Longchamp: 71-1 shot wins Arc; 3 are aimed for Breeders' Cup

Racing for the first time outside Germany for a trainer who has only 1 1/2 years of experience on his own, Torquator Tasso pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European racing history by winning at odds of 71-1 on Sunday in the Group 1, $5.8 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

“I still can’t put it into words,” victorious trainer Marcel Weiss, 44, said. “I still can’t believe I won this race.”

Neither can most bettors.

Owned by Gestut Auenquelle, the 4-year-old Adlerflug colt drawn into post 12 rallied from far back on the very soft ParisLongchamp turf, closed down the middle of the track and took the lead in the final seven jumps under jockey René Piechulek. Torquator Tasso has won three Group 1 races, including two in Germany.

“The ground came into our favor because of the rain, and the race went as we wanted,” Weiss said.

Tarnawa (4-1), who may yet try to defend her 2020 victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, was passed late by Torquator Tasso and finished second, three-quarters of a length behind. Hurricane Lane (5-2), the post-time favorite, was forward throughout the race and ended up third. Adayar (3-1) raced in mid-pack and wound up fourth of the 14 finishers.

The winning time was 2:37.66. Torquator Tasso paid $145 on a successful $2 win bet and $19.80 to place, which for European races is the equivalent of a show bet in North America. The Torquator Tasso-Tarnawa $2 quinella paid $239.60.

Weiss said the next stop for Torquator Tasso could be in Japan, ruling out a run in the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Turf for which the Arc was a “win and you’re in” race.

The Arc was one of five Breeders’ Cup qualifiers on Sunday’s card. Connections for two winners – Rougir and A Case of You – said they could be accepting the invitations to race next month at Del Mar. Space Blues, the winner of a non-Challenge sprint, was also aimed for the championships in California.

Opéra

Rougir (22-1) maintained the trend of big upsets established in the Arc.

Winless in six previous 2021 starts, the 3-year-old Territories filly used a late burst of speed to overtake Grand Glory (6-1) in a photo finish and win by a nose in the Prix de l’Opéra (G1), a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Jockey Maxime Guyon perfectly timed the call for the decisive turn of foot, delivering the victory for owner Le Haras de la Gousserie and trainer Cédric Rossi, who said Rougir could take up the Breeders’ Cup on its invitation to race next month in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Eudamonia (49-1) was third followed by the favorite Audarya (7-2), who was third in this race last year before she went to Keeneland and won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Rougir, who was third last out in a Group 2 race Aug. 21 at Deauville, was clocked at 2:02.60 for the 1 1/4 miles around one clockwise turn.

Abbaye

In the tightest of photo finishes, the supplemented 3-year-old colt A Case of You (10-1) closed from far back in the field of 15 to edge long shot Air de Valse (51-1) and win the Prix de l’Abbaye (G1), a straight five-furlong dash.

The final time of 58.07 seconds without a run-up came after fractions of 23.11 and 45.83. Bought last winter by Gary Devlin, A Case of You was ridden by Ronan Whelan for Irish trainer Adrian McGuinness, who said, “We might go to the Breeders’ Cup.” The Abbaye was a qualifier for the Turf Sprint.

Glass Slippers (4-1), the winner of 2021 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, was third Sunday after having finished second in this race last year. Mo Celita (24-1) came in fourth.

A Case of You was sired by Hot Streak. He had finished second last month in the Flying Five (G1) at the Curragh. His last previous victory was May 16 in a Grade 3 at Naas, Ireland.

Forêt

Even though the Prix de la Forêt (G1) was not a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race, the winning favorite Space Blues (7-2) has been ticketed to race in the Mile next month at Del Mar.

“Although the ground will be totally different at Del Mar, I might suggest we take him there,” winning trainer Charlie Appleby said.

The Godolphin homebred 5-year-old horse by Dubawi went from the rear of the field to take the lead in the last two furlongs, running on to a two-length victory Sunday, going the downhill seven furlongs in 1:22.97.

Pearls Galore (7-1) and Entscheiden (46-1), both racing forward early, finished second and third, respectively. Kinross (7-2) finished fourth in the field of 15. 

It was the second Group 1 win for Space Blues, who had won last summer in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, France. He has never raced on firm ground in any of his 18 starts. His only win of at least a mile was in his debut three years ago.

Lagardère

Coming off the bench more than two months after a Group 2 triumph at Goodwood, England, Angel Bleu (5-1) rallied from mid-pack late and ran on to finish first by three-quarters of a length Sunday in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (G1), a “win and you’re in” at ParisLongchamp for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Owned by Marc Chan and trained by Ralph Beckett, the 2-year-old Dark Angel colt was ridden to victory by the durable Frankie Dettori, 50, who has won the Lagardère three times. Since this is a rare year when Dettori does not have a ride in the Arc, a race he has won a record six times, this might have been the highlight of his day at ParisLongchamp.

Pacesetting Noble Truth (6-1) held on to finish second. The favorite Ancient Rome (2-1) closed from a wide trip to come in third. Accakaba (9-2) came from behind to finish fourth.

The winning time of 1:24.57 for the race that begins going downhill came off early fractions of 23.59, 47.23 and 1:11.40 on the heavy turf course.

The Breeders’ Cup is little more than a “possibility” for Angel Bleu, Beckett said. “I don’t think we’ll get much soft ground at Del Mar. That would be a negative.” Beckett said a more likely next stop for Angel Bleu would be Saturday’s Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket, England.

Boussac

Never before a group winner, Zellie (7-2) closed from last place with a decisive rail run to win Sunday’s slowly run Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) at ParisLongchamp.

Sunday’s opener was a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but Zeillie was ruled out of a run next month at Del Mar.

Owned by the Al Wasmiyah Farm and trained by André Fabre, Zellie was slow out of the gate. Oisín Murphy did not hurry the Wootton Bassett filly early in his first ride on her. She took the lead in the last furlong of the one-mile race and extended to a 1 3/4-length triumph.

“My filly did not fly out of the stalls,” said Murphy, who was still sporting a split lip after a paddock spill Thursday in England. “I just had to be patient and hope she would pick up.”

Times Square (33-1) closed from mid-pack to finish second. Oscula (7-1) made a strong close to end up third. Agartha (9-2) stalked the early pace and settled for fourth.

The slow winning time of 1:42.67 was a reflection of the conditions. Based in France, Zellie is 6: 4-2-0. She won her first three races before finishing second in a pair of summertime Group 3 stakes at Deauville.

Paul Bastien, racing manager for Al Wasmiyah, said Zellie would not race again this year.

Rain is out of the forecast for the rest of a cloudy Sunday at ParisLongchamp, but it already had its impact Friday and Saturday, making the ground “heavy, soft in places,” according to France Galop.