Thursday $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile Notes

December 10, 2019

Esoterique – See European Report

Grand Arch – Trainer Brian Lynch sent Grand Arch, winner of Keeneland’s Turf Mile on Oct. 3, to the all-weather 5f training track on Thursday where he jogged once around and galloped twice around.

“He looked like he galloped with good energy,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “Hopefully we will get back on the main track on Friday.”

Louis Rushlow was in the saddle and Erin Cotterill on stable pony Casey accompanied them.

Impassable – See European Report

Karakontie – See European Report

Obviously – The 7yo gelding jogged 1 1/4m on the Keeneland training track for trainer Phil D’Amato. He will be making his fourth consecutive start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Make Believe – See European Report

Mondialiste – See European Report

Mshawish – Al Shaqab Racing’s Mshawish galloped over the Polytrack surface of Keeneland’s training track Tuesday morning for his start in Saturday’s Mile.

“All of my horses trained on the training track. The main track was still sloppy, and I thought the training track would be a better surface,” Trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Mshawish, a two-time Graded-stakes winner this year, is slated to make his second start off a layoff following his third-place finish in the Dubai Turf last March.

Tepin - Mark Casse has won seven Sovereign Awards as Canada’s top trainer a record seven times and for four consecutive years (2006-08, 2011-14). He trained the Canadian Horse of the Year three times and has won the prestigious Queen’s Plate and the other two legs of Canada’s Triple Crown.

But he hasn’t been as successful south of the border, coming up empty in 23 previous Breeders’ Cup tries.

That could all change this weekend. His five hopefuls- Tepin in the Mile, Airoforce and Conquest Daddyo in the Juvenile Turf, Catch a Glimpse in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Conquest Big E in the Juvenile- having him holding his strongest hand yet.

“I want to say that I am the most optimistic I have ever been, and then it ends up biting me in the butt. But I am,” he said. “I think we have a real legitimate shot in every race we’re in. In the past, I’ve come to the Breeders’ Cup and thought I needed everything to go perfect, and you always do need things to go well.

I’d always thought that I need my horse to run the race of his or her life. Now, from just doing my handicapping and going over everything, I just need them to run up to their ability. If they do, we’ll be right there. That’s a new one for me.”

Meanwhile, the countdown to post times can’t come fast enough.

“It’s like you’re on pins and needles and you just want to go,” he said.

Tepin, the earner of $1,375,973 and the winner of two Grade 1 races this year, galloped over the sloppy main track Thursday morning as Casse put her through the final preparations for Saturday’s race.

She is the first horse that longtime owner Robert Masterson has owned wholly by himself rather than in partnership, and she has been entered in the Fasig-Tipton Nov. 1 sale. Casse said that the indication from Masterson now is that as long as she remains healthy and happy she will remain in his barn and come back for her 5yo campaign.

Tourist – At the conclusion of regular training hours, Mile entrant Tourist went out at 9:30 and galloped 1 1/4m on the turf course under Rodolphe Brisset.