Johnny Murtagh is set to maintain his partnership with DUKE OF MARMALADE
(Danehill) in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita next Saturday.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who outlined running plans on Thursday, pointed to the
five-times Group 1 winner as the retained jockey’s likely ride over English
(Eng-G1) and Irish (Ire-G1) Two Thousand Guineas hero HENRYTHENAVIGATOR
(Kingmambo).
“For the Classic, you need a horse who definitely gets a mile and a quarter,”
the Ballydoyle conditioner told a press conference. “It is a race where you have
to be tough and hard. The Duke is an unbelievably tough horse with a great will
to win, and if any horse can cope it will be him. We can’t be sure that Henry
will get a mile and a quarter, and at the moment Johnny is favoring riding Duke
of Marmalade over Henrythenavigator. We have booked John Velazquez for whichever
one he doesn’t ride.”
O’Brien had earlier told the Racing Post that SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
(Galileo [Ire]) and RED ROCK CANYON (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]) would contest the
Turf (G1); WESTPHALIA (Danehill Dancer) and HEART SHAPED (Storm Cat) would run
in the respective Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf; HALFWAY TO HEAVEN
(Pivotal) was set to line up in the Filly & Mare Turf (G1); and US RANGER
(Danzig) would tackle the Mile (G1).
In other jockey news, trainer John Gosden announced that Frankie Dettori will
replace Jimmy Fortune on Princess Haya of Jordan’s RAVEN’S PASS (Elusive
Quality) in the Classic. Fortune, the three-year-old’s regular
rider, is uncertain about his level of fitness after serving a 10-day suspension
on the eve of the meeting. Dettori got acquainted with the Queen Elizabeth II S.
(Eng-G1) winner in a racecourse gallop at Lingfield Wednesday morning.
“I discussed it with Jimmy and, at this moment in time, he is serving a ban
for a minor infringement at Nottingham,” Gosden told the Racing Post.
“He’s pointed out to me very clearly that it is not possible for jockeys to be
razor sharp and race-fit for that kind of racing, having served a 10-day
suspension. We talked it through and Frankie will ride Raven’s Pass and
DONATIVUM (Cadeaux Genereux).”
The latter, the Tattersalls Million winner and Juvenile Turf contender
Donativum, was also on track at Lingfield on Thursday.
In other Breeders’ Cup news:
Trainer Bob Baffert reported Thursday that DEL CONTE (Point Given) was
declared out of the Juvenile Turf due to filling in a front ankle.
“We discovered it yesterday and we weren’t happy,” Baffert said, “but we were
hoping for the best. He’ll be fine, but we estimate he will be out 30 to 60
days.”
Del Conte, a turf maiden winner two back, was coming off a close fourth in
the Norfolk S. (G1).
Reigning Horse of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike), who is pre-entered to
defend his title in the Classic, galloped a mile Thursday on Santa Anita’s
Pro-Ride main track. The day before, he attracted a crowd while schooling in the
paddock during Wednesday’s 5TH race.
“He has a fan club everywhere he goes,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to
trainer Steve Asmussen. “He takes it all pretty good.”
Unbeaten Japanese-based sophomore CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft) enjoyed a slow
canter on Hollywood Park’s 1 1/8-mile Cushion Track Thursday and is “doing fine”
for the Classic, according to Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for owner Hidetoshi
Yamamoto.
Victor Espinoza, who rode Casino Drive to a three-quarter length victory in a
Sunday allowance at Santa Anita, anticipates another strong performance in the
Classic.
“It was good that he had a race over this track,” Espinoza said. “He handled
it good, and it was a nice ride for me. It was like a workout, and he probably
needed the race.”
Casino Drive had not raced since May 10, when he won the Peter Pan S. (G2) at
Belmont Park.
Multiple Argentinean Group 1 star LADY SPRINTER (Orientate) is scheduled to
work a half-mile Friday between the 4TH and 5TH races at Santa Anita with
stablemate Bartley (Arg) (Incurable Optimist) in preparation for the Filly &
Mare Sprint.
Also scheduled for a Friday work is Alcibiades S. (G1) winner DREAM EMPRESS
(Bernstein), who will take to the track at Keeneland to tune up for the Juvenile
Fillies (G1).
Mile contender SHAKIS (Ire) (Machiavellian), a two-time hero of the Bernard
Baruch H. (G2), will work at Keeneland either Friday or Saturday.