The second day of Breeders’ Cup races at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY. sees the first Breeders’ Cup race take place as the fourth on the card at 4:35am AEDT. In all US$21 million (AU$21.888 million) will be on offer in the nine Breeders’ Cup races with five on dirt and four on turf.
Oleksandra leads Australian connections in Turf Sprint
The second Breeders’ Cup race of the day, the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint has a homegrown runner in Animal Kingdom’s (USA) Grade 1 winner Oleksandra. Spending the early part of her career in Australia, Oleksandra made the move north in 2018 and has thrived in the US with seven victories. That group includes the G1 Jaipur S. for breeder Team Valour in June, the last time she was seen in a race. Oleksandra’s dam is South African Group 2 winner Alexandra Rose (SAF) (Caesour {USA}), who also produced Redoute’s Choice’s Listed-placed Hostwin Galaxy. Alexandra Rose has a 2-year-old full brother to Oleksandra named Prince Alexander in training with Archie Alexander and had a filly by Coolmore’s Mendelssohn (USA) in August. Two days after running in the Breeders’ Cup, Oleksandra will join Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) and Houtzen (I Am Invincible) as offerings going through the ring during Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale as Lot 81.
If Leinster (USA) (Majestic Warrior {USA}) wins the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday, it will be the third time in four years a son of Vassar (USA) (Royal Academy {USA}) has won the race. The 5-year-old horse is a half-brother to Vassar’s two time Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal (USA) (Stormy Atlantic {USA}), who was also US Turf Champion in 2018. The trio hails from the family of G3 Sky High winner Master Of Wine (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), multiple Australian Group winner Francis Of Assisi (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and G1 Caulfield Cup third Cliffsofmoher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Master Of Wine is currently representing the family in Australia, heading to the spelling paddock after his G1 Cox Plate run for Team Hawkes last month.
War Of Will hoping third time’s the charm in Dirt Mile
Dual surface Grade 1 winner War Of Will (USA) (War Front {USA}) looks to go out on a high note with a victory in the G1 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Last year’s G1 Preakness winner is extremely familiar with Breeders’ Cup races, running in the Juvenile Turf in 2018 and the Classic last year, and makes his first start of the year on dirt in this race. War Of Will’s family is no stranger to Australia with his dam a half-sister to G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and successful sire Spinning World (USA). Another one of her siblings includes the dam of Australian Group 3 winner Global Balance (Redoute’s Choice).
Australian pages look to get boost in Filly and Mare Turf
G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looks to give an even bigger boost to her full brother Yulong Emperor (Ire) when she competes in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Saturday. Imported to Australia after a few wins in Ireland, Yulong Emperor is currently spelling for trainer Nathan Dunn.
More Than Ready’s (USA) dominant daughter Rushing Fall (USA) makes one final run in this race before heading to Fasig-Tipton to sell Sunday night. One of three stakes horses for dam Autumnal (USA) (Forestry {USA}), Rushing Fall looks to become only the 22nd horse to win multiple Breeders’ Cup races after winning the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf as a 2-year-old.
American Pharoah (USA) looks for his second Breeders’ Cup winner on Saturday when his Grade 1-winning daughter Harvey’s Lil Goil (USA) lines up here. One of three winners for her dam, the filly is out of a Tapit (USA) half-sister to dual US Classic winner I’ll Have Another (USA) (Flower Alley {USA}) and Grade 3 winner Golden Award (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
A full sister to New Zealand runner Green Dispatch (USA) (War Front {USA}), Civil Union (USA) is also a full sister to former Australian runner George Patton (USA). That trio is out of a half-sister to Hong Kong champion Helene Super Star (USA) (War Front {USA}), who retired to Hillview Thoroughbreds in Australia to start his second career after leaving Hong Kong while another half-brother to Civil Union’s dam, in Police Gazette (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}), raced in Australia until 2015.
Another runner for Sir Prancealot (Ire) in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, Lady Prancealot (Ire) is set to sell at Keeneland on Monday as Lot 48. Out of a half-sister to Group 2 winner Baqah (Ire) (Bahhare {USA}), the dam of Grade 1 winner Almanaar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), there are seven stakes horses under Lady Prancealot’s second dam.
