LEXINGTON, KY – Coolmore’s Victoria Street (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) poked her nose at the wire in front of her Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) to give the Irish drivers their second win of the afternoon and deny Godolphin a brace in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf S. Friday in Keeneland. In no hurry soon, the pony was ranked in the middle of the pack along the track, while Silver Knott trailed right behind him. Ryan Moore tilted Victoria Street out of aisle four at the top of the lane, while William Buick on the Silver Knott got stuck on the tracks. Victoria Road can slide between enemies, jump on Silver Knott, who only needs a little stability in traffic along the rail, and have a slight advantage in the middle of the road. Silver Knott looked like it was going to be fast ahead in a deep run, but Victoria Road had all the obvious momentum to stay ahead on the road.
Winning coach Aidan O’Brien said: “Ryan had him in a lovely position today. “He said he would produce him late. I just didn’t know he would produce him so late. But we are really excited. “
Of his ride, Moore said, “My horse is in a nice position and the pace is set straight back. There is a lot of traffic entering the lane. I think I’ll try to get out, Mike [Smith aboard Packs a Wahlop] went out, and I was thinking of following him. There wasn’t much room, but there was enough space and my horse showed a really good attitude and it sped and passed. I think when he did that, he shut down a little bit and just drifted off the middle of the track a little bit. And he left the door open for the runner-up. I felt he would catch me, but my horse responded, or maybe the other horse peeped a little at his run. But I think in lane he won. The lead said it was close, but I’m pretty sure he held on. “
Coach Charlie Appleby missed his second win of the afternoon following Godolphin’s win with Naughty Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint earlier on the card.
“When they crossed the line, I think Aidan won it, to be honest, too good for them,” Appleby said. “He was lucky enough to get the bonus when he needed it, so there’s no excuse there. And that’s a stupid head. I think Aidan went there at first. The more I watch [the replay], I have a little more hope. He is running well and has lost nothing in defeat. “
Victoria Road took five starts to break her maidenhood – completing that first win at Gowran Park in August – but quickly added wins in the August 20 Criterium du Fonds in Deauville and in the GIII Prix de Conde September 17 on nine featherweights in Chantilly just past timed out.
“He’s gotten better over the course of the year,” Moore said. “Now he has won the last four matches. He won a little further. But he is a good moving horse with high speed. He is very comfortable. And he got rid of a mare very quickly. But Saxon Warriorof Deep Impact, you’d think he’d be more of a 3-year-old than a 2-year-old. “
O’Brien admits the team was disappointed when Victoria Road failed to win his first sprints.
O’Brien said: “We thought he was going to be too soon. “He is a good sized horse, a very fast horse. We ran him over five and six [furlongs] early and we are disappointed that he was defeated. He was very fast on the dam side. And obviously class and stamina come from Saxon Warrior. “
O’Brien said: “When Ryan last won at Victoria Road, he won nine races, which was a difficult thing to do. Ryan told me then he thought he was our French Derby horse for next year. So he is a very interesting horse. He’s not big. He is very balanced.”
This is the fifth time O’Brien and Moore have teamed up to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The two caught up with Wrote (Ire) in 2011, George Vancouver in 2012, Hit it a Bomb in 2015 and Mendelssohn in 2017.
Genealogical notes:
Victoria Street was one of three groups to win the first crop for Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and is the first winner of the top level stallion. Coolmore, who has also been represented this season by French team winner Moon Ray (Fr) and Irish group winner Lumiere Rock (Ire), won G1’s 2018 Guineas English 2000. The stallion is the son of champion Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and has an underrated 2-year-old brother, as well as a half-brother who is weaned by King (GB).
Two-time group winner Tickled Pink has a weaned foal by Ghaiyath (Ire). The mare is the half-sister of Theann (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), who has created many Class I (Ire) award winning photo calls (Galileo {Ire}); and to the winner of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas Halfway to Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who is the dam of the champions Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire) }). Rhododendron is a juvenile dam that won this year’s Group 1 first prize Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Friday, Keeneland
BREEDERS’ JUVENILE TURF-GI Cup$920,000, Keeneland, 11-4, 2yo, c/g, 1mT, 1:35.99, fm.
first-VICTORIA ROAD (IRE), 122, c, 2, by Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
First Beat: Tickled Pink (Ire) (MGSW-Eng, $117,768), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), of the Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd beat: Rahaam, by Secreto
GRADE 1 I WIN. (115,000gns Ylg ’21 TATOCT). O-ma. John
Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg;
BT. Stewart (IRE); T-Aidan P. O’Brien; J-Ryan L. Moore.
$520,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 8-4-2-0, $663,779. Werk
Nick Rating: F. Click to view eNicks report and pedigree of 5 children.
Click to view Free Equineline.com catalog style genealogy.
2-Silver Knott (GB)122, c, 2, Lope de Vega (Ire) –God Given
(GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). TYPE 1ST G1 BLACK. (725,000gns Ylg
’21 TATOCT). O-Godolphin, LLC Lessee; B-St Albans Bloodstock
LLP (GB); T-Charles Appleby. $170,000.
3–Nagirroc122, c, 2, Lea – Emma Spencer (Ire), by Zamindar.
TYPE 1ST G1 BLACK. O-Madaket Stables LLC, Little Red Feather
Racing & William Strauss; B-Chervenell Thoroughbreds LLC
(CZK); ORDER. Graham Motion. $90,000.
Margin: NO, 2 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 5.57, 1.41, 39.87.
Also Ran: Mo Stash, Battle of Normandy, Gaslight Dancer, Andthewinneris, Packs a Wahlop, Major Dude, I’m Very Busy, Webslinger, Really Good, Reckoning Force, Curly Larry and Mo.
Click to view Equibase.com chart and PP of TJCIS.com. VIDEO sponsored by TVG.
