John Deere Breeders’ Cup

Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 1)

AIDAN O’Brien’s Sun Goddess dazzled again when she went stateside and took her terrific season to a seventh win and fourth Group/Grade 1 success.

The Sioux Nation filly ran out a three-length winner of the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday at Keeneland, possibly securing the awards as Europe’s outstanding two-year-old.

She also won the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh against colts, as well as the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, both back against fillies. In the latter, she defeated Libertango, who flattered her earlier in the day with a victory in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. O’Brien was winning his 22nd Breeders’ Cup race.

An odds-on favourite, Ryan Moore found a stalking spot in third on the outside, a bit closer than her usual style. Main market rival Amusingly and Colin Keane were slowly away.

“She was probably five places closer than we thought she would be, but Ryan played it well,” O’Brien said.

Sun Goddess went a clear second as Seneca Park led through a modest half mile. Once into the straight, Moore asked Sun Goddess to lengthen her stride and she cleared away with ease.

“I don’t think you saw the best of her today. The ground’s a little bit more dead than I expected it to be. She’s probably two or three levels above them,” Moore said.

Sun Goddess was purchased at last year’s Goffs UK Premier yearling sale by Avenue Bloodstock, on behalf of M.V. Magnier, for a now bargain £120,000 and now races for the Westerberg, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

Special filly

“She’s a special filly,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said. “She did everything we have asked her to do, and everything we have asked her to do has been so unbelievably natural.

“She’s better ridden back and coming at horses, because when she gets to the front, she doesn’t do much.”

Green Empress, who was second to Sun Goddess in the Moyglare Stud before winning the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, was a fine second once again and Johnny Murtagh’s Curracloe ran very well up in class in third with Amusingly running in for fourth. The first seven home were European trained.

Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Grade 1)

HAFFNER went back to his homeland and, off a perfect trip, notched an impressive length-and-three-quarter victory for his first top-level success in the Juvenile Turf.

Going off as the third favourite, the chesnut son of Justify was adding to his win in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.

His only disappointing run was in the National Stakes over Irish Champions Weekend, when some Ballydoyle runners disappointed.

Haffner travelled smoothly for Ryan Moore - settling along the rail sitting just off leader Avec Toi around the first turn off. Moore made his move at the top of the straight - sending Haffner wide and collaring Avec Toi midway through the straight.

Folsom Blues didn’t have the best passage in the final half mile and had to move out wide from the rail to get a run off the final bend, but he was a length and a quarter behind the winner as Avec Toi finished a nose behind in third.

Moore said: “He was drawn in (four) and the speed horses were inside of me, so it was very straightforward. He kept hitting the right spot.

“He found a good rhythm. He just was relentless off the bend. He was a little bit idle. Every time I asked him, he kept finding more.”

Aidan O’Brien added: “He’s improving and still growing. He’s a big horse and a typical Justify. With time and as he covers more distance, he’ll get even better. He had a great draw and a good position, so that was a big help.

Classic horse

“I think he’ll be a classic horse next year. He’ll have no problem going 10 (furlongs) and would probably go even further. He’s very classy.

“He had that one day where the ground was bad, and at that time, all our horses were running bad. We found they had a low grade infection and needed a little bit of time.”

Haffner was a $375,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Both Juvenile Turf winners are out of Scat Daddy mares.

Ballydoyle’s other runners, Great Barrier Reef (stone bruise) and Man’s Best Friend had to be withdrawn before the race.

Aidan O’Brien again denied his son Joseph with race favourite Folsom Blues. “We are well used to it at home, me and [my brother] Donnacha. It happens day in, day out back in Ireland,” Joseph said. “He ran super. I’m proud of the horse.”

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade 1)

LIBERTANGO got the Europeans off to a good start, as she justified favouritism with a brave victory under Billy Loughnane in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

She looked to have a lot to do early in the straight, but came late to storm past Harper’s Corner and score by a length and a quarter.

