America
Antiquarian comes out on top in Gold Cup
With multiple Grade 1 winner and second choice Mindframe (Constitution) wiped out at the break, it was Centennial Farms' longshot Antiquarian (Preservationist) holding favoured Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) at bay late to win the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Sunday, earning an automatic berth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November.
Just a day after Fierceness (City Of Light) overcame an adventurous beginning of his own making to win the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, stablemate Mindframe was less lucky at Saratoga, catching the worst of it when Phileas Fogg (Astern) made an abrupt left out of the gate, crowding the horses to his inside and causing jockey Irad Ortiz to fall from Mindframe.
“From the start of the Pacific Classic to this, welcome to the world of a horse trainer,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Fierceness, Mindframe and Antiquarian.
Of his two Gold Cup runners, Pletcher added, “Mixed emotions. You hate to see anything like that happen, but at the same time I want Antiquarian to get his due. Centennial, that's a huge win for them, so I'm happy for them. It's horrible that something like that happened. When you have a pacesetter in there, I think it changed some tactics for some riders, and it got a little messy and unfortunately Mindframe took the worst of it.”
Phileas Fogg, who started a chain reaction when coming over on Contrary Thinking, who bumped with White Abarrio (Race Day) who went into Mindframe, was disqualified from his third-place effort and was left unplaced in the race. Ortiz, who at one point after being dislodged from Mindframe looked as though he was on the back of White Abarrio before falling to the track, was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Mindframe was uninjured in the incident.
Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. escaped serious injury in the incident, according to his agent, Steve Rushing. Ortiz was sent to Albany Medical Center for evaluation, and while tests were not completed, the signs were positive at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night.
“It looks like he escaped serious injury,” Rushing texted Sunday evening. “We are still waiting on one more test.”
Pedigree Notes: Antiquarian is one of two Graded winners for his sire Preservationist, who passed away in Korea in July, and is the stallion's first top-level winner. He is the first foal out of Lifetime Memory, who is also the dam of this year's G3 Delaware Oaks winner Fondly (Upstart).
Ghaiyyath’s The Padre wins G2 Del Mar Derby
The Padre (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), who closed into a tepid pace to win the La Jolla Handicap last time out, repeated the dose Sunday, powering to the lead late to make it two in a row over the Del Mar lawn in the G2 Del Mar Derby. The 3-5 favourite was well held while positioned off the pedestrian pace set by Freedom's Not Free. He rolled up three wide at the top of the lane and surged past the pacesetter to win with authority.
“He was up against it last time with no pace and it kind of looked like a more murky scenario this time,” winning trainer Phil D'Amato said of the slow pace the favourite has closed into in both of his recent victories. “I just think it shows what a tremendous turn of foot this horse has. To overcome fractions that slow two times in a row and outkick them like he does, that's a real racehorse.”
“I think the year-end goal for him would be something like the G1 Hollywood Derby,” D'Amato said of next targets for the winner. “We will just work around that. If we can make him a Grade 1 winner–he's still in tact–and develop him for next year.”
Pedigree Notes: The Padre became the third Graded winner for his sire Ghaiyyath, who has also been represented by a pair of French group winning fillies in My Highness (Ire), who won last weekend's G2 Prix du Calvados, and Mandanaba (Fr). The Godolphin stallion won the 2020 G1 Juddmonte International, G1 Coral-Eclipse, and G1 Coronation Cup, as well as the 2019 G1 Grosser Preis von Baden.
His dam, Shalanaya, who won the 2009 G1 Prix de l'Opera in The Aga Khan's colours, was purchased by Halley for €55,000 (AU$98,600) at the 2019 Arqana December sale. The mare produced a full brother to the winner last year.
