LEXINGTON, KY–Sitting Meditation (Ire) (No, never) scored the first of two wins for Coolmore, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore Friday, scoring the winning goal for the home team at GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Backed at 2-1, the meditator left the stalls to establish position, settling in the third line near the back of the pack as an 18-1 hit Spirit Gal (Fr) (God of Invincibility {Ire}) makes an opening quarter at: 23.19 and a half at: 47.60. Meditate on tiptoeing out a little to sit among the flock while returning to the spacious home. Kicking into the high gear at the beginning of the stretch, Bay unleashed a powerful leg swing that easily rolled to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Shug McGaughey trained by Shug Pleasant passage (More than ready) is the runner-up with Cairo Consort (Prince Cairo) in third place.
“We had a reason (she didn’t win) at Curragh and a reason for her last race and were uncertain about the mileage,” said O’Brien, who teamed up with Moore and Coolmore to join the GI. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf after two races. “Ryan (Moore) gave her a great ride. Michael (Tabor) is very confident that this is the race for her. Unbelievable. We came here to see if she was the bad guy for the Guineas. And I heard Michael say to Ryan before the race, if she didn’t come here, we might not be training her for the Guineas. Obviously, the results are amazing. Ryan was very patient. He did not have an easy draw and said he had to take his time in the first half. Very happy for everyone. “
“Obviously it’s always been tough coming here,” says Moore. “Everything needs to go in the right direction. No one is here to be defeated. The filly did it very easily and has a lot of talent. She hasn’t run a bad race all year and gets better with every race. She starts well, goes a little hard, I will expand and the pace is steady. I followed a horse in the back and she caught up very well in the ramp. She covered them with a long front feather and stuck her ears forward. She is the best. “
As for the runner-up, McGaughey said: “I think she ran really well. She missed the holiday just a little bit, but I love her place there. When the winner moves, we have to wait a bit. When she’s clear in the stretch, I think she’s done very well. “
A nice first winner at Curragh in April, Meditate returned with three more wins later, taking G3 Naas Fillies Sprint S. May 15, Royal Ascot’s G3 Albany S. June 17 and Curragh’s G2 Debutante S. August 20 . Her hot streak ended on September 11 when she finished second in G1 Moyglare Stud S. and she finished exactly once again last time in G1 Cheveley Park S. in Newmarket.
Genealogical notes:
No, never Only appeared for a short while coming in second as favorite at GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in 2014, but the stallion Coolmore won the 2022 championship card with his daughter is Meditate. This girl is one of 26 winners in her pool/classified for her breed, whose monster results this year include Group 1 winner Juvenile Blackbeard and 2-year-old Little Bear Group 1 winner .
Pembina is a half-sister to the winner of Team and Rank I Ectot (GB) (Storm runs {Ire}). Meditation is her most recent pony. –Jessica Martini
Friday, Keeneland
BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF-HOLD$920,000, Keeneland, 11-4, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.38, fm.
first-MEDITATE (IRE), 122, f, 2, by No, never
Dam One: Pembina (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mahalia (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Maresca (Ire), Mill Reef
GRADE 1 I WIN. (€ 360,000 Ylg ’21 ARAUG). O-ma. John
Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg;
B-Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan P.
O’Brien; J-Ryan L. Moore. $520,000. Lifetime record: MGSW &
GISP-Ire, GSW & GISP-Eng, 7-5-2-0, $862,341. Nick Werk
Rating: A+. Click to view eNicks report and pedigree of 5 children.
Click to view Free Equineline.com catalog style genealogy.
2-Pleasant Passage, 122, f, 2, by More than ready
The first dam: The peaceful road, by War front
2nd dam: Flying Passage, by AP Indy
Dam 3: Chic Shirine, by Mr. Pros Inspector
TYPE 1ST G1 BLACK. O/B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-Claude R.
McGaughey III. $170,000.
3–Cairo Consort, 122, f, 2, by Prince Cairo
First Smash: Absolutely Awesome, by Street Cry (Ire)
Smash #2: Amazingly Discreet, by Awesome Again
Strike 3: Quite discreet, with a personal account
($37,000 RNA Wlg ’20 FTKNOV; $95,000 Ylg ’21 FTKOCT).
O-Maple Lane Farm LLC; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Nathan
Request. $90,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.04, 6.41, 19.14.
Also Ran: Midnight Mile (Ire), Free Look, Last Call, Comanche Country (Ire), Manhattan Jungle (Ire), Be Your Best (Ire), Delight, Basil Martini (Ire), Bling, Spirit Gal (Fr) , Xigera. Scratches: Charming Angel (GB), G Laurie.
Click to view Equibase.com chart and PP of TJCIS.com. VIDEO sponsored by TVG.