Trained by George Boughey, Libertango was intended to be ridden by Flavien Prat, but her regular rider Loughnane was able to climb aboard at the 11th hour after making the 8st 7lb.

The daughter of No Nay Never took an inside path after breaking from post three in the 12-horse field, settled in mid-pack early and ran up on heels entering the turn, as Oisin Murphy on Moonrise suffered interference and stumbled. She spun wider as the pacesetter Ruiva was still the one to catch at the top of the stretch.

Libertango proved superior just in the last strides to edge clear under a celebrating Loughnane.

Hell of A Spin claimed second place by a head over Harper’s Corner, with a length back to Mussab in fourth. An objection lodged by David Egan - rider of Force Noir and a stewards’ inquiry resulted in the disqualification of Harper’s Corner from third to eighth, moving Mussab into third. The Vefa Ibrahim AraciChevron-owned winner was bred in Ireland by Lynch Bages and Camas Park Stud.

George Boughey was enjoying his first Breeders’ Cup win. “It feels amazing. For me, it’s huge. It’s the pinnacle for us, travelling the horses around the world to win a Breeders’ Cup is right at the top of it.”

Awesome

“Awesome ride. I do feel a little bit sorry for Flavien, it’s a game of weights and measures and Billy is my stable rider,” Boughey added. “He gave her a beautiful ride, he obviously knows her and she showed a blistering turn of foot. She makes my job easy.”

Winning jockey Billy Loughnane said: “I can’t put it into words. I never expected to ride the filly at this weight. Thankfully, they have the saunas here so managed to do the weight. George is a big friend of mine and I’m the lucky one to ride some fantastic horses for him.”

Adrian Keatley said of Hell Of A Spin: “He ran an unbelievable race. He’s a real proper horse going into next year and he looks like a Commonwealth Cup horse at Royal Ascot. Mikey Sheehy gave him an unbelievable ride and showed the world how good a jockey he is as well.”

FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (Grade 1)

THE favourite Hughes delivered a championship-winning performance to score a two-and-a-quarter-length victory in the $2 million Juvenile.

Hughes, trained by Bob Baffert and named after Olympic gold medallist hockey player Jack Hughes, is unbeaten in five starts and likely secured the champion two-year-old title. It was Baffert’s 22nd in the Breeders’ Cup.

Hughes had romped to easy victories in his first four races in California and had to show some grit in the Juvenile. Under jockey Flavien Prat, the blinkered Into Mischief colt seized the lead in the second turn. Hughes saw off Coach Pope in the stretch, American History and Salahudin took up the chase, but the winner fought off all challenges when looking for a time likely to be swamped.

“You know, sometimes they make it look easy, but easy ain’t easy,” Baffert said. “This horse had never been in a battle, and he really battled. He was very impressive.”

The ownership group named the colt after New Jersey Devils’ forward, who scored the winning goal for USA in the Winter Olympics in February.

“He had never been battle-tested, so I didn’t know how he was going to react,” Baffert said.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1)

EMPHATIC used her experience of the Keeneland track to pull off a victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and give Irishman Brendan Walsh his first Breeders’ Cup win on his 14th attempt.

Owned by Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen, the Nyquist filly had also previously won the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes from front over the track at the beginning of the month. Tyler Gaffalione was content to race a few lengths back off quick early fractions. Emphatic cruised up easily three furlongs out and then Gaffalione asked her to go.

Miss Monica, who had broken slowly and raced toward the rear, was the only one to give chase and was probably a bit unlucky, but Emphatic’s lead was too big.

Emphatic won by a length and a half clear of Miss Monica, while Manuka Honey was eight lengths back in third.

“I felt like a winner the entire race,” said Gaffalione. “She broke alertly, put herself in the game early and, when I pushed the button, she really responded.”

Walsh said: “This week she’s worked so good and done so well. Keeneland’s been very good to me. It’s extra special to win one here for sure.”