September 6, 2015 Contact: Jim Gluckson 212-230-9512 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the 4th of nine weekly news releases focusing on the horses and races leading to the 33rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5 at Santa Anita Park. For more information, please visit www.breederscup.com. The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network. You can follow all the contenders’ activity leading up to the Breeders’ Cup with Equibase’s free “Road to the Breeders’ Cup” Virtual Stable notification service. Breeders’ Cup Challenge Qualifiers Take Center Stage this Weekend in Ireland at Leopardstown and at The Curragh This weekend’s “Win and You’re In” action shifts to Ireland as a total of five automatic qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup will take place at Leopardstown and at The Curragh, respectively. The highlight will undoubtedly be Saturday’s QIPCO Irish Champion (GI), which will award an automatic starting berth into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, and is shaping up as one of the deepest and most competitive showcases on the European calendar so far this year. Leopardstown, located just outside of Dublin, will host a two-day meet that will offer 10 group stakes, with the $1.351 million Irish Champion, run at 1 ¼ miles, sure to offer the most intrigue, with a slew of European stars set to do battle. Trainer Aidan O’Brien could choose from as many as four starters for Coolmore, with defending Turf winner FOUND (IRE) leading the way. The 4-year-old daughter of Galileo (IRE) surprised when she won the Longines Turf at Keeneland last year, but has struggled in going 1-for- 6 this year while taking on the best competition in the world. Found, who is 5-for-17 lifetime, has run second in four straight group I’s, to go with her win in the Mooresbridge (GIII) at The Curragh in May and could easily make amends for her second-place finish in the Irish Champion last year. HIGHLAND REEL (IRE), a group one winner on three continents, already earned an automatic starting berth into the Turf when he won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (GI) at Ascot in July and the 3- year-old son of Galileo (IRE) will enter off a sharp second-place finish to Postponed (IRE), arguably the best turf horse in the world, in the “Win and You’re In” Juddmonte International (GI) at York August 17. Highland Reel is 6-for-16 lifetime, which includes a win in the Hong Kong Vase (GI) at Sha Tin in December. MINDING (IRE), who has yet to miss the exacta in 10 starts and enters off three straight group I wins, could look to join her older stablemate and test males. The 3-year-old daughter of Galileo (IRE) won the Epsom Oaks and the Pretty Polly at The Curragh in June and Nassau at Glorious Goodwood in her last start July 30 and is 7-for-10 lifetime. The Aga Khan’s homebred HARZAND (IRE) would offer the stiffest challenge to the O’Brien triumvirate, as the 3-year-old son of Sea the Stars (IRE) has won four straight since losing his debut for trainer Dermot Weld and enters off back-to-back wins in the Epsom Derby (GI) June 4 and Irish Derby (GI) at The Curragh 21 days later. O’Brien could also start US ARMY RANGER, while MOONLIGHT MAGIC is also likely for the QIPCO Irish Champion. Matron, Juvenile Turf Trial Anchor Irish Champion Undercard Saturday’s Irish Champion is supported by the $378,309 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron (GI) and $120,930 Willis Champions Juvenile (GIII), with the winners earning automatic starting berths into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, respectively. Coolmore and O’Brien will cast a long shadow on both stakes, as they’ve got ALICE SPRINGS (IRE), who won the Falmouth (GI) at Newmarket in July, and SOMEHOW (IRE), who won the Snow Fairy (GIII) at The Curragh August 28, lined up for the 1-mile Matron and the budding star DOUGLAS MACARTHUR (IRE) expected to go favored in the 1-mile Juvenile. The Curragh to Offer Two Automatic Qualifiers Sunday Sunday, The Curragh, located in County Kildare, will host a pair of “Win and You’re In” races; the $378,309 Moyglare Stud (GI) and $270,221 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five (GII), which will offer automatic starting berths into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, respectively. The Moyglare, run at seven furlongs, could continue a potentially big weekend for Coolmore and trainer Aidan O’Brien, as they will be heavily involved at The Curragh, a day after having several of the favorites at Leopardstown (see above). RHODODENDRON (IRE), who