O’Brien Chases an Elusive BC Traditional With Metropolis of Troy

Since operating his first horse in a Breeders’ Cup race in 1998, Aidan O’Brien has gained 18 Breeders’ Cup races, second solely to Corridor of Famer D. Wayne Lukas’ 20 wins. His Breeders’ Cup horses have earned almost $33.9 million, trailing solely the secure tally of Corridor of Famer Bob Baffert, one other 18-time winner, with virtually $40.4 million. 

These outcomes usually are not shocking from the 55-year-old O’Brien, a coaching legend generally known as “The Grasp of Ballydoyle,” who bases his Irish secure there because the non-public coach for Coolmore, the internationally acclaimed racing and breeding operation.

Having gained greater than 400 group/grade 1 races worldwide, few vital races have eluded O’Brien. But the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Traditional (G1) is one. Seventeen instances he has began a horse within the 1 1/4-mile race, solely to be denied, although three have come shut by hitting the board.

Big’s Causeway, O’Brien’s first Traditional starter, ran second to Tiznow  on the Churchill Downs grime in 2000; Henrythenavigator  was additionally runner-up within the 2008 Traditional, although over the then-synthetic floor at Santa Anita Park; and Declaration of Conflict  ran third when the race was again on grime at Santa Anita in 2013, narrowly crushed by Mucho Macho Man   and Will Take Cost . Big’s Causeway and Declaration of Conflict misplaced in picture finishes—the previous by a neck, the latter by a nostril and head.

Now O’Brien and his Coolmore-affiliated homeowners of Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor are again for an additional crack on the Traditional prize, beginning reigning European 2-year-old champion male Metropolis of Troy  within the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Traditional at Del Mar in Southern California. As many as 13 foes will line up in opposition to him, together with an American-trained colt with some frequent possession with Metropolis of Troy, the Chad Brown-trained Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Sierra Leone .

Like most of these O’Brien has run earlier than within the Traditional, Metropolis of Troy has no race expertise on grime. Regardless of that, the 3-year-old is favored in ante-post (future-book) wagering with British bookmakers for the Traditional, forward of Travers Stakes (G1) winner Fierceness  and Japanese star Without end Younger .

The optimism from abroad punters is said to Metropolis of Troy’s accomplishments in Europe—he’s 6-for-7, a four-time group 1 winner, and the top-rated turf horse on the planet—plus his pedigree, being a son of Justify  , who excelled on grime, profitable the 2018 Triple Crown. Metropolis of Troy comes into the Traditional off three straight wins, victorious within the June 1 Epsom Derby (G1), the July 6 Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown, and the Aug. 21 Juddmonte Worldwide Stakes (G1) at York. The latter victory earned him a paid, automated berth within the Traditional through the Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection: Win and You are In. He’s one among 19 horses O’Brien pre-entered over 14 races within the two-day Breeders’ Cup.

“He was a horse we at all times dreamed about that perhaps could possibly be very aggressive within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional,” O’Brien stated throughout an Oct. 23 media teleconference. “Clearly, we by no means gained it earlier than, however we had been positioned with some superb horses. And so we at all times thought this horse was sort of like Big’s Causeway, however just a bit bit extra class.”

That’s excessive reward contemplating that Big’s Causeway, a fellow Kentucky-bred and a son of Storm Cat, was 9-4-0 in 13 begins with greater than $3 million in earnings. Nicknamed the “Iron Horse,” he was a six-time group 1 winner, 2000 Cartier Horse of the 12 months, and 2000 champion 3-year-old colt in England and Eire.

American runners Captain Steve, Albert the Nice, Lemon Drop Child, Fusaichi Pegasus, and Cat Thief couldn’t run inside just a few lengths of Tiznow within the 2000 Traditional as Big’s Causeway did, just some ft away from victory. This got here regardless of him needing to be blindfolded to enter the beginning gate and jockey Mick Kinane getting his using crop briefly tangled in his reins as he urged Big’s Causeway late within the race.

Although Big’s Causeway misplaced the Traditional, the flexibility and the excessive stage of efficiency he confirmed over grime, along with his success on turf, led him to develop into a sizzling younger stallion fancied by breeders worldwide. After one 12 months at stud in 2001 at Coolmore Stud in Eire, he transferred to Coolmore’s Kentucky farm, Ashford Stud, the place he commanded a $135,000 payment in 2002. He went on to have an extended and profitable profession as a stallion earlier than he died in 2018 at age 21.

A high efficiency from Metropolis of Troy within the Traditional would equally add to his worldwide business stud enchantment. Coolmore introduced earlier this month that Metropolis of Troy would go to stud at their Irish headquarters in 2025 after his remaining profession begin within the Traditional. 

