The rivalry between Carl Spackler and Extra Than Appears to be like had been one-sided.
They’d met thrice in a graded stakes, with e 5 Racing Thoroughbreds’ Carl Spackler profitable every time for coach Chad Brown.
Extra Than Appears to be like, owned by Victory Racing Companions and educated by Cherie DeVaux, was no worse than third in every matchup, ending second within the final two conferences, which got here within the grade 1 settings of the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) and the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T).
“Together with his operating type, which is troublesome, as a more in-depth, all the pieces has to sort of fall into play, proper?” mentioned Anthony Bartolo, head of Victory Racing Companions, in regards to the 4-year-old son of Extra Than Prepared. “We all know he likes a quick observe, a quick turf, a agency turf. Principally a pair occasions he bought a bit of little bit of a softer floor, going with out pace in entrance of him.”
Although the third time wasn’t the allure for Extra Than Appears to be like, the fourth certainly was.
Of their most essential assembly of all, it was Extra Than Appears to be like’ flip to shine as he flew residence from eighth within the closing furlong to seize the $1.84 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) as Carl Spackler endured a large journey from publish 10 and completed sixth Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
“Redemption is an enormous deal,” Bartolo mentioned.
For DeVaux, there was supreme satisfaction in profitable her first Breeders’ Cup race since she stopped working as an assistant to Brown and opened her personal secure in 2018.
Throughout her time there she developed a friendship with Bob Edwards and his spouse, Kristine, who personal e 5 Racing Thoroughbreds, and their daughter Cassidy, who’s married to jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Carl Spackler’s common rider.
“The rivalry is good-natured. I’m very shut with the Edwards household and Tyler. It has been an interpersonal relationship. We joked about after we would flip the tables on them. It is particular when you possibly can have these emotions at this stage. I am pleased after they win and I hope they’re pleased for me at present,” DeVaux mentioned.
Getting Extra Than Appears to be like to Saturday’s race took a sensational coaching job by DeVaux and her workers. Third to Carl Spackler final 12 months within the Nationwide Museum of Racing Corridor of Fame Stakes (G2T), Extra Than Appears to be like ended 2023 by closing from thirteenth on the eighth pole within the Breeders’ Cup Mile and winding up sixth, overwhelmed by two lengths.
That spawned excessive hopes for a 4-year-old marketing campaign for the colt bred by Hinkle Farms in Kentucky, however the 12 months began on a bitter word.
“He is a horse who had proven loads of expertise and even ran a sneaky spectacular race within the Breeders’ Cup,” DeVaux mentioned. “With trainers and horses, plans by no means go as you need them to and he harm himself in a stall incident in March. However the tendon healed and he hit each aim to get to the Breeders’ Cup, which is uncommon. The nice feeling of simply getting there may be not misplaced on me.”
After his scheduled 2024 debut within the ungraded Lure Stakes didn’t materialize when the race was washed off the turf, Extra Than Appears to be like debuted with a second, 3 1/2 lengths behind Carl Spackler within the Fourstardave, and adopted that up with a size loss at Keeneland.
“(Because of the damage), we needed to name an inaudible and Cherie did an awesome job with that,” mentioned Bartolo, whose group contains 12 companions and notched its first grade 1 win Saturday.
Longshot Goliad set the tempo with a :22.73 opening quarter-mile within the Mile, however the race belonged to the closers.
Carl Spackler, who broke from the surface publish, made a menacing four-wide transfer for the lead on the ultimate flip, however couldn’t maintain it.
In the meantime, Ten Completely happy Rose , a mare who had been second, led by 1 1/2 lengths on the eighth pole however CUYATHY’s Johannes and Godolphin’s 2-1 favourite Notable Speech have been gaining on her. However earlier than they may strike the lead, Jose Ortiz and Extra Than Appears to be like, who have been tenth and final after the opening quarter and eighth in midstretch, flew previous all of them to win by three-quarters of a size and provides DeVaux her prized Breeders’ Cup win.
“It hasn’t actually set in. It is sort of a whirlwind,” DeVaux mentioned. “It’s extremely thrilling and I am simply ready for it to sink in.”
The Extra Than Prepared 4-year-old lined the mile in 1:32.65 and paid $15.80 to win.
Johannes, a son of Nyquist educated by Tim Yakteen, was second by a head over Notable Speech, a Dubawi 3-year-old educated by Charlie Appleby.
Out of the stakes-winning Harlan’s Vacation mare Girls’ Privilege , Extra Than Appears to be like is the primary of her 5 foals and preliminary stakes winner. She additionally has a yearling Gun Runner colt and a 2024 Upstart filly.
