Even by his own very high standards, the 2010 season has been a roaring success for Prince Khalid Abdullah and his Juddmonte Farms operation.
At the time of writing, the famous Green and Pink colours have been carried to success at the highest level in eleven G1 contests in Europe, not to mention four at the highest level in the US.
Although the G1 winners began as early as May when Special Duty landed Newmarket’s 1000 Guineas, June 5th was a red-letter day for the operation as subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Workforce landed the G1 Epsom Derby in record-breaking fashion.
That was not the end of the big-race honours for the Saudi Prince that day as just four hours later his ex-French trained mare Proviso battled to victory in the Just A Game S. at Belmont Park to land the second of her four GI victories since transferring to the American barn of Hall of Fame trainer William Mott.
Crossing the water from Europe for a new life in the US is not a new occurrence for racehorses.
Reports suggest that Bulle Rock, a direct descendant of the Darley Arabian left the UK for Virginia as early as 1730 and around the time of the American Revolution, perhaps the most significant British imports stepped foot on American soil in the form of Messenger and Diomed.
The latter - winner of the inaugural Epsom Derby in 1780 - is plausibly the most important to ever make the long journey West as in 1805 he sired what many believe to be the greatest of America’s Foundation sires, Sir Archy.
More recently however, horses departing European shores for a new life in America have done so not to forge a career in the breeding shed but to aim for prizes seemingly out of reach in their homeland.
Despite various campaigns in support of a switch to synthetic surfaces in order to reduce the number of serious injuries, the vast majority of racing in the US still takes place on a traditional dirt surface. Races on turf play second fiddle, and breeding patterns ultimately follow suit with horses in America continuing to be bred for dirt suiting speed over turf suiting stamina.
Those bred for a career on dirt rarely travel beyond 10 furlongs (1¼ miles), with only a handful of high-quality dirt races over further. The highest profile example being the Belmont S. - third leg of the American Triple Crown - known colloquially as the ‘test of the champion’ due to its seemingly gruelling distance of 12 furlongs (1½ miles)).
This is obviously not the case in Europe, where, although there are a handful of courses with synthetic surfaces, the predominant racing surface is turf and races are run over much further.
Breeding practices in the World of turf racing differ significantly because of this with horses much more likely to be bred with longer distances in mind.
This approach gives them the upper hand when pitched into turf contests against their US counterparts and the superiority of European runners in turf races at the Breeders’ Cup backs up this hypothesis.
European invaders have recorded 43 wins at the Breeders’ Cup since its inception in 1984 with 34 of those wins coming on the grass.
However, it may be worth noting that it is not only the high-class Euro raiding party at the Breeders’ Cup that taste success at the highest level on the American turf.
The aforementioned Proviso – as a winner of two G3 contests in France - is not the typical European to Stateside expatriate. More often than not, those finding success at the highest level after a Transatlantic voyage, boarded the plane carrying with them moderate form at best from their native land.
Before leaving his County Kildare base for a new life in America, David Hanley co-bred and trained a Pivotal filly by the name of Golden Apples.
Successful in one of her four starts in Ireland, Golden Apples’ best form came when third in the 2001 renewal of the G2 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Sold soon after to infamous owner Gary Tanaka, she was transferred into the care of California based trainer Ben Cecil and won the 2001 G1 Del Mar Oaks on her American debut.
Placed in two further G1 events that year, the filly was named the 2002 Female Grass Runner of the Year following victories in the GI Beverley D. S. at Arlington, the GI Yellow Ribbon S. at Santa Anita Park and her fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf back in Chicago.
She was retired to broodmare duties in 2003 following a 1/2-length defeat in the GI John C. Mabee Handicap at Del Mar, with career earnings totalling of over $1.6million.
Similarly, the ill-fated Tuscan Evening - herself a leading contender for the same Eclipse Award as Golden Apples before her untimely death in August of this year - was another to achieve dramatic improvement following a drastic change in scenery.
G2 and G3 placed in Ireland, the bargain 4,500guineas weanling was arguably unlucky not to spring a 66/1 shock in the G1 2008 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, but the daughter of Oasis Dream did not manage a win in eleven starts for trainer John Joseph Murphy and left for California at the end of her three-year-old campaign.
Successful on her second start in America, the bay landed eight further victories and over $1.1million in prize-money for new trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. At the time of her premature passing, she was unbeaten in six stakes contests - a run that concluded with victory in the GI Gamely S. at Hollywood Park in May.
In late November 2009, Tuscan Evening finished second, beaten 1¾-lengths in the GI Matriarch S. at Hollywood Park. The winner that day was Ventura, another Juddmonte Farms UK export with a mediocre level of form in Britain - though she did land a Kempton Listed contest on her final start in the UK for Amanda Perrett.
Transferred into the care of the late, great Bobby Frankel following that success, the daughter of the 2000 GI Arlington Million winner Chester House - himself another Juddmonte UK to US shipper, though one with a slightly higher level of form being the winner of the 1999 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown – won a G2 at Keeneland on her US debut.
Two starts later Ventura landed the spoils in Belmont’s GI Just A Game S. and was an admirable second on a yielding surface in the GI Woodbine Mile. The mare bounced back to form in style with an impressive four-length victory in that years renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on the Santa Anita Pro-Ride before following up in the GI Santa Monica Handicap over the same course & distance.
In March 2009 she was beaten only a nose by American turf superstar - and last years Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up - Gio Ponti in the Frank E Kilroe Mile on the Santa Anita turf but then made amends for the defeat in the Woodbine Mile a year prior when returning to the Canadian track following a five month lay-off to land the odds in September.
She failed to defend her crown in the Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita when a 1¼-length second to nemesis Informed Decision but ended her career on a high with the facile victory over Tuscan Evening, taking her earnings over $2.5million.
With this years Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs on the horizon, it may pay dividends not to hastily discount any familiar names who did not set the World alight on European soil - and rest assured, even if the ex-Euro ‘also-rans’ do not land the spoils at the US World Championships in November, they will not be taking part in any future GIs merely to give their new connections a day in the American sun.
© Gavin Dobson, October 2010.
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