Gosden, Dettori Reflect on Breeders' Cups Past

Trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori stand on the cusp of history in the quest for an unprecedented group/grade 1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-Breeders' Cup double—but it was the landmark defeats that lingered when they graced Churchill Downs the morning of Oct. 31.

While both men have contributed some of the most awesome European-themed triumphs at the Breeders' Cup, on their arrival in Louisville they seemed eager to lay to rest a few ghosts of Cups past.

After being reunited with his brilliant dual Arc partner Enable on the turf course, Dettori was his typical effusive self.

"Every time I ride her, I feel emotional," Dettori said of the exceptional 4-year-old and Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) entrant. "It's not every day you sit on a horse of this magnitude or of this brilliance. Everybody in Europe knows how good she is, so if she can come here and conquer America, it would be something amazing."

Dettori has already ridden four Breeders' Cup winners at Churchill Downs, including his first aboard Barathea in the 1994 Mile (G1T), while he and Gosden plundered the only British-trained winner of the Classic (G1) when Raven's Pass triumphed a decade ago on the pro-ride surface at Santa Anita Park.

However, as Enable vies to succeed where eight others have failed in the same calendar year, the shadows cast by vanquished heroes of years gone by were to the fore.

Gosden and Dettori were thwarted in the same Arc-Breeders' Cup Turf attempt when Golden Horn was denied by Found in wet conditions at Keeneland in 2015.

At Belmont Park in 2001, Sakhee fell a nose short of Tiznow  in an epic Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) under Dettori, who was also aboard Swain when he fell short in the 1998 Classic at Churchill Downs.

"I tried with Sakhee in the Classic, and in the Turf with Golden Horn, I got beat because of rain," Dettori said. "I am going to try again. Unfortunately, Enable can't speak our language, so we can only look at her, and she looks fine. The good thing is, she is relatively fresh, and I just hope for the world that the real Enable turns up, and she can show the world how great she can be."

On the matter of her well-being, Gosden expressed himself pleased with the daughter of Nathaniel.

"She has had a clear run since the Arc," he said. "Obviously, she took a little longer to come out of the Arc, which would be understandable, as she'd not gone in there 100%, but I've been pleased with her since."

Asked about the poor record of those who had tried the Arc-Breeders' Cup double—Found being the latest to fall short in the Turf at Santa Anita in 2016, having also finished second in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) in between—Gosden seemed sanguine.

"Golden Horn was the best horse in the race (in 2015), and he ran valiantly in the most appalling ground I've ever seen," he said of the Keeneland reversal.

"I think if it had been normal ground, he'd have won by three lengths, and he'd have blown that stat."

Gosden wouldn't be drawn on whether Khalid Abdullah's star might stay in training next season. However, he did suggest that he'd rather she was tackling the Turf on the back of her 2017 ascent.

"I'd have preferred to have brought her here off the campaign of last year, which was absolutely smooth, and she had won five group 1s," he said. "I'd like to have come here on the crest of the wave. She comes here fresh, but she has not had an easy year."

Conditions on the turf track were said by the Churchill Downs track superintendent Jamie Richardson to never get "really soft," although that theory will be put to the test after heavy rain began to fall from midday Wednesday.

The morning Wednesday was bright and mild, but, with the forecast as it was, Dettori substituted aboard Roaring Lion for Oisin Murphy—who arrived midmorning—as Gosden was eager to put his Classic contender through the stalls before the track got wet.

Gosden sounded a minor note of caution in relation to Roaring Lion's Classic participation, warning that a repeat of the deluge that marred the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) would give him and the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) victor's Qatar Racing owners cause to reconsider.

"I have said to the owners, 'Cast your mind back to the Kentucky Derby,'" he said of the colt, who got quite sweaty on what was a muggy morning Wednesday. "If it was like that, he would not run, but we should have a sunny day Saturday and an overcast day on Friday.

"I couldn’t be more thrilled with the horse. If it was a mile and a quarter on turf, he’d beat anything. They’re so fast from the gate, the American horses, you don’t think you are going to be anything but off the pace.

"The problem is the dirt in their face. They are not used to it. He is drawn down in 2, so he is going to see a lot of dirt coming back at him from there."