Love heads to Yorkshire Oaks, seeking Breeders' Cup berth

Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor’s multiple Group 1-winning filly Love (IRE) is set to take on five rivals on Thursday at York in the 1 1/2-mile Yorkshire Oaks (G1) during the York Ebor Festival. The Yorkshire Oaks winner will receive an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf through the international Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is a series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 6-7.

Love, a 3-year-old daughter of Galileo (IRE), is making her first start since her sensational 9-length Investec Oaks (G1) win at Epsom Downs in July, and will once again be ridden by Ryan Moore. Love’s first Classic victory came in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket on June 7.

Love’s trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has enjoyed plenty of success over the years at the Breeders' Cup, saddling 12 winners so far, but has yet to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. He said, “Love has had a good break since the Oaks. She’s done very well physically, and this is a nice start back to her on a flat track, on nice ground. She’s a beautiful mover and she tries very hard. We’re looking forward to running her again. She’s a very exciting filly."

Like O’Brien, John Gosden is seeking a fifth Yorkshire Oaks success, and he is relying on Frankly Darling (GB) and Franconia (GB), two daughters of Frankel (GB). Frankly Darling, who will be ridden by Robert Havlin, won the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot in June, but was a distant third to Love in the Investec Oaks. Meanwhile, Franconia makes her first start at Group level following back-to-back listed wins, with the latest coming at York in July. She will be ridden by James Doyle.

The Jessica-Harrington trained One Voice (IRE) came within a neck of landing the 1 1/4-mile Nassau Stakes (G1) at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in her latest start, and the 3-year-old filly will now race at the 1 1/2-mile distance for the first time. Young jockey Tom Marquand retains the ride on the daughter of Poet’s Voice (GB).

Manuela De Vega (IRE), the only older horse in this year’s race, finished a close fourth in last year’s Investec Oaks (G1) and is unbeaten in two starts this year. Trained by Ralph Beckett, she easily won the Lancashire Oaks (G2) at Haydock Park in her latest start, having earlier landed the Betway Pinnacle Stakes (G3) at the same track.

The lineup is completed by Alpinista (GB). Trained by Sir Mark Prescott, the daughter of Frankel (GB) arrives at York off the back of an easy victory in the listed Upavon Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Yorkshire Oaks to start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders’ Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships’ pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.