Eljaazi family in spotlight again in Mile
Last year’s US Champion Turf Female Uni (GB) (More Than Ready {USA}) returns to defend last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile win here before selling on Sunday night. Uni’s third dam Eljazzi (Ire) (Artaius {USA}) is also the matriarch of a family that includes I Am Invincible’s sire Invincible Spirit (Ire), Group 3 winner and Australian resident Acts Of Grace (USA) (Bahri {USA}), and Coolmore Australia’s Pride Of Dubai.
A three-time Group 1 winner, G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile runner Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could add some more form to the family of a Hunter Valley sire. Out of Group 2 winner Duntle (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), the colt’s grandam is a three-quarter sister to G2 Villiers H. winner Honor In War (USA), who stands at Ilala Stud.
G1 2000 Guineas winner Kameko (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}) looks to end his career on another high note in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile less than a kilometre from where he was born. Out of Grade 3-winning Sweeter Still (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), Kameko hails from the family of the late Windsor Park Stud stallion Rip Van Winkle (Ire).
Australian connections abound in Turf
Less than a week after the Melbourne Cup, a relation to a former Cup winner runs on Saturday when Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) takes the stage against the boys in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf. One of three Group winners for Classic-winning dam Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), she hails from the same family as Godolphin’s 2018 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}).
Group 2 winner Mehdaayih (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is out of a half-sister to the grandam of Group 3-placed Would Be King (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}). That 6-year-old gelding is in training with Tim Donnelly at Wagga Wagga, last running in late August. Mehdaayih’s family also includes Australian stakes-winning Havasay (Rothesay) and Group 2-placed Force Command (Commands).
Australian-based mare Sweet Victory (USA) (Blame {USA}) could have a big weekend with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) running the day after another family member in Fire At Will (USA) (Declaration Of War {USA}). Imported to Australia in early 2017, the Boomer Bloodstock-purchased Sweet Victory has a 2-year-old filly by All Too Hard and visited Dundeel (NZ) last year.
One of two Aidan O’Brien runners in this race, Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of two Group 1 winners for Shastye (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), who has been a top producer in the sales ring and on the track. Seeing her daughter top the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale just a few weeks after Mogul won his first Group 1 in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris, the mare is the dam of five stakes winners with both winner Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) ending their careers in Australia.
Classic
More Than Ready’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic runner Title Ready (USA) is one of three stakes horses for his dam Title Seeker (USA) (Monarchos {USA}). Also the grandam of Grade 1 winner Seeking The Soul (USA) (Perfect Soul {Ire}), Title Seeker’s family is very familiar with the Breeders’ Cup with her dam Personal Ensign (USA) (Private Account {USA}), her half-sister, and her half-sister’s daughter winning Breeders’ Cup races.
Retiring to Darby Dan Farm after this race, Higher Power (USA) looks to give Medaglia D’Oro (USA) a fifth Breeders’ Cup victory. The horse is also a half-brother to multiple Graded stakes winner and sire Alternation (USA) and one other stakes winner from the family of champion Peaks And Valleys (USA) (Mt Livermore {USA}).
A half-brother to Spendthrift’s Bolt D’Oro (USA), Global Campaign (USA) (Curlin {USA}) is one of three stakes winners from three runners out of Globe Trot (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}). The trio hails from the family of Grade 1 winner Zensational (USA) (Unbridled’s Song {USA}) and G2 Stan Fox winner Colada (Brazen Beau).
WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Bloodstock-owned Improbable (USA) (City Zip {USA}) lines up for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic before retiring to WinStar Farm next year. The colt out of four-time winner Rare Event (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}) comes from the family of Grade 1 winner and successful sire Hard Spun (USA).
Co-owned by a group that has some faces familiar to Australian racing in Spendthrift Farm and Starlight Racing Stables, Authentic’s (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) family includes Grade 1 winners Reynaldothewizard (USA) (Speightstown {USA}), Seventh Street (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}), American Gal (USA) (Concord Point {USA}) and Undrafted (USA) (Purim {USA}).
