Found Among O'Brien's Breeders' Cup Possibles
Image:
Description:
Photo: Katsumi Saito
Found wins the 2016 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Found could be aimed for a repeat bid in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) following her runner-up finish to Almanzor in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (Eng-I) Oct. 15 on British Champions Day at Ascot, trainer Aidan O'Brien said.
Starting just 13 days after capturing the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), the daughter of Galileo was far from disgraced behind trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's Almanzor, to whom she also finished second in the Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I) last month.
LEWYN: Almanzor Handles Found in Champion Stakes
Found followed a similar path to the Breeders' Cup Turf last year at Keeneland and defeated Golden Horn, winner of the season's Arc and Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I).
Speaking to England's Press Association a day after British Champions Day, O'Brien said all his runners emerged in good order and should not be discounted for the Breeders' Cup Nov. 4-5 at Santa Anita Park.
"Don't rule any of them in or out of America, even Found, and we'll decide in seven or 10 days' time."
O'Brien's top performer on British Champions Day was his 3-year-old filly Minding, who defeated males in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-I), adding to her top-level victories this year in the Investec Epsom Oaks, QIPCO One Thousand Guineas, Qatar Nassau Stakes (all Eng-I), and Sea The Stars Pretty Polly (Ire-I).
LEWYN: Minding Tallies Seventh GI in QE II Stakes
"I'm hoping she's going to stay in training, so she probably won't be (racing) again," the trainer said.
Order of St George, winner of the Gold Cup (Eng-I) this spring, finished fourth in the British Champions Long Distance Cup (Eng-II), after a third in the Arc. O'Brien said if he were to race again this year, he would be sent for the the Prix Royal-Oak (Fr-I, French St. Leger) Oct. 23 at Saint-Cloud.
"That's probably too quick, so I'd imagine he'll be let off for the year," he said.
Epsom Derby (Eng-I) runner-up US Army Ranger finished eighth in the Champion Stakes, and Seventh Heaven finished fifth to Journey in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Eng-I).
"We might leave (US Army Ranger) to next year now. He ran better than his placing looked," O'Brien said.
And of Seventh Heaven he added: "The race was a bit messy. She might go to America for the (Breeders' Cup) Filly & Mare (Turf, gr. IT)."