Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31
$2 Million Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade I)
Three-Year-Olds & Up
One Mile (Turf)
Saturday, October 31
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Contact Notes Team (859) 250-0358
Esoterique – See European Report
Grand Arch – With the main track sloppy, trainer Bryan Lynch sent the 6yo Arch
gelding to the synthetic 5f training track where he jogged once and galloped twice around.
Regular exercise rider Louis Rushlow was aboard with Erin Cotterill aboard stable pony Casey.
“It was a hiccup-free morning,” Lynch said. “We’d like to get back on the main track and
into the routine of a regular gallop out there, but we’ll see how that surface is in the morning.”
Lynch said Grand Arch would train sometime after daylight on Thursday.
Impassable – See European Report
Karakontie – See European Report
Make Believe – See European Report
Mondialiste – See European Report
Mshawish – Al Shaqab Racing’s Mshawish continued to train well Wednesday morning
at Keeneland, providing trainer Todd Pletcher with optimism that the son of Medaglia d’Oro will
be at his best in Saturday’s Mile.
“He’s a very, very talented horse. He’s a good work horse. He can do some impressive
things in the morning and the afternoon. He’s rounding back into his best form,” Pletcher said.
“He has only had one race since his race in Dubai, so hopefully he’s sitting on a good one.”
Mshawish, who began his career in France, broke through with his first official U.S.
victory in the El Prado Stakes at Gulfstream last December. (He was disqualified from an
allowance win at Belmont in August.) The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred turf specialist came right
back to capture the Fort Lauderdale and the Gulfstream Park Turf before venturing to Dubai for a
third-place finish in the Dubai Turf in March.
“He had a great run at Gulfstream and when you look at his third in Dubai running
against the likes of Solow, that form holds up very well,” Pletcher said.
Frankie Dettori, who rode Mshawish in Dubai, has the return mount.
Obviously – The veteran 7yo gelding jogged twice around the Keeneland training track
on Wednesday morning in preparation for what will be his fourth straight Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Perfect Drift, Kona Gold and Better Talk Now all hold the record for most consecutive starts in
the Breeders’ Cup. They have each made five starts in the Classic, Sprint and Turf, respectively.
Obviously’s lone start this year came in last month’s Woodbine Mile where he ran third
behind fellow Mile starter Mondialiste and Dirt Mile contender Lea. Nevertheless, D’Amato
believes that Obviously has what it takes to still run a big race.
“This campaign was designed solely to give him his best Breeders Cup chance and keep
him fresh. It seems like his second race off the bench are his best ones,” he said.
Tepin – Dual Grade 1 winner Tepin, who is trying to join the small and highly select
class of females with the ability to beat the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, stayed in the barn
and tack-walked Wednesday morning for trainer Mark Casse.
Robert Masterson’s 4yo filly has raced only against her gender in all of her 14 prior
starts, but Casse elected to run her in the Mile rather than the Filly & Mare Turf as she has
proven that the distance of 1m is her ideal.
Should she prevail on Saturday, she will join the trio of legendary females who have
accomplished winning the Mile Goldikova (2008-09-2010), Miesque (1988-89) and Royal
Heroine (1984) since the race’s inaugural running in 1984.
“Tepin has been a joy for us all year. She has a lot of ability and she’s all heart. She gives
you everything she’s got, every time, and you can’t ask for more than that,” said Casse, who is
confident that Tepin will show up with her running shoes on again on Saturday.
Casse, who is seeking his first Breeders’ Cup trophy after coming up empty with 23
previous starters, will also saddle Conquest Big E in the Juvenile, Conquest Daddyo and
Airoforce in the Juvenile Turf and Catch a Glimpse in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Siding Spring is
an also-eligible for the Juvenile.
Tourist – Tourist galloped on the main track Wednesday after walking the shedrow. He
and trainer Bill Mott’s other three Breeders’ Cup horses posted their final work, Monday.
####