Mondialiste Likely for Breeders' Cup Turf

Mondialiste, winner of the Aug. 13 Arlington Million (gr. IT), is likely to bypass a rematch with champion Tepin in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park in favor of a start in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), trainer David O'Meara told Great British Racing International.

Mondialiste finished second to Tepin in the 2015 edition of the Mile and chased the reigning champion turf female again when he ran 11th behind the daughter of Bernstein in the June 14 Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot. The 6-year-old son of Galileo is a grade I winner over eight furlongs, having captured the 2015 Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (Can-IT), but also won the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million in an impressive final time of 2:01.87.

"When he won the Arlington Million back in August he clocked the third-fastest time in the last 10 years, so the ground was pretty quick and a similar surface at Santa Anita will hold no fears for him," O'Meara said. "We are leaning toward stepping him up to a mile-and-a-half for the Breeders' Cup Turf rather than going again in the Mile. It's a very fast mile and a half at Santa Anita, beginning in a chute, which is part of the sprint course, so I think that will suit him fine."

Owned by Geoff and Sandra Turnbull, Mondialiste most recently finished fourth in the Oct. 8 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by expected Mile runner Miss Temple City.

Mondialiste's stablemate Suedois, a group III winner in France, is also entered in the Breeders' Cup Mile but is more likely to run in Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT), according to O'Meara.