Sun Goddess capped off a memorable two-year-old season with a fourth success at the top level with a scintillating display in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on a winning night for the European raiders at Keeneland; Libertango won the opening Juvenile Turf Sprint Sun Goddess confirmed herself as a two-year-old out of the ordinary with a clear-cut win Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland. Seen by many as the banker of the two-day meeting, she already had three Group Ones in Europe to her credit but she had to contend with the journey to America and stall nine. However, Ryan Moore got her out of the stalls sharply and across to the inside in the perfect position just behind the leader whereas her main market rival, Francis-Henri Graffard’s Amusingly, had to settle at the rear of the field. As soon as Moore kicked clear early in the straight the race was over as a contest and once again it was left to Joseph O’Brien’s Green Empress to chase her home, the fourth time she has been second to the winner this year.
Johnny Murtagh’s Curracloe ran a fine race to finish third while Amusingly made late gains under Colin Keane for fourth. Joseph O’Brien’s Alwaysanangel finished fifth in a clean sweep for the Europeans. It was Aidan O’Brien’s 22nd Breeders’ Cup winner, meaning he has now had more winners at the meeting than anybody else, having been previously tied with Bob Baffert. O’Brien said: “She was just really natural all the way from day one.
“She obviously had a run or two before Royal Ascot and she’s taken everything in her stride. “We could have taken in the Fillies’ Mile in Newmarket on the way, and the lads just decided this with the view to next year. They wanted her here, so that’s why she’s here. “Whether it’s six furlongs, seven or even a mile now it all comes alike to her.
“Ryan just lets her come out and he lets her get comfortable in the first half and in the second half she comes home really well. “I suppose a worry today was we all know what she can do when there’s a strong pace on in front of her. He thought that he was going to end up a lot more forward than usual on her because he wasn’t sure what was going to take her. So that’s exactly what he did.
“I thought he gave her a beautiful ride. It was all very clean cut, no chances. The filly had a lovely day out. “We usually start this kind of filly in the Guineas, I’d imagine the English Guineas is where she will start and there’s a chance she might stay further.” Moore said: “What she’s done this year is very unique, that is her fourth Group One from nine starts, that was her first over a mile though and the first time round a bend.
“There was a lot new to her but she was able to sit just off the pace and the pace was very ordinary really, we felt like we went a lot slower than we normally do in Cup races over a mile here. “She was in front a long way from home and she was only idling really. It’s hard to know where the bottom is for her. Hopefully she can continue next year.” Co-owner Michael Tabor said: “To win wherever the Breeders’ Cup is held is very special because it’s great competition and the crowds make it.
“I love American racing but it’s tougher (to win) out here. Paul Shanahan buys so many of our horses and the irony of it is that this is maybe the cheapest (£120,000) he’s bought but probably the best.” O’Brien went on to notch his 23rd Breeders’ Cup success when Haffner claimed the Juvenile Turf. Never miss a story with all the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone. Find out more Libertango came with a sustained late run under substitute jockey Billy Loughnane to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
In the days leading up to the race new UK champion jockey Loughnane had resigned himself to not taking the mount as her weight of 8st 7lb was 3lb lower than he had ridden at all season. Loughnane could not face the prospect of seeing someone else take the mount, though, and having made a concerted effort in recent days to keep the weight off, one final stint in the sauna saw him meet the required point on the scales and trainer George Boughey was only happy to stand by his stable jockey. Flavien Prat was the unlucky man to miss out, but bar meeting a slight but of trouble on the turn for home behind Andrew Balding’s Moonrise, everything else went to plan. Wesley Ward’s Ruiva was the one to catch before Harper’s Corner briefly hit the front only for Libertango to swamp them all.
Adrian Keatley’s Hell Of A Spin ran a massive race to get up for second. Loughnane said: “I don’t know what to say. I’ve ridden this filly in every single race and in every piece of work she’s ever done and I thought I was going to have to give up the ride on her today. “I’ve watched my weight for the last two weeks, obviously condolences to Flavien but I managed to just get enough off in the sauna and I’m sat on the smallest saddle I’ve ever ridden on.
It’s good to be able to get the weight off. “It was awful thinking someone else was going to ride her but big thanks to George and all the team, it was literally 45 minutes before the race it was confirmed. See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing “She has such a good racing brain, she went to sleep. There was interference on the turn but she didn’t even break stride and when I moved her out she hit the wire fantastic.
“I’m riding at 8st 10lb later on so I’d been aiming for that and I’d never been down to 8st 5lb all the time I’ve been riding, but it’s a massive advantage having saunas here, we don’t have them in England.” Boughey said: “Credit to Billy I didn’t think he would do the weight but the saunas helped and it’s the stuff of dreams. All credit to Billy as that was some ride. “Flavien was meant to ride and it was a very late decision. Billy had ridden her all year and he text me when he got to the track saying he weighed in a lot lighter than he expected.
I’d like to apologise to Flavien because he’d been booked a while and it was probably one of his better mounts of the day. “The race look mapped out for her even from Royal Ascot. That was the plan to come here and for her to train as well as she did through the last few races, it wasn’t a huge surprise that she was able to put in a performance like that today. “The Breeders’ Cup for me is as good as it gets.
She’s been ridden so beautifully by Billy all year. To say he wasn’t riding her until 55 minutes before the race, he’s just an extraordinary talent.”
