Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade 1)

DECISIONS, decisions. Chad Brown weighed the one he needed to make for Bricks And Mortar for the better part of two months. Should he send the son of Giant’s Causeway the 12 furlongs of the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf or the eight furlongs of the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile?

Bricks And Mortar was unbeaten at a mile, victories in the summer of his three-year-old season and in his comeback from an injury late last December.

He’d never run the mile and a half he’d need to negotiate in the Turf but he’d won his last two going the 10 furlongs of the Grade 1 Old Forester Manhattan and Grade 1 Arlington Million.

Brown, owners Seth Klarman and Bill Lawrence and other members of the team eventually settled on the Turf and Bricks And Mortar did what he’s done all season, won a hard-fought battle to stay undefeated on the year.

Bricks And Mortar, the shortest-priced winner ($4) and lone favourite to win among the nine Breeders’ Cup Saturday races, edged 51/1 longshot United with Investec Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck third in the field of 12. The Aidan O’Brien runner endured some interference when beginning his run off the bend into the straight.

Debate

“We were debating which race to run him in,” Brown said. “He had never been a mile and a half, and he had this long layoff to overcome.

“I wasn’t sure, should we run him in between Arlington Million and now? There were a lot of decisions that had to be made and thankfully as a team we made the right decisions.

“The horse showed up. He’s shown up every time he’s ever run his whole career, if you look at his record. I’m just so proud of him.

“He’s definitely one of the best horses we have ever trained. And this was; this is the biggest win we have ever had.”