How are the champs? Sunday update on Breeders' Cup winners

The Breeders' Cup Notes Team updates eight of the nine Saturday winners the morning after their respective victories at Churchill Downs:

Accelerate (Classic)

The wait is over for highly respected trainer John Sadler, but he wasn’t all that interested in talking about winning his first Breeders’ Cup race after years of trying. Zero for 44 tries was a thing of the past, and Sadler wants to leave it there.

Instead, he was talkin’ horses, particularly Breeders' Cup Classic winner Accelerate. The 5-year-old was scheduled to be vanned to Lane’s End Farm where he’ll get some “R & R” and be shown to prospective breeders as a future stallion.

“You know the John Sadler human-interest story is a good line, but this needs to be about the horse,” Sadler said. “I hope people will zero in on his campaign – five Grade 1 victories with four at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter and usually carrying high weight. He showed [in the Classic] with horses from around the world, that he was the best horse. He had a great campaign and we’re very proud of that. He’s really a champion.”

Following his screen test, Sadler said, Accelerate will be returned to the trainer’s Southern California barn to be prepared for what figures to be his final race before going to stud – the $9 million Pegasus Handicap at Florida’s Gulfstream Park Jan. 26.

As for how Accelerate exited the Classic, Sadler said he looked very good Sunday morning. “We jogged him up and down the road [outside Churchill Downs’ Barn 43] and he looked very sound and happy.”

Enable (Turf)

Champion mare Enable, who created history by becoming the first horse to win the Breeders' Cup Turf and a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same season pleased trainer John Gosden this morning when he went to see the daughter of Nathaniel. “She is absolutely fine this morning” Gosden said. A decision as to whether Enable remains in training will be made later.

Monomoy Girl (Distaff)

It was business as usual around the Brad Cox barn Sunday morning, one day after capping their banner year with a Breeders’ Cup Distaff victory by Monomoy Girl. Cox reported that his star filly, who is all but assured the 3-year-old filly championship after her win Saturday, came out of the race well and would be given a few days to “relax and chill” before any future plans are made.

Cox said she would race again as a 4-year-old with the ultimate goal being a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. 

In most years, both Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Accelerate and Monomoy Girl would be top contenders for Horse of the Year, but are likely to lose the title to Triple Crown winner Justify, who was retired undefeated after the Belmont Stakes in June. 

“With what he accomplished, in such a short amount of time, he deserves Horse of the Year,” Cox said. “Someone did tell me that they thought that Monomoy Girl’s campaign was the most impressive by a 3-year-old filly since Rachel Alexandra. I’m not saying it was, but that was a pretty big compliment."

Roy H (Sprint) and Stormy Liberal (Turf Sprint)

Trainer Peter Miller, beaming the day after a second consecutive Breeders’ Cup in which he scored victories with Stormy Liberal and Roy H.

Stormy Liberal and Roy H are both fully or partially owned by Rockingham Ranch and may possibly each have a return trip to Dubai in the cards for the $2 million Al Quiz Sprint and $2.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen, respectively.

Stormy Liberal was second in the Al Quoz Sprint in March and Roy H was third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. He also confirmed that Richard’s Boy and Conquest Tsunami appear no worse for the wear. 

“We’re all good,” Miller confirmed.

Sistercharlie (Filly & Mare Turf)

Trainer Chad Brown confirmed Sunday morning that his nine Breeders’ Cup Saturday horses came out of their races well, including Filly & Mare Turf winner Sistercharlie. He also confirmed that Distaff runner-up Wow Cat and Sistercharlie will likely stay in training in 2019. 

“So far so good,” Brown said. 

City of Light (Dirt Mile)

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s City of Light, front-running winner of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, is scheduled to return to trainer Michael McCarthy’s Southern California base early Monday morning.

“He came out of the race in good order and ate up last night,” McCarthy said before heading to the airport and a flight to California. “We will see how he comes out of this race and if he acts like he needs a race. The Cigar Mile is an option."

In posting his 2 3/4-length victory, City of Light was paired with jockey Javier Castellano for the first time in a race. However, last Sunday Castellano got aboard City of Light and worked a half-mile in 47 3/5, the third fastest move of 113 at the distance that morning.

“When I saw he went the last quarter in 22 and 4 and Javier never moved on him, I knew it was his race to lose,” said McCarthy, who won his first Breeders’ Cup race.

Shamrock Rose (Filly & Mare Sprint)

The longshot winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint was in good order Sunday morning.

“I was concerned at the quarter pole because she was a little far back but she weaved through traffic and (jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) rode her great,” Nick Tomlinson, assistant to trainer Mark Casse said Sunday morning. “She came out of the race well and Mark and (owners Penny and Manfred Conrad) will have to talk about what is next for her. Right now, we have no immediate plans and nothing penciled in.”

The victory was the fourth consecutive stakes victory for the 3-year-old daughter of First Dude.