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New York connections celebrate on Breeders' Cup Saturday

by Keith McCalmont

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. guided Vino Rosso to victory in the Grade 1, $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic for his third win on the day as New York-based stars factored significantly throughout the day's nine events on Breeders' Cup Saturday from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Trained by New York-based Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, Vino Rosso, who crossed the wire first in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last out at Belmont Park but was demoted to second for interference in late stretch on Code of Honor, found redemption with a powerful stretch run in the Classic.

The victory marked the 11th Breeders’ Cup win and first Classic score for Pletcher.

“It really wasn’t about the last race (DQ). It was about winning a Classic especially for Mike (Repole) and Vinnie (Viola) and their families," said Pletcher. "We just felt like the last five weeks the horse has been training unbelievably well. I’ve been anxious for the race to get here and just nervous about it. It’s been a while since I came into a race of this magnitude with a horse doing this well.

"Every indication in his works, the way he shipped in, the way he galloped over the track. Everything was there indicating he was sitting on a lifetime best performance," added Pletcher. "So you always worry, did we ship in at the right time, but every indication was he was sitting on a big one and when it actually happens it’s very rewarding, very fulfilling, very emotional.”

McKinzie assumed the lead at the top of the lane in the 1 ¼-mile Classic, but could not hold off the formidable charge of Vino Rosso, the 2018 Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner at the Big A, who scored by 4 ¼-lengths.

In victory, Ortiz, Jr., who also captured the Grade 2 Juvenile Turf Sprint with Four Wheel Drive on Future Stars Friday, and added scores on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Dirt Mile with Spun to Run and a potential Horse of the Year-confirming win aboard Bricks and Mortar in the Grade 1, $4 million Turf, secured Shoemaker Award honors for the jockey who rides the most winners in the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races. Ortiz, Jr. brought his Breeders’ Cup win total to nine with the impressive display.

“Special day," said Ortiz, Jr. "I think Bricks and Mortar is definitely the Horse of the Year. I’m so happy.”

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Bricks and Mortar, with Ortiz, Jr. up for trainer Chad Brown, may have secured Horse of the Year honors with a tremendous head score in the Grade 1 Turf.

“This horse is remarkable,” said Brown, who was leading trainer at the recently concluded Belmont fall meet and ended the day with 15 career Breeders’ Cup wins. “This is the biggest win of my career, and the biggest for my team, for sure. He has a lot of guts. What an awesome horse. We’re so, so fortunate he’s in our barn.”

The 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway, who had a perfect 5-for-5 record on the year heading into the event, was travelling 12 furlongs for the first time in the Turf. Rated comfortably in sixth through the early running, Ortiz, Jr. tipped Bricks and Mortar out for the stretch run and reeled in a resilient United for a head score.

It was the fifth Grade 1 win of the perfect campaign for Bricks and Mortar, who also scored in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream; the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs; the Manhattan at Belmont Park; and the Arlington Million.

“This is a special horse. He might be the best I’ve ever ridden,” said Ortiz, Jr. “Today, he was a little keen with me, so we were closer to the pace than normal. So, I just tried to get him to relax. When I asked him to run, I looked behind me and saw we were clear. He saw that other horse in front of us and he fought all the way to the wire. I knew it was very close, but I thought we won it. I’m so happy.”

LNJ Foxwoods' Covfefe kicked off the Breeders' Cup action with a prominent effort in the Grade 1, $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint. Trained by Brad Cox and perfectly piloted by Joel Rosario, Covfefe stalked and pounced her way to the lead and held off an onrushing Bellafina for the three-quarter length win covering seven furlongs in 1:22.40. New York-based Dawn the Destroyer, who captured the Interborough at Aqueduct in January and was runner-up to Filly and Mare rival Come Dancing in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga in August, rallied late for third.

“Coming out of the one hole, there were a couple horses that showed more speed out of there,” said Rosario. “I was able to work my way out and get her in the clear. After that, she did all the work.”

