Idiomatic was among eight winners of Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on opening weekend at Keeneland.
Juddmonte’s homebred champion Idiomatic grabbed the lead at the start, fended off a challenge at the top of the stretch and cruised to a 6½-length victory over Occult in the 69th running of the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon at Keeneland.
Also posting stakes victories were Minaret Station in the 34th running of the $350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2) for 2-year-olds and Governor Sam in the seventh running of the $250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select for 2-year-olds.
With the repeat victory in the Juddmonte Spinster, Idiomatic earned a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), a race she won last year at Santa Anita en route to earning the Eclipse Award as champion older dirt female.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Idiomatic completed the 1⅛ miles on the fast main track in 1:49.04. Idiomatic became the fifth runner to win the Juddmonte Spinster in consecutive years with the most recent being Blue Prize (ARG) in 2018-2019.
Idiomatic broke sharply and led the race to the first turn ahead of Candied and Loved. She then set unopposed fractions of :23.53, :47.01 and 1:11.10. On the far turn, Candied and Loved both closed in on Idiomatic only to have Idiomatic scamper clear at the top of the stretch and ran unthreatened to the finish.
Idiomatic is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Curlin out of the First Defence mare Lockdown. Now a five-time Grade 1 winner, Idiomatic increased her earnings to $3,944,190 with Sunday’s $367,350 check and improved her record to 17-12-3-2.
Longshot Minaret Station wins Castle & Key Bourbon
OXO Equine’s homebred Minaret Station rallied from far back to spring a 38-1 upset in the Castle & Key Bourbon (G2) by 1½ lengths over Golden Afternoon.
Trained by Will Walden and ridden by Cristian Torres, Minaret Station completed the 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf course in 1:42.28. It is the first Keeneland stakes victory for Walden.
With the victory, Minaret Station earned a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Clock Tower set the pace with fractions of :22.29, :47.02 and 1:11.79 with Golden Afternoon, Warheart, Reach for the Rose and Cavallo Bay (GB) in closest pursuit while Minaret Station raced near the rear of the 12-horse field.
Getting a ground-saving trip from Torres, Minaret Station began closing in on the far turn and was sixth as the field turned into the stretch. Still fifth at the eighth pole, Minaret Station swung out four wide at the sixteenth pole and rocketed past the dueling leaders for the victory.
Minaret Station is a Kentucky-bred son of Instilled Regard out of four-time Grade 2 winner Beau Recall (IRE). A winner of two of three races, Minaret Station earned $198,013 with the win to boost his earnings to $223,968.
Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Winner East Avenue Follows in Maxfield’s Footsteps
On Oct. 5, 2019, trainer Brendan Walsh achieved his first Keeneland stakes victory – and his first Grade 1 win of his career – when Godolphin’s Maxfield romped to a 5½-length victory in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. (G1).
Fast forward five years to the day when Godolphin’s East Avenue turned in a similar performance in posting a 5¼-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Days before the race, Walsh said he would find out how nice a horse East Avenue is. The answer was delivered emphatically.
“He ran great, and it was good to see him get it done,” Walsh said. “There is always a concern going from three-quarters of a mile to two turns, but he showed what kind of horse he is.”
The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Walsh said he would let the dust settle for a couple of days before finalizing plans to ship to Del Mar.
Carl Spackler Scores Front-Running Victory in Coolmore Turf Mile
Gina Romantica, East Avenue, Zeitlos, Our Shot capture other stakes
e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ favored Carl Spackler (IRE) went straight to the lead after the start and then held off a late bid from More Than Looks to post a 1-length victory in the 39th running of the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) for 3-year-olds and up to win the richest race in Keeneland history.
Other Grade 1 winners on the 11-race program were Gina Romantica in the 27th running of the $750,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare for fillies and mares and East Avenue in the 111th running of the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders Futurity for 2-year-olds.
Also capturing stakes on the sun-splashed afternoon were Zeitlos in the 44th running of the $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) for fillies and mares and Our Shot in the 28th running of the $350,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel for 3-year-olds and up.
In the Coolmore Turf Mile, Carl Spackler provided trainer Chad Brown with his 50th Keeneland stakes victory and first in the race. For jockey Tyler Gaffalione, it is his 30th Keeneland stakes victory and second in the race, having won in 2018 with Next Shares.
Carl Spackler outraced Talk of the Nation and Spirit of St Louis to the first turn and set comfortable fractions of :23.93 and :47.28. On the far turn, Carl Spackler began to open up on the field, hit the top of the stretch in complete control and had more than enough to hold off More Than Looks’ belated bid. He completed the mile in 1:34.23.
With the victory, Carl Spackler earned a spot in the starting gate for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF to be run Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
In winning his second consecutive Grade 1 race, Carl Spackler added $589,000 to his earnings that increased to $1,568,475 with a record of 10-7-1-0. He is a 4-year-old son of Lope de Vega out of the More Than Ready mare Zindaya.
