Argentine Star Indy Point to Prep for Breeders' Cup Turf in John Henry

Indy Point winning the Wickerr Stakes with Gary Stevens (Photos courtesy of Benoit & Associates).
 
Argentine Star Indy Point to Prep for Breeders' Cup Turf in John Henry

Racing manager John Fulton said Sept. 16 that Gus May-Fer’s Indy Point is a candidate for the second running of the $150,000 John Henry Turf Championship on Sept 29.

The John Henry, going 1 1/4 miles on turf, is a prep race for the $3 million Breeders´ Cup Turf on Nov. 2.

Indy Point was impressive when winning his United States debut in the Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar on July 24. But, the horse came back to finish last as the favorite in the Arlington Million on Aug. 17.
He subsequently breezed one mile on the turf on Sept. 20 at Santa Anita Park in 1:39.60, the fastest time among three workouts at that distance.

"There is a good chance that he will run on the 29th as he is doing very well," Fulton said. "He is eligible for the Breeders´ Cup. If he runs big, the Breeders´ Cup Turf would be the most likely option, but that will be discussed between me, Richard Mandella and the owner, Felipe Lovisi.”

Fulton, who saddled two Breeders’ Cup starters as a trainer in the late 1980s, will be at Santa Anita from Sept. 26 through Oct. 1 to check in on Indy Point, who he manages for Lovisi.

Indy Point is the second-highest ranked Thoroughbred from South America with a 118 rating, one point below 2012 Carlos Pellegrini winner Going Somewhere. Going Somewhere was most recently a creditable fourth in the Qatar Prix Foy on Sept. 15 at Longchamp to Japanese Triple Crown champion and 2012 Arc de Triomphe runner-up Orfevre. He has won six of 14 starts, including three Group 1 victories in Argentina last year, with earnings of $569,061.

Indy Point´s performance in the Wickerr and his past South American form, which included capturing two-thirds of the Argentine Triple Crown, suggests his potential will be seen in the John Henry. The colt also finished second in the prestigious Carlos Pellegrini at about 1 1/2 miles on the turf as the favorite in South America’s signature race last December.

Should Indy Point run big in the John Henry he could become one of the first Argentine-breds, along with Argentine Breeders´ Cup challenge winner Ordak Dan, to take part in the Breeders´ Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park.

Indy Point’s trainer Richard Mandella, a member of the Racing Hall of Fame and well known for having been instrumental in developing several South American talents into top-level winners, is no stranger to Breeders’ Cup Turf success, having won the Turf at Santa Anita Park with Horse of the Year Kotashaan in 1993 and with Johar 10 years later.

Mandella made racing history in 2003 when he won four of eight Breeders´ Cup races, arguably the sport’s greatest single-day achievement. Ten years earlier, Mandella won four stakes on Breeders´ Cup day at Santa Anita Park. With so many Breeders’ Cup successes at home for Mandella, Indy Point’s connections can dream of a winner’s circle celebration this year.

Another encouraging element to Indy Point’s chances heading into the John Henry and potentially a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf is jockey Gary Stevens, whose return to riding at 50 has been a happy revival of his Hall of Fame career. Stevens who guided Johar to a dead-heat victory in the 2003 Turf, has won the Breeders' Cup Turf twice and ranks among the top ten leading Breeders' Cup jockeys with eight wins and $13,723,910 in earnings.

Mandella was magic in 2003. Will the magic return in 2013? Indy Point has the call. The lights, the stage and the audience are waiting.