won the local prep in the Debutante (GII) August 21, could go favored over her stablemate HYDRANGEA (IRE), who was second, while PROMISE TO BE TRUE (IRE) will put her 2-for-2 record on the line, which includes a win in Leopardstown’s Silver Flash (GIII) July 21. David Metcalfe’s MECCA’S ANGEL (IRE) would rate a stiff favorite in the five-furlong Flying Five, should she start, as the 5-year-old daughter of Dark Angel (IRE) already earned a bid to the Turf Sprint with her win in the “Win and You’re In” Coolmore Nunthorpe (GI) August 19 at York for trainer Michael Dods. Mecca’s Angel, who also won the Nunthorpe last year, to go with the local Sapphire (GII) in August, is 10- for-18 lifetime and is generally rated as Europe’s best five-furlong turf horse. The stakes-placed FLIGHT RISK (IRE), GRACIOUS JOHN (IRE), third to Mecca’s Angle in the Sapphire, and MARSHA (IRE), a listed stakes winner at York in July, could also start as part of what will likely be a compact field in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five. *** News and Notes Coasted Impresses Again, Eyes Juvenile Fillies Turf Treadway Racing Stable’s COASTED, who made it 2-for-2 on the turf with a game win in Saratoga’s P. G. Johnson September 1, has her sights set firmly on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita later this fall. The 2-year-old daughter of Tizway was fifth sprinting on the main track in her debut in July at Belmont Park but looked like a new horse when trying the turf and two turns when breaking her maiden at Saratoga August 7. Trained by Leah Gyarmati, Coasted was a pricey $210,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland 2015 September sale and has already gone a long way in returning that investment, while showing plenty of poise and determination after coming through a tight spot on the rail to win the P.G. Johnson. “It's pretty cool to see her do that, because we're going to need to do all that going forward to these bigger races with more horses and traffic trouble. It's nice to know you have a bold horse who can bull her way through,” Gyarmati said. “I think probably the (grade III) Miss Grillo (October 2 at Belmont is next), then hopefully the Breeders' Cup; obviously a lot depends on how she comes out of the race." With Honors Eyes Juvenile Fillies Turf After Del Mar Score LNJ Foxwoods’ homebred WITH HONORS has trainer Keith Desormeaux thinking big later this fall after she posted a game half-length win in the $102,415 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf September 5. The 2-year- old daughter of War Front made it 2-for-2 lifetime, having won her debut the local turf July 29, and her blend of speed and stamina has Desormeaux looking forward to some bigger goals this fall. “We’ll go to Santa Anita for the (October 10) Surfer Girl and then hopefully she’s ready for the big event ($1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf),” Desormeaux said. *** COUNTOWN TO THE BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS A listing of the upcoming major stakes races this weekend: BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC September 10 – $400,000 Super Derby (GIII) at Louisiana Downs. Run at 1 1/8 miles for 3yos. September 10 – $150,000 British Columbia Derby (GIII) at Hastings Park. Run at 1 1/8 miles for 3yos. BREEDERS’ CUP MILE September 11 – $486,397 Prix du Moulin (GI) at Longchamp. Run at 1-mile on the turf for 3yos & up. LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP TURF September 10 – $1.351 million Sipco Irish Champion (GI) at Leopardstown. Run at 1 ¼ miles for 3yos & up. September 10 – $1.029 million St Leger (GI) at Doncaster. Run at about 1 ¾ miles on the turf for 3yos. September 10 – $600,000 Kentucky Cup Turf (GIII) at Kentucky Downs. Run at 1 ½ miles on the turf for 3yos & up. September 11 – $432,353 Irish St Leger (GI) at The Curragh. Run at 1 ¾ miles on the turf for 3yo & up. BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY & MARE TURF September 10 – $378,309 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron (GI) at Leopardstown. Run at 1-mile on the turf for fillies & mares. September 11 – $378,309 Prix Vermeille (GI) at Longchamp. Run at 1 ½ miles on the turf for fillies & mares. SENTIENT JET BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE September 10 – $100,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (GIII) at Arlington Park. Run at seven furlongs for 2yos. BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF September 11 – $378,309 Vincent O’Brien National (GI) at The Curragh. Run at seven furlongs on the turf for 2yos.