ARLINGTON MILLION DIARY
AUGUST 8, 2008
by Kellie Reilly
Team O’Brien Takes to the Track
The Aidan O’Brien team of MOUNT NELSON (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]) and
PLAN (Storm Cat) left the quarantine area for the first time on Friday morning
to turn in canters on the Polytrack.
Mount Nelson, a top threat in Saturday’s Arlington Million (G1), looked as
tremendous as you’d expect from a classy member of the Ballydoyle juggernaut.
The big bay has excellent muscle definition and looks positively chiseled. The
other physical attribute that stood out to me was his slightly elongated neck —
no wonder he was able to score the two biggest victories of his career in photo
finishes! As I saw it, Mount Nelson settled into a very easy canter, under a
snug hold.
Mount Nelson was a high-quality juvenile who captured the Criterium
International (Fr-G1) in just his third career start. Displaying the game
professionalism to drive between horses, he knuckled down under pressure to win
by a head, ironically enough, from fellow Million contender SPIRIT ONE (Fr) (Anabaa
Blue).
That success stamped him as a colt with classic potential, and O’Brien’s
initial reaction was to aim for either the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at
Newmarket or the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1), the French Guineas, at
Longchamp. Unfortunately, Mount Nelson encountered some setbacks at three and
was forced to miss these mile tests. He was not ready to race until the end of
the European season in the Champion S. (Eng-G1), but he tired after racing
forwardly on the softish ground and did not do himself justice.
Mount Nelson has been steadily rounding into form this year, in the manner
that O’Brien horses tend to do. As a result, it would not be wise to judge his
first few races too strictly, for he is surely some way better at this stage of
the campaign. A troubled fifth, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths, in the one-mile Queen
Anne S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot, Mount Nelson returned to take the 1 1/4-mile
Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) at Sandown, where he took a while to pick up and just thrust
his head in front in the nick of time.
I suspect that Mount Nelson’s Eclipse may have looked more workmanlike than
impressive because he was rallying on Sandown’s stiff, uphill run to the line.
On the other hand, O’Brien’s traveling head lad, Pat Keating, doesn’t think
the terrain at Sandown was a factor. According to Keating, Mount Nelson only
just got up because of “the way the race shaped up.”
In any event, the vast expanses of Arlington’s turf course should suit the
long-striding Mount Nelson perfectly, and he is liable to deploy a sharper turn
of foot at this venue. Of course, after the bombshell scratch of the expected
pacesetter Sudan (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), the Arlington Million is sure to turn
into a tactical affair, with a sedate early tempo leading up to a sprint to the
wire. In circumstances like that, anything can happen, but I’m starting to think
that Mount Nelson wouldn’t necessarily need a solid pace. Although he’s proven
at 1 1/4 miles at Sandown, Mount Nelson has shown smart form at a mile as well,
and that versatility could serve him well in a likely muddled pace scenario.
And looking back on the Eclipse, maybe that’s what Team O’Brien wanted after
all. Given Ballydoyle’s ever-present attention to tactics, I find it significant
that there was no pacemaker to set the table for him in the Eclipse. Perhaps the
game plan involved a steady pace, and that scenario was exploded when two other
horses set sail for the front and rattled off a lively tempo. If that deduction
is correct, could that be what Keating meant by “the way the race shaped up?”
It’s also worth remembering that O’Brien knows exactly the type of horse who
would be best suited by the Million — after all, he trained Powerscourt (GB),
who crossed the wire first in two successive runnings, but was disqualified for
interference in the first (2004) before avenging in the second (2005).
A success for Mount Nelson in Arlington’s premier race would, in some
illogical but nonetheless satisfying way, assuage the sting of his sire Rock of
Gibraltar’s (Ire) defeat here in the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). The
mega-talented Rock had won seven straight Group 1 events, eclipsing the old
Northern Hemisphere mark of six set by the immortal Mill Reef, before being
waylaid by a horrible start and a wide trip in that Breeders’ Cup at Arlington.
The Rock now has an avenging son on the premises.
In contrast to Mount Nelson, Secretariat S. (G1) hopeful Plan was not as
thoroughly captivating. While a fine-looking specimen, the son of 2000 Breeders’
Cup Distaff (G1) queen Spain (Thunder Gulch) got lathered up during his canter
on the track. As I watched him pass me by in deep stretch, the sophomore was
also breathing rather noisily.
Nor does Plan have a resume approaching Mount Nelson’s. Eighth behind his
brilliant stablemate Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo) in the Two Thousand Guineas,
Plan was dropped in class next out, finishing fourth versus older horses in a
listed event at the Curragh. He clearly benefited from stretching out to nine
furlongs in the Keeneland International S. (Ire-G3) last time out, where he did
his best work late to defeat a yeoman group of older horses.
