Caravel Wires the Turf Sprint

LEXINGTON, KY – Gutsy Pennsylvania-bred mare Caravel (Mizzen Mast) took the field wire-to-wire and just held off Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) with Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) closing powerfully late to give Godolphin the two-three in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Saturday at Keeneland. The gray mare, dismissed at 42-1, shot out to the early lead as favored Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), who had been expected to set the pace, was off to a slow start after jumping at the break. The favorite was rushing up through the field, while Caravel set the tempo through an opening quarter in :21.91. Caravel turned for home a length in front and was still clear as the half went up in :44.25. Emaraaty Ana, a 21-1 outsider himself, was tracking the pacesetter from the rail and when Caravel drifted ever so slightly off the rail, Ryan Moore sent the the 6-year-old through the narrow opening. Caravel refused to let that rival get by her, finishing a determined half-length victory.

“She broke alertly. No one really went, so I decided to take control of things,” said winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who captured his first Breeders' Cup race just Friday. “Coming into the stretch, she just kept finding more. She's a very solid filly. She shows up every time. She's trained by one of the best in the country, Brad Cox. He brings them over ready to fire.”

Golden Pal, looking for his third Breeders' Cup win, faded in the stretch to finish 10th. Trainer Wesley Ward also saddled Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who was stymied by a traffic-plagued trip before checking in seventh.

Caravel trailed the field home in last year's Turf Sprint for trainer Graham Motion and owner/breeder Elizabeth Merryman and co-owner Bobby Flay. She went through the sales ring just days later and was purchased for $500,000 by the partnership of Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. Transferred to Brad Cox, the gray mare added wins in the Queen S. at Turfway in March, the GIII Intercontinental S. in June at Belmont and the Smart N Fancy S. at Saratoga in August. She tuned up for her second Breeders' Cup engagement with a victory over the Turf Sprint's course and trip in the Oct. 16 GIII Franklin S.

“She was running back in 20 days, but had a race over the course,” said Cox. “She was doing extremely, extremely well. She's a filly that has had a hard time keeping on weight and since the end of the summer, she's really blossomed. We decided to take a swing and it worked out.”

The mare could make another appearance in the sales ring this coming week. She is entered as hip 224 in Monday's session of the Keeneland November sale.

“She's in the sale; we'll have to discuss with the partnership and [Hunter Valley Farm's] Fergus [Galvin] and Marc and Brad and we'll see what's going on,” said Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing. “She's improving, which is going to make it very tough trying to sell her or keep her. But we'll see.”

Pedigree Notes:
Mizzen Mast became the second straight stallion to have been trained by the late Bobby Frankel to have a winner on the Breeders' Cup card, following Ghostzapper's triumph with Goodnight Olive in the Filly and Mare Sprint. The Juddmonte stallion is also the sire of two-time Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection.

Zeezee Zoomzoom, who is also the dam of 3-year-old stakes winner Witty (Great Notion), produced a colt by Great Notion in 2021 and a filly by Street Boss this year.

Saturday, Keeneland
BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT-GI, $920,000, Keeneland, 11-5, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.79, fm.
1–CARAVEL, 123, m, 5, by Mizzen Mast
   1st Dam: Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats
    2nd Dam: Zee Zee, by Exchange Rate
    3rd Dam: Emblem of Hope, by Dynaformer
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($330,000 RNA 3yo '20 WANOCT; $500,000
4yo '21 FTKNOV). O-Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel & Madaket
Stables LLC; B-Elizabeth M. Merryman (PA); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Tyler Gaffalione. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 20-12-0-3,
$1,331,152. *1/2 to Witty (Great Notion), MSW, $275,900.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Emaraaty Ana (GB), 126, g, 6, Shamardal–Spirit of Dubai
(Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Godolphin, LLC Lessee; B-Rabbah
Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Kevin A. Ryan. $170,000.
3–Creative Force (Ire), 126, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Choose Me (Ire),
by Choisir (Aus). (€400,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Godolphin, LLC
Lessee; B-Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Charles Appleby.
$90,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 1. Odds: 42.89, 21.05, 7.50.
Also Ran: Highfield Princess (Fr), Artemus Citylimits, Flotus (Ire), Campanelle (Ire), Arrest Me Red, Casa Creed, Golden Pal, Cazadero, Go Bears Go (Ire), Oceanic, Naval Crown (GB). Scratched: Bran (Fr), Dancing Buck.
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