GB's Eagle Mountain Overcame Fracture for BC Run
Aidan O'Brien's Soldier of Fortune Tired at Breeders' Cup Turf
Nov 11, 2008
How much must a Thoroughbred train to compete in a Breeders' Cup race? Eagle Mountian entered from one win at Newmarket in which he set a course record to finish a game second in 2008's Breeders' Cup Turf. All this since recovering over the past year from a fractured pelvis.
Aidan O'Brien-trained Soldier of Fortune was just three weeks from a third place finish in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-1). The Turf try came a little sooner than he would have liked to use his four-year-old star, O'Brien indicated. The lure of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park's artificially surfaced track was too great.
(He)..."needs a little bit of space between his races. But we had to come here after the Arc," O'Brien summed up.
Complete Order of Finish 2008 BC Turf
Following is the complete order of finish in the BC Turf, along with the entrants' 2008 records prior to the race; pedigrees, and jockeys:
- Conduit (IRE) ----- 5:3-1-1 ----- Dalakhani (IRE)--Well Head (IRE), by Sadler's Wells ----- R. Moore
- Eagle Mountain (GB) ----- 1:1-0-0 ----- Rock of Gibraltar (IRE)--Masskana (IRE), Darshaan (GB) ----- K. Shea
- Dancing Forever ----- 5:2-1-0 ----- Rahy--Dancinginmydreams, by Seeking the Gold ----- R. Douglas
- Soldier of Fortune (IRE) ----- 3:1-1-1 ----- Galileo (IRE)--Affianced (IRE), by Erins Isle (IRE) ----- J. Murtagh
- Out of Control (BRZ) ----- 6:0-3-0 ----- Vettori (IRE)--Heavenly Dancer (BRZ), Fitzcarraldo (ARG) ----- G. Gomez
- Red Rock Canyon (IRE) ----- 6:M-0-1 ----- Rock of Gilbraltar (IRE)--Imagine (IRE), by Sadler's Wells ----- C. O'Donoghue
- Winchester ----- 5:2-1-0 ----- Theatrical (IRE)--Rum Charger (IRE), by Spectrum (IRE) ----- P. Smullen
- Better Talk Now ----- 6:0-1-1 ----- Talkin Man--Bendita, by Baldski ----- R. Dominguez
- Spring House ----- 5:5-0-0 ----- Chester House--Spring Star (BRZ), Itajara (BRZ) ----- J. Velazquez
- Red Rocks (IRE) ----- 3:2-0-0 ----- Galileo (IRE)--Pharmacist (IRE), by Machiavellian ----- F. Dettori
- Grand Couturier (GB) ----- 4:2-1-0 ----- Grand Lodge--Lady Elgar (IRE), by Sadler's Wells ----- A. Garcia
Sir Michael Stoute's Third Turf Win
Conduit, who dashed home past the field in the stretch, gave trainer Sir Michael Stoute his third BC Turf title. Sir Michael also brought in Pilsudski (IRE) in 1996 and Kalinisi (IRE) in 2000.
Irish-bred, Conduit is currently an English-based racer.
BC Turf History Has Seen Ten European Champions
The 25th running of the Breeders' Cup Turf saw European entries finish one-two with Conduit and Eagle Mountain. Previous runnings have been anchored ten times by Euro racers. Traditionally, the Arc, raced in early October, is European racing's fall curtain-closer.
The late October Breeders' Cup World Championships features American racers who come in still fresh from year-round training. The Euro entries face warmer weather conditions, as well as being past their best racing form.
In 1986, Arc winner Dancing Brave, who had finished outside the winner's circle just once, placing second in the Epsom Derby (Eng-1), was expected to sweep the BC Turf. Instead, Jose Santos rushed America's Manila to the wire past Ireland's Theatrical.
Eagle Mountain Trainer to Return to BC
South African trainer Michael de Kock was pleased with Eagle Mountain's effort in the BC Turf. The conditioner is well known in England and in Dubai, places where his trainees have won consistently. The Turf was his first Breeders' Cup race.
Recent American wins in the 2007 Beverly D. Stakes with Irridescence and this year's Arlington Million with Archipenko, and Eagle Mountain's sterling performance in the Turf have given the trainer reason to look forward to next year's American races.
The BC championships will again be run at Santa Anita in 2009.
