Europe suffers first Breeders’ Cup whitewash since ’98
The Europeans suffered a first Breeders’ Cup whitewash since 1998 as Preakness Stakes winner Curlin took the $5m Classic in front of 41,781 racegoers at the New Jersey racetrack and Aidan O’Brien’s pre-race favourites Dylan Thomas and Excellent Art were outdone by the home runners.
The rain that had besieged the Jersey shore since late on Thursday did little to dampen American spirits but for those crossing the Atlantic, the 2007 Breeders’ Cup will be remembered as a wet, cold and altogether miserable weekend, much like a bad day on the prom at Tramore.
The Irish horses were due to leave Monmouth at 3am local time last night for their shipping to Shannon via Amsterdam and before tragedy beset the Ballydoyle yard O’Brien had tried to remain upbeat in the face of a defeat for Dylan Thomas in the $3m Turf. He had said his Arc winner hated every minute of his run as English Channel scored a big win for Todd Pletcher.
Dylan continued the losing streak for Arc winners at the Breeders’ Cup when he trailed home in fifth place.
“We always knew that soft ground could be a problem to him,” O’Brien said. “I thought I had Dylan near his best but he was hating every second of it today.
“He got the trip I expected, but he just laboured in the ground.
“I’d say the ground beat him. He’s such a lovely actioned horse that he likes firmer ground. But we were here and I thought they (the owners) were very sporting to let him run.”
Jockey Johnny Murtagh underlined O’Brien’s view when he said: “It was horrible ground and he’s a real grass horse.
“He was losing his footing all the time and could never get competitive.
“It was not turf racing,” Murtagh added as he pointed to his mud-covered silks.
“He was spinning his wheels out there. He even hated the warm-up, and this is a horse who loves his racing and everything about it.
“We had no chance.”
Defending champion Red Rocks had to settle for third place for Brian Meehan under Frankie Dettori as Shamdinan took second seven lengths behind English Channel.
Meehan was disappointed with the ground and said: “Frankie said when he pulled him to the outside to make his run it was too late.
“He was stuck on the rail where the ground was very bad . Maybe they should have thought about providing some fresh ground today.”
O’Brien had been satisfied with favourite Excellent Art’s second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile behind Kip Deville considering its unfavourable draw, 13th of 14 horses.
Murtagh mounted a late charge to the line before running out of ground and finishing a length back.
“I got a lovely run throughout and thought I would win turning into the straight,” Murtagh said, while O’Brien added: “We were drawn badly and Johnny gave him a great ride.
“The horse has run a great race especially when you consider he’s a good ground horse.
“We’ll have a look at the Hong Kong Mile and as to the future I imagine he will not stay in training but I don’t know for sure.”
Sir Michael Stoute’s Jeremy was 10th of the 13 runners with Frankie Dettori saying: “He’s basically a seven furlong, one mile horse who wants firm ground.
“The old boy took me there on the bridle but the conditions found him out in the end.”
Henry Cecil was pleased with a game run from Passage Of Time for third place in a dramatic Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Monmouth Park.
Passage Of Time ran bravely but could not reel in race winner Lahudood in the closing stages and was beaten into second by Honey Ryder, third behind Ed Dunlop’s Ouija Board at Churchill last year.
“She didn’t quicken, did she?” Cecil said. “Everything went right for her in the race but from going well she seemed to struggle a bit at the end.”
“I thought at one stage she might get there, but just didn’t seem to quicken up.
“She was labouring a bit, but she was going well. She just didn’t handle it (soft ground) as well as she should have. It may be the time of year.”
Jeremy Noseda was non-plussed by Simply Perfect’s premature end to the race. Under Murtagh, the Coolmore-owned horse had led early before going wide at a tight turn and nearly galloping into an outrider’s horse on the far rail.
“I’ve no idea what happened. I’ve never seen her do that before,” Noseda said.
Murtagh added: “I didn’t have any trouble with equipment and it wasn’t that she couldn’t handle the turns.
“She was just lost out there. She came in here a few days ago and now she’s going back out. She just wants to go home.”
O’Brien was happy with All My Loving’s fifth place finish under Pat Smullen, while Mick Kinane said the soft ground put paid to John Oxx’s Timarwa’s chances in sixth place.
Perhaps the most pleasing performance in O’Brien’s eyes had been Achill Island’s run for second place in the inaugural Juvenile Turf during the Friday night downpour.
Murtagh was just denied victory having timed his run almost to perfection from the rear on the two-year-old colt and hit the front 100 yards from home, only to be beaten by Nownownow, who started his run from behind Murtagh and finished to even greater effect.
“He ran a stormer,” O’Brien said. “We’re delighted.
“He came to win his race and just got nabbed on the line. That’s his race. He likes to come from behind.
“He doesn’t like the ground that way, so he ran a huge race. He’ll be a lovely horse next year.”
