Yoshida takes a familiar path back to the Breeders' Cup Classic
Yoshida, fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is on schedule to make a repeat appearance in the $6 million race set for Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.
Sean Tugel, assistant racing manager for co-owner WinStar Farm, said, “We’ll take the same path as last year when he almost pulled it off.”
A season ago, Yoshida won Saratoga’s Woodward Stakes (G1) and trained up to the Breeders’ Cup. At Churchill Downs he ended up just 1 3/4 lengths behind Accelerate and was a nose away from eclipsing Thunder Snow for third in a deep field of handicappers.
This year, the division’s in disarray with 25-1 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) winner Mongolian Groom the latest qualifier. Yoshida will enter the Classic off a third in the Woodward; two starts back, he ran second in Saratoga’s Whitney (G1).
“He’s a horse that certainly loves Saratoga,” Tugel said. “He’ll stay there and train. His Whitney was a fantastic race, and then he ran a really good race in the Woodward having to give a lot of weight to the field.
“He just didn’t quite get there, but as long as he stays training the way he is now, we expect him to run a big race.”
The 5-year-old by Heart’s Cry, who’s also campaigned by China Horse Club and Head of Plains Partners, a half mile Sunday in 49.29 seconds at Saratoga. Recently, trainer Bill Mott remarked of training up to the Breeders’ Cup, saying, “I think he’ll run good fresh.”
Earlier this season, Yoshida ran sixth over soft ground in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1); sixth in the Dubai World Cup (G1); and sixth again upon returning to the U.S. for Churchill Downs’ Stephen Foster (G2).
Similar to in 2018, his form turned for the better once at Saratoga.
WinStar Farm, which co-owns the 2-year-old debut Saratoga winner Gouverneur Morris, will hope to qualify another championship starter when that one returns in Saturday’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Tugel said there are no current plans for Improbable, fourth as the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) favorite back on Sept. 21.