Plan, who has just been acquired by IEAH Stables, will be leaving O’Brien’s
care after Saturday and joining Richard Dutrow. He may well enjoy the added
ground in the 1 1/4-mile Secretariat, but I’ll be watching closely tomorrow to
see if he lathers up again.
Impressions of The French Trio — Catching Up with Spirit One, Cicerole
and Toque de Queda
Although I’ve briefly crossed paths with the French brigade the past couple
of days, I finally got a good look at them on Friday morning. Arlington Million
(G1) hopeful SPIRIT ONE (Fr) (Anabaa Blue) was the stand-out of the lot, while
Beverly D. S. (G1) entrants CICEROLE (Fr) (Barathea [Ire]) and TOQUE DE QUEDA
(GB) (Dansili [GB]) were a study in contrasts.
Spirit One is a sturdy, powerfully built, muscular type with a lengthy
barrel. His coat was exceptionally good, a rich bay with layers of mahogany
becoming apparent in the bright sunlight. During his routine canter on the
Polytrack, he ambled along on his left lead while flicking his tail a couple of
times. There was nothing temperamental about it at all, just a casual motion
while he went about his job. Afterward in the paddock, he walked around the ring
on excellent terms with himself, telegraphing that he was relaxed and
comfortable in his surroundings.
Of the three international shippers for the Million, Spirit One has the
lightest resume, in that he has not won past the Group 3 level. Having said
that, it must be pointed out that he has run some terrific races against
top-level animals. In addition to his just being subdued by Mount Nelson in the
Criterium International (Fr-G1) as a juvenile, Spirit One has played second
fiddle to the likes of Soldier of Fortune (Galileo [Ire]) and Literato (Kendor),
when the latter was at his peak. Two starts back, Spirit One finished fourth in
a tough edition of the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1), where he set the pace before
surrendering to Duke of Marmalade (Danehill) and two other Group 1 winners.
That profile reminds me of Doctor Dino (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]), whom I
underestimated in last year’s Arlington Million, only to see him finish a strong
third. At that time, Doctor Dino was a mere Group 3 winner with a pair of Group
1 placings, one of them in the Ganay. It’s arguable that Doctor Dino had a
greater scope for development than Spirit One does, but the parallel may be
useful.
Interestingly, Spirit One has a collateral formline with Arlington Million
favorite ARCHIPENKO (Kingmambo). In his 2008 debut, Spirit One rolled to a
three-length victory over Balius (Mujahid) in the Prix Exbury (Fr-G3). Balius
has since finished second to Archipenko in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1),
and went on to place third in the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Mal-G1).
I wouldn’t push that point too far, for Balius improved significantly when
getting good ground and a fast pace in the Far East, but the fact that Spirit
One beat Balius has played at least a partial role in his connections’ decision
to tackle Archipenko at Arlington.
Since Spirit One is a free-running individual, he stands to reap the most
benefits from the withdrawal of Sudan (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). If Spirit One
winds up being the controlling speed, he could be dangerous. But according to
assistant trainer Ludovic Rovisse, he is not a need-the-lead type, and if
someone else decides to take the initiative, he is content to stalk.
I also asked Rovisse about Spirit One’s last race, a runner-up effort in the
June 14 La Coupe (Fr-G3) to the useful Crossharbour (Zamindar). That’s Spirit
One’s only outing since the April 27 Ganay, and it smacked of a brief
freshening, followed by a designated prep.
Rovisse advised that the La Coupe was just a prep, “an easy race at
Longchamp” for him. He added that they had been aiming for the Million for about
the last month and a half.
Spirit One has his work cut out for him, but he could not look any better,
and on his best day, he can shake things up.
It’s a lot harder to make a case for the French in the Beverly D. Cicerole is
a multiple listed winner who is coming off a closing second in the Princess
Elizabeth S. (Eng-G3) at Epsom, but that was a fairly weak event. There were a
couple of nice fillies behind her, including Barshiba (Barathea [Ire]), who ran
the race of her life to finish second to Archipenko in the Summer Mile (Eng-G2),
but miserably failed to handle the unique demands of Epsom. In short, the form
of the Princess Elizabeth shouldn’t be taken too literally.
In her first start of the year, Cicerole defeated a marginal bunch of older
males, so I can’t read too much into that either. Her most impressive attribute
is her consistency, winning or placing in nine of 10 career starts. This will be
the most searching test of her life, though.
Cicerole is long-bodied, with a low-to-the-ground appearance. At a walk, her
stride is short, quick, almost mincing. In contrast, Toque de Queda is a taller,
lankier, angular type, with a longer stride. She was well beaten by Cicerole
last year, and she would need to take a giant step forward to threaten here.