JOSEPH O’Brien became the youngest trainer to saddle a Breeders’ Cup winner when Iridessa stormed home in the Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita.
The 26-year-old is also only the second trainer to have tasted Breeders’ Cup glory as a jockey, after Freddy Head, following his Turf triumph aboard St Nicholas Abbey in 2011.
Joseph O'Brien and Wayne Lordan strike as Iridessa wins the $2m @MakersMark @BreedersCup Filly and Mare Turf... #BC19 pic.twitter.com/yNVswPC3SU
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 2, 2019
Iridessa was guided to success by Wayne Lordan, winning his first Breeders’ Cup race, and he had the Group 1 Pretty Polly and Matron Stakes heroine in a decent position from the start.
Mirth set the pace and soon built up a big lead, but she was swamped in the straight and it was left to Iridessa and Vasilika to fight out the finish.
Iridessa (8/1) battled on gamely to land the spoils by a neck. Last year’s winner Sistercharlie was a never-nearer three lengths back in third.
Frankie Dettori was fourth on the John Gosden-trained Fanny Logan, with Just Wonderful, trained by Aidan O’Brien, fifth.
“It’s very special. Obviously I’ve been coming here a number of years, and I know how hard it is to compete here,” said O’Brien. “I have been supported by some fantastic owners since I started training. And obviously with that, I’ve had some very good horses. It hasn’t sunk in yet that we’ve had a winner here.”
The filly was bred by Joseph's mother Annemarie O'Brien. It was crowning a fabulous day for the trainer who had landed a Group 2 in Australia in the early hours of the morning with Melbourne Cup candidate Downdraft, and three-year-old hurdle win in Down Royal with Wave Of The Sea.
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