Is Breeders' Cup Classic winner racing in England this week?
Mandaloun. Rombauer. Mystic Guide. Country Grammer. Charlatan.
Sadly, a large number of high-profile Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders have been sidelined this summer, so the complexion of the year-end championship remains very much in flux.
Who will prevail when the Classic heads to Del Mar in November? Perhaps we’ll see a 3-year-old rise to the occasion, such as Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality. Or maybe one of the remaining older stars will take top honors – recent Whitney (G1) winner Knicks Go, for example.
Or perhaps we’ll see an international raider claim the Classic for the first time since Raven’s Pass in 2008. One candidate might be Mishriff, who can earn a “win-and-you're-in” berth to the Classic when he starts as the favorite in England’s prestigious Juddmonte International (G1) Wednesday at York.
Raven’s Pass was a high-class turf miler who won the Classic over Santa Anita’s old synthetic surface, so the question of handling dirt never came up. Mishriff won’t have the same advantage, but he probably doesn’t need it. Remember the $20 million Saudi Cup over the dirt track at Riyadh in February? The 1 1/8-mile event was supposed to be a showdown between the speedy American stars Charlatan and Knicks Go, but they could finish only second and fourth as Mishriff rallied to win by a length.
This was hardly Mishriff’s first encouraging effort on dirt. As a 3-year-old in 2020, the son of Make Believe finished second in Riyadh’s Saudi Derby over one mile, a distance that surely is shorter than his best. Indeed, Mishriff boasts an abundance of stamina, which he has displayed while winning the 1 5/16-mile Prix du Jockey Club (G1) and the 1 1/2-mile Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) on turf.
Mishriff remains in strong form, hence his favoritism for the 1 5/16-mile Juddmonte International. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the bay colt arrives at York off a game runner-up effort in the 1 1/2-mile King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), where he was beaten only 1 3/4 lengths by exciting Epsom Derby (G1) winner Adayar. Considering Mishriff conceded 11 pounds to Adayar, this was a solid effort.
A deep field is slated to contest the Juddmonte International, led by the high-class fillies Love and Alcohol Free. Love, a four-time Group 1 winner, ran below expectations when finishing third as the favorite in the King George. But she previously had shown front-running grit to win the 1 1/4-mile Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) off a long layoff at Royal Ascot, so Love is eligible to bounce back in her third start of the season.
As for Alcohol Free, she is unproven beyond one mile, but she has defeated top-class competition in both the Coronation (G1) and Sussex (G1) over her preferred trip. The latter race saw Alcohol Free conquer males (including British classic winner Poetic Flare) by a decisive 1 3/4 lengths, and the fact that she will carry 10 pounds fewer than Mishriff stamps the 3-year-old filly as an intriguing contender.
But if Mishriff brings his A game to York, he will be widely expected to visit the winner’s circle. Of course, securing a berth to the Classic won’t necessarily guarantee Mishriff’s participation. John Gosden (who coincidentally trained Raven’s Pass) indicated earlier this year that the short homestretch at Del Mar is unlikely to suit Mishriff’s running style and that the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) is a more likely autumn target.
On the other hand, the muddled status of the stateside Classic contenders would make Mishriff an appealing contender if he does wind up making the trip to Del Mar. Assuming Mishriff reiterates his affinity for middle distances with a victory in the Juddmonte International, I would be inclined to view him as an intriguing player for the Breeders’ Cup.
The Juddmonte International isn’t the only Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series event taking place at York this week. Thursday brings the 1 1/2-mile Yorkshire Oaks (G1) for fillies and mares, in which Aidan O’Brien’s spectacular sophomore filly Snowfall looms as an overwhelming favorite. The daughter of Deep Impact has been simply breathtaking this season, dominating the Epsom Oaks (G1) by a jaw-dropping 16 lengths before smashing the Irish Oaks (G1) by 8 1/2 lengths.
Snowfall will face older rivals for the first time in the Yorkshire Oaks, with multiple Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (in the midst of a four-race win streak) the best of the lot. But if Snowfall replicates her Oaks form, she can win for fun and secure an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Friday is also shaping up to be an exciting day. The five-furlong Nunthorpe Stakes (G1), a “win-and-you're-in” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, features an American presence in the form of Golden Pal. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner kicked off 2021 with a flashy victory in the Quick Call (G3) at Saratoga and is favored to take top honors in the Nunthorpe. The Wesley Ward trainee already has experience shipping to Europe, finishing second by a neck in the 2020 Norfolk S. (G2) at Royal Ascot, and he will have every chance to go one better at York.
Three-time group stakes winner Suesa is the second choice in the early betting, while Dragon Symbol is another key contender. The latter knocked heads with Wesley Ward’s Campanelle in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot, crossing the wire first before being disqualified to second for interfering with Campanelle through the drive. If Golden Pal falters, either one could visit the winner’s circle.