Gold Dream Punches Ticket to BC Classic

Katsumi Yoshida's 4-year-old Gold Dream (JPN) held off Best Warrior by a neck to win the one-mile, February Stakes (G1) Feb. 19 at Tokyo Racecourse and became the first horse to earn an automatic berth into the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) this year through the Breeders' Cup Challenge series.

Trained by Osamu Hirata and ridden by Mirco Demuro, Gold Dream demonstrated his aptitude and liking for the Tokyo dirt course as he marked his third victory out of four, which includes his first graded triumph in the Unicorn Stakes (G3) in June.

The Gold Allure colt was entered off a 12th-place finish in the December Champions Cup (G1) as the second choice, but displayed a sound and convincing performance Sunday to capture his first grade 1 win, paying tribute to his sire, who passed away the previous day.

It was the second top-level win for trainer Osamu Hirata, who claimed his first with Curren Black Hill in the 2012 NHK Mile Cup, while jockey Mirco Demuro notched his 19th top-level victory, his latest with Queens Ring in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup last season, and celebrated his second February Stakes title since his victory last year on board Moanin.

Before a crowd of 52,344, Gold Dream broke fairly from post 3 and was reserved in mid-division behind Best Warrior down the backstretch, as Incantation (JPN) headed the full field of 16 runners. The bunched-up field fanned out rounding the final turn to secure room for their stretch run and Gold Dream also floated out wide entering the lane in seventh to eighth but galloped confidently to pick off his tiring rivals one by one. He finally pinned the brief leader Nishiken Mononofu before the furlong pole, and held off a fast-closing Best Warrior by a neck for the win.

Gold Dream, bred by Northern farm, completed the mile in 1:35.10.

"In the Champions Cup, he broke poorly and was keen—he didn't stretch at all," Demuro said. "But today he was relaxed even after entering the track. His start was good, he was positioned well, and responded beautifully in the straight. He still had a lot left at the end."

Best Warrior, sent off fifth favorite, was also reserved in mid-pack but took an inner route making the final turns and was blocked behind horses in early stretch. However, the patient 7-year-old found a gap chasing Nishiken Mononofu, who pulled away in front of him two furlongs out, and unleashed a strong late run to threaten the winner for a neck second.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held this year for the first time at the Del Mar Nov. 3-4.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for the connections of Gold Dream to start in the Classic, and will also provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.