Arc undercard: U.S.-owned Friendly Soul is among BC qualifiers

England-based Friendly Soul, bred in the U.K. by her U.S. owner George Strawbridge, went off at 8-1 and got her first Group 1 victory, prevailing by three-quarters of a length over stablemate Running Lion in the 1 1/4-mile race Prix de l’Opéra for fillies and mares on the soft turf at ParisLongchamp.

With the win Friendly Soul qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Trained by John Gosden and his son Thady, the 3-year-old filly chased the early pace and took the lead for good under Kieran Shoemark with a quarter-mile to go.

Sired by Kingman, Friendly Soul previous won the Prix Alec Head (G2) at Deauville and, before that, in the Valiant (G3) at Ascot.

France-based Sparkling Plenty, trained by Patrice Cottier, came in third place.

Strawbridge, 87, an heir to the Campbell’s Soup fortune, has been running his horses in Europe for many years. Notably he bred 2013 Europe champion Moonlight Cloud.

20-1 Makarova rallies to win Abbaye

Quickly well placed behind the leaders, 5-year-old mare Makarova made up the difference at the right time, taking the lead in the last sixteenth of a mile on the way to a 1 1/4-length victory in the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (G1), about a five-furlong straight sprint.

Makarova won a Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint invitation to go with the victory. She is eligible to race at Del Mar on Nov. 2.

The daughter of Acclamation who was sent off at 20-1 held off 7-5 favorite Bradsell, who came up on traffic in the last 75 yards but still held on for second. Believing took third.

Sixth last year in this same event, Makarova has been regularly placed since for trainer Ed Walker, notably at the finish of the recent Flying Five Stakes (G1). The top three Sunday were the same as they were last month, except it was Bradsell ahead of Believing and Makarova.

O’Brien’s Camille Pissarro stuns Lagardère

Camille Pissarro, an Aidan O’Brien-trained colt sent off at odds of 12-1, pulled off the upset Sunday in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (G1), a roughly seven-furlong turf test for 2-year-olds.

With the victory, O’Brien’s fifth of Arc weekend, Camille Pissarro earned a bid to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 1 at Del Mar.

A son of Wootton Bassett, Camille Pissarro held off the courageous assault of Rashabar, one of the most powerful colts of his generation, until the end. He appeared to have the race all to himself, having come into the open at the last moment. But Rashabar, who seemed beaten halfway down the straight, never stopped making progress after following the leaders, and he threatened the winner until the end only to lose by a neck.

Misunderstood, the early pacesetter, finished another two lengths back in third.

This was Camille Pissarro’s seventh race. A maiden winner on debut in April, the Coolmore syndicate representative failed at 4-1 in the Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot. He then rehabilitated himself partly at the Curragh and Doncaster but never returned to success.

Camille Pissarro was bought for about US$1.37 million last October at Tattersalls by Michal Vincent Magnier.

Victory Blue is 30-1 winner in Boussac

Vertical Blue snatched victory from her stablemate Zarigana to win by a nose at 30-1 in the Prix Marcel Boussac (G1), about a one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.

The victory came with an invitation to race in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

The big favorite at the start, Zarigana came from far back to reel in the leader Exactly, but she lost the benefit of her effort when fellow Frances-Henri Graffard trainee pulled off the upset.

Before Sunday, Vertical Blue had won her maiden at Clairefontaine on third asking and then finished second to Madero in the listed Critérium de Lyon.

Vertical Blue, a Mehmas filly, is owned by the Teboul family's Gemini Stud and by Argella Racing. She was bred by the Haras du Mont dit Mont and bought for US$54,910 by Paul Nataf at the Deauville sales. She is out of Sea the Stars mare Krunch.

Justify filly Ramatuelle scores in Forêt

After several placed efforts at Group 1 level, 3-year-old filly Ramatuelle gained the biggest win of her career in the seven-furlong Prix de la Forêt. On the rain-softened ground, the France filly simply outclassed the opposition, powering three lengths clear of U.K. raider Kinross, who also was second last year.

Trained at Deauville by Yann Barberot, Beauvatier was three-quarters of a length farther adrift in third.

Ramatuelle is trained at Chantilly by Christopher Head, who won this race for the first time. His father Freddy Head and his aunt Criquette Head-Maarek also figure on the Forêt roll of honor.

Bred by Yeguada Centurion, Ramatuelle was purchased at the Deauville Arqana yearling sales. She hails from the first crop of 2018 U.S. Triple Crown champion Justify. She is owned by a partnership that includes former basketball star Tony Parker.

Even though the Forêt was not a win-and-you’re-in race, Ramatuelle is expected to be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.