owned by the partnership of Michael Dubb, Sheep Pond Partners, and Bethlehem Stable, defeated Big Blue Kitten in the Manhattan Stakes (gr. IT) on the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) undercard. The Irish-bred son of Cacique would later finish second to Big Blue Kitten in both the United Nations and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. He will break from post 4.
Finishing third in both United Nations and Turf Classic, has been West Point Thoroughbreds' Twilight Eclipse. A 6-year-old son of Purim trained by Tom Albertrani, Twilight Eclipse has won or placed in 16 graded stakes. He captured the Man O' War Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont in May.
The grade/group I contenders also include South American challenger Ordak Dan, an Argentina-bred son of Hidden Truth who is raced by Luis and Eduardo Erro's Stud Misterio. Ordak Dan had a half-mile maintenance work Oct. 26 and will break from the far outside in post 12.
Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT)
Keeneland, Saturday, October 31, 2015, Race 10
- 1 1/2m
- Turf
- $3,000,000
- 3 yo's & up
- 4:50 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Golden Horn (GB) | Lanfranco Dettori | 122 | John H. M. Gosden | 4/5 |
| 2 | 2Shining Copper (KY) | Luis Saez | 126 | Chad C. Brown | 20/1 |
| 3 | 3Big John B (FL) | Rafael Bejarano | 126 | Philip D'Amato | 30/1 |
| 4 | 4Slumber (GB) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 126 | Chad C. Brown | 8/1 |
| 5 | 5Da Big Hoss (KY) | Jose L. Ortiz | 126 | Michael J. Maker | 30/1 |
| 6 | 6Twilight Eclipse (KY) | Joel Rosario | 126 | Thomas Albertrani | 20/1 |
| 7 | 7Big Blue Kitten (KY) | Joe Bravo | 126 | Chad C. Brown | 8/1 |
| 8 | 8Cage Fighter (FL) | Joshua Navarro | 126 | James L. Lawrence, II | 30/1 |
| 9 | 9Found (IRE) | Ryan L. Moore | 119 | Aidan P. O'Brien | 8/1 |
| 10 | 10The Pizza Man (IL) | Florent Geroux | 126 | Roger A. Brueggemann | 15/1 |
| 11 | 11Red Rifle (KY) | Javier Castellano | 126 | Todd A. Pletcher | 10/1 |
| 12 | 12Ordak Dan (ARG) | Jorge Antonio Ricardo | 126 | Juan Carlos Etchechoury | 30/1 |