Covfefe broke through at the top flight at Saratoga Race Course when edging Serengeti Empress in the Grade 1 Test on August 3.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano guided Belvoir Bay to an upset score in the Grade 1, $1 million Turf Sprint. Trained by Peter Miller for owner Gary Barber, Belvoir Bay blasted out of the outside post in the five-furlong sprint and made all the running en route to a 1 ¼-length score in a course record 54.83. Her stablemate Om, also trained by Miller with Manny Franco up, completed the exacta in front of the Irad Ortiz, Jr.-piloted Shekky Shebaz.

Ortiz, Jr. guided Robert Donaldson’s Spun to Run to the front and never looked back in a comfortable 2 ¾-length score in the Grade 1, $1 million Dirt Mile. Trained by Juan Carlos Guerrero, Spun to Run turned back pressure from Blue Chipper and Mr. Money before staying off the late charge of favored Omaha Beach to secure the win.

Irish-bred Iridessa, piloted by Wayne Lordan for trainer Joseph O’Brien, shipped to win the Grade 1, $2 million Filly and Mare Turf in a dramatic stretch run, holding off a game and determined Vasilika under Flavien Prat. Sistercharlie, the 4-5 mutuel favorite for trainer Chad Brown, completed the trifecta under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

William and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Mitole, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., collared sophomore speedster Shancelot to capture the much anticipated Grade 1, $2 million Sprint.

Mitole won the Grade 1 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on June 8 and added a second Grade 1 score on August 24 when a three-length winner of the Forego at Saratoga.

Shancelot flashed brilliance at Saratoga with a 12 ½-length romp in the Grade 2 Amsterdam on July 28. With Jose Ortiz up for the first time in the Sprint, Shancelot set swift splits reaching the half-mile in 44.04. Mitole, stalking from fourth, advanced into the turn and exploded late in the lane for a 1 ¼-length win. He covered six furlongs in 1:09 flat.

Fillies dominated the Grade 1, $2 million Mile with Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Bethlehem Stables' Uni, a 5-year-old mare piloted by Rosario for trainer Chad Brown, rallied from 10th at the half-mile call to a rousing 1 ½-length score over Grade 1 Fourstardave-winning filly Got Stormy.

Uni captured the Perfect Sting at Belmont on June 29 to kick off her campaign ahead of a closing third in the Fourstardave, which Got Stormy won in course record time. She arrived at the Breeders’ Cup off a win in the Grade 1 First Lady on October 5 at Keeneland and proved resilient in a stirring stretch run in her bid to secure Eclipse Award-honors.

“I asked her at the three-eighths pole and she gave me a strong run,” said Rosario. “That’s when I knew we would win. But when we got alongside of her (Got Stormy), she fought back a little. For a minute I thought oh-oh, because she’s a very nice filly who beat us this summer. But, my filly still had more left and we pulled cleared her in the last sixteenth.”

Merriebelle Stable’s Blue Prize, with Joe Bravo up for trainer Ignacio Correas IV, got the jump on favored Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1, $2 million Distaff to secure a 1 ½-length win.

Midnight Bisou, trained by Asmussen for Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing, was 7-for-7 on the year, heading into the Distaff, including Grade 1 wins in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont and Personal Ensign at Saratoga. She entered the Breeders’ Cup off a convincing score in the Grade 2 Beldame Invitational at Belmont, but was mired in eighth at the three-quarter marker in the Distaff as Bravo was advancing from fifth with Blue Prize. Serengeti Empress held a narrow lead at the top of the lane, but Blue Prize, who won the Summer Colony at the Spa on August 18, edged to the lead and stayed off a stubborn Midnight Bisou.

“She has beaten Elate and Midnight Bisou in two months, what else do you want to ask of a horse,” said Correas IV. “She’s a champion and all the credit is for her. We have been blessed to have her. It’s been a great ride. We have great owners who let us plan and execute. But it’s all about this filly. It was about the way she needed to run, 4-5 lengths off the pace.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a 10-race card featuring a trio of stakes including the Grade 3 Nashua, the $125,000 Zagora and the $100,000 Chelsey Flower. First post is 12 p.m.