“The group in America had been very eager for him to face alongside his sire Justify at Ashford, however the residence group have gained the day and we’re delighted to have the ability to supply such a singular expertise to our European shoppers,” Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier stated in a launch.

The Challenges Going through Europeans

As Big’s Causeway demonstrated shortly earlier than the beginning of the 2000 Traditional, gate points usually are not unusual for international horses competing in america on account of variations that embody the dimension of the gates and using assistant starters in America. Equine nerves from unfamiliarity additionally play a job.

The race itself then poses challenges. Grass races usually reward horses who can quicken with a pointy flip of foot, whereas grime races can usually go to horses with sustained pace. Kickback from grime can discourage horses settling in midpack or towards the rear, notably for these unaccustomed to it.

“Clearly, it is a very tough activity,” O’Brien stated of going from turf to grime within the Traditional. “It is most likely the hardest Thoroughbred race on the planet, actually—the truth that it is the top of the season in opposition to older horses. … It is on a completely completely different continent, completely completely different race make-up, completely completely different floor. There’s so many ‘first instances’ that he has to take care of, and it doesn’t matter what we do on this a part of the world, we won’t replicate that. So pay attention, it’s totally, very robust.

“I do not know learn how to examine to some other sport, like he is going into the ring in some combat that he is by no means ever skilled, actually, you recognize? So, it is a variety of unknowns. There’s a variety of (variables) that we cannot be capable to management.”

Although not within the Traditional, O’Brien has beforehand pulled off the turf-to-dirt feat on the Breeders’ Cup. Johannesburg captured the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on the Belmont Park primary monitor after beginning on turf twice in England, as soon as in France, and thrice in Eire. Even with only one race in North America, he was later honored as champion 2-year-old male on the Eclipse Awards to go together with the prizes he gained in Europe.

With no American 3-year-old male having carried out sufficient already to seal up this 12 months’s championship, an Eclipse Award could possibly be in play for Metropolis of Troy, even Horse of the 12 months. However a victory would probably be required within the Traditional.

In preparation for it, O’Brien did his greatest to simulate an American race by placing Metropolis of Troy via a race-like mile exercise over an artificial monitor Sept. 20 at Southwell Racecourse. With lots of of attendees turning out to see Metropolis of Troy, the colt made straightforward work of his outclassed stablemates underneath common rider Ryan Moore after breaking from an American-style gate. Metropolis of Troy broke alertly,  was skilled in navigating the sweeping left-hand bend, and accelerated and strode out superbly when he was lower unfastened down the stretch. The exercise came visiting an artificial Tapeta floor.

Metropolis Of Troy’s gallop in full!

Subsequent cease: @BreedersCup! @Southwell_Races pic.twitter.com/duhPiDcZmi

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 20, 2024

Whether or not he responds equally over a standard grime floor is likely one of the key questions for bettors. Horses accustomed to racing on turf are likely to switch their kind to artificial surfaces extra often than grime.

Reflecting on why he opted to not prep Metropolis of Troy on grime earlier than the Breeders’ Cup Traditional within the Sept. 28 California Crown Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita after the colt earned an expense-paid California Crown berth within the Coral-Eclipse, O’Brien stated he most well-liked having the 3-year-old near residence. Earlier in the summertime, O’Brien and his homeowners had additionally thought of operating him at Saratoga Race Course within the Travers but in addition handed on that choice in favor of a European marketing campaign.

“Yeah, I suppose we solely had a sure period of time, actually, and clearly we had rather a lot to take care of to go and try this,” he stated of the California Crown. “He would most likely have needed to (go) out and skilled in California and keep on a unique floor. There could be rather a lot there that we could not management, and we would not know the way he would react to. So I suppose that is why we saved him at residence. We knew how he would react to his coaching.”

By giving him a race-like exercise at Southwell a month in the past, “We thought it was as a lot as we may do, and we must take a variety of the opposite stuff on belief,” he continued. “And the very last thing we wished to do was sort of wipe him out, or backside him out, and since he would have a troublesome season right here to this point anyway, and he’s solely a 3-year-old. So we simply should be somewhat bit cautious. We sort of regarded underneath as many stones as we may.”

It’s not unprecedented for a European-trained horse to win the Traditional. The Andre Fabre-trained Arcangues scored a surprising upset in 1993 at Santa Anita at odds of 133-1.

Metropolis of Troy shall be a fraction of that worth. Many British bookmakers have him at odds of 3-2 to win the Traditional, although his worth will probably be increased in a North American wagering pool. North American bettors will be reluctant to again international shippers in races on grime.

Requested through the teleconference if he has heard any skepticism about operating within the Traditional—a race wherein O’Brien has not competed since Mendelssohn   ran fifth in 2018—the coach stated that skepticism is frequent and doesn’t let it impression him.