Amid Drama, Modern Games A Top-Class Breeders' Cup Winner

Del Mar, CA–Friday's Breeders' Cup card was not short of drama, both the kind one welcomes-like when Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {Ire}) flew the barriers and held off a late charge by the plucky Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) to win the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint-and also the type one dreads.

Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided team Europe with its first victory of the 2022 World Championships when roaring down the middle the stretch to take the card-closing GI Juvenile Turf by 1 1/2 lengths, but it was roars of dismay, not joy, that William Buick and Godolphin's chestnut colt returned to from the Del Mar crowd, with a frenzy of confusion just moments before the start leading to the post-time favourite being withdrawn and, sensationally, re-instated into the field, but permitted to run not as a wagering entity but purse-money only.

The drama began when Modern Games reared in the one stall, causing his Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to become upset in the two stall, flipping over under Frankie Dettori. As the remainder of the field was backed out, Modern Games and William Buick were released out the front of the one gate by a stalls handlers, cantering up the track for a few strides before being corralled by an outrider. Albahr was withdrawn from the race-he and Dettori each pronounced healthy, minus a few cuts on Albahr, in the aftermath-and amidst the confusion Modern Games was likewise withdrawn, with attending veterinarians behind the gate under the impression that Modern Games had broken through the front of the gate, unaware that an attendant had released him, and the assumed breakthrough and prior rearing incident, where he had also hit the back of the stalls, presumed grounds for scratching.

There were contrasting scenes, then, of elation from connections and uproar from disgruntled punters denied their chance to play the 'favourite' as Modern Games-the last-out eye-catching winner of the G3 Somerville S. at Newmarket on Sept. 23-registered his third straight win, and provided Appleby with his third win in the race and fourth Breeders' Cup tally overall.

Modern Games has earned the right to be genuinely considered among the leading contenders for next year's Classics as the juveniles head into winter quarters. Buick said in the post-race press conference that he hoped the drama surrounding the race wouldn't cast a shadow over the horse's performance or future potential.

“There was no need for what happened to happen,” Buick said. “It was unfortunate but thankfully everyone came around to do the right thing and let the horse run, because that was the only fair outcome. It's unfortunate because Breeders' Cup is a great event, it's the world championships and it's a bit disappointing because it takes some of the shine away from the horse, and he was a great winner of the race. He was very impressive and showed a lot of good qualities, and he's a good Juvenile Turf winner. But it was no one's fault, it was just what happened.”

The Juvenile Turf Sprint kicked off the five Breeders' Cup races on Future Stars Friday, and there was no haziness in that result, with Barbara Banke's £75,000 Goffs Orby purchase Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {Ire}) pinging the gates and leading the field a merry dance before holding off a late surge from Amo Racing's G2 Railway S. winner Go Bears Go to provide her young Irish National Stud-based sire with a first group winner.

Twilight Gleaming was, in fact, the first winner for the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner National Defense when graduating by 7 1/2 lengths in a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Belmont Park in May before shipping to Royal Ascot to finish a narrow second in the G2 Queen Mary S. Twilight Gleaming and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) are the poster children of the recent strategy undertaken by Banke to raid the European yearling sales-largely with the assist of agent Ben McElroy-and hand-pick Royal Ascot prospects for Ward. While Campanelle could be considered something of a Royal Ascot specialist, having returned this year to win a drama-filled G1 Commonwealth Cup, Twilight Gleaming will surely hold a special place in the mind of her owner, winning the first Breeders' Cup race staged less than two months since Banke was appointed the organization's chairman.

Twilight Gleaming had cut an eye-catching figure training at Del Mar throughout the week, and in fact such is her constitution that Ward explained post-race that she had been sent to France for her win in the Listed Prix de la Vallee d'Auge in August as a traveling companion to Campanelle, who herself leapt off all fours leaving the gates before trailing in a puzzling last. Little doubt, then, that Twilight Gleaming will head off on her travels again next year, with redemption at Royal Ascot among the likely goals with Ward nominating the Commonwealth Cup or the King's Stand as targets.

In the aftermath of Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus})'s victory in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf, her jubilant owner/breeder Bobby Flay noted that Royal Ascot could likewise be on his filly's agenda. Like Banke, Flay has long been a proponent of farming the best bloodstock worldwide and bringing it back to America, and Pizza Bianca is the first foal out of White Hot (Ire), a Galileo (Ire) three-quarter sister to Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) bought by Flay for 1.25-million gns from Camas Park Stud at Tattersalls October in 2014. Near the rear early, Pizza Bianca threaded her way through the field to lead home a blanket finish for the minor placings that was topped in the end by the Francis Graffard-trained Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), with George Boughey's Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) taking fourth and Dave Loughnane's Hello You (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) fifth. All three trainers were narrowly denied their first Breeders' Cup wins, but will also doubtlessly be back with chances in the near future. It must have been a particularly encouraging first visit to Del Mar for Loughnane, trainer of both Hello You and Go Bears Go.