By Alan Carasso
Victory Racing Partners' More Than Looks (More Than Ready) has spent a fair bit of the last 16 months in the shadow cast by his talented contemporary, 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). In three previous head-to-head battles, the $135,000 Keeneland September graduate had finished behind his rival each time, but the quirky dark bay managed to flip the script on one of racing's biggest stages, coming with a barnstorming rally–in particular in the final 100 yards–to win Saturday's GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar. Top local chance Johannes (Nyquist) completed a rare U.S.-based exacta in a race typically dominated by European raiders, while Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was no better than third as the favorite while attempting to give Godolphin a fourth straight winner of the race.
More Than Looks is the first Breeders' Cup winner for trainer Cherie DeVaux and the eighth for his much-missed sire, whose champion daughter Uni (GB) won the 2019 renewal up north at Santa Anita.
“I really don't know how to say it in words, this is really unbelievable,” the trainer told NBC's Nick Luck. “This is a horse we've had a lot of faith in from the beginning and things just haven't gone to plan.”
Recalling her 20 years as an assistant trainer, DeVaux invoked the memory of Chuck Simon, who passed away Sept. 8 following a battle with cancer. Her voice breaking with understandable emotion, DeVaux said, “This means a whole lot to me. I was an unguided, young 20-something right out of college and he's the one that pulled me under his wing and gave me guidance. If he didn't give me the guidance, Lord knows where I'd be today.”
Though he had dropped his last two decisions to Carl Spackler in top-level company, those races brought just the right amount out of him in preparation for this major objective. More Than Looks was a highly creditable sixth from an impossible draw in last year's Mile at Santa Anita and made the first start of his 4-year-old season in the GI Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Aug. 11. Fresh off the layoff, the dark bay was difficult to handle as he wanted to overrace, but he nevertheless attacked the line to be second, albeit soundly defeated. His final prep in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland Oct. 5 also did not go exactly to plan, as he broke slowly and was carried out into the first turn, but he bridged the bulk of a 7 1/4-length deficit to miss by a length in second in another slow-paced event. The speed looked to be very much on at the seaside oval on Saturday, and More Than Looks proved equal to the task.
Away without incident this time around, More Than Looks was beaten for pace and was dropped out to the tail of the field by Jose Ortiz as Goliad (War Front) outsprinted Japanese longshots Ten Happy Rose (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) and Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) to the front. Carl Spackler figured to be ridden forward from the outside draw and so it proved, but he was forced to race three deep, to the outside of Johannes and without the benefit of cover into the bend. Notable Speech raced on the back of Johannes in the two-wide line.
Goliad continued to take the Mile field along, going past the half-mile pole in :45.90, and all riders seemed content with their positions as they hit the far turn. Victoria Mile heroine Ten Happy Rose, the 58-1 longest shot in the field, poked her head in front of Goliad in upper stretch, but there was plenty taking place farther back in the field. Johannes made the first move, switching off the heels of Carl Spackler, while More Than Looks slipstreamed Notable Speech into the final couple of furlongs. While Carl Spackler could not quite finish off his race, Johannes came calling for the lead, going better than Notable Speech, but it was More Than Looks who charged home best of all despite trying to lay in on multiple occasions with time ticking away. Johannes lasted for second, rounding out the first American-based 1-2 in the Mile since Tourist (Tiznow) denied Tepin (Bernstein)'s title defense in 2016.
“I knew I had enough speed leaving the gate, so as soon as I broke, I saw [William] Buick inside of me, so right away, that's the horse [Notable Speech] I wanted to follow,” said Ortiz, who won two of his previous five Breeders' Cup races at Del Mar in 2021. “I either wanted to follow him or Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) or somebody that closes. But I wanted to follow William and it worked out perfect.”
Pedigree Notes:
More Than Looks becomes the 27th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for the late More Than Ready, his 13th in the Northern Hemisphere. That number includes the aforementioned Uni and fellow Breeders' Cup winners Rushing Fall and Roy H (2x). Pluck (Juvenile Turf) and Regally Ready (Turf Sprint) won their races before they were elevated to Grade I status. The cross of More Than Read over Storm Cat-line mares has resulted in the additional top-level scorers Verrazano and Say The Word, both out of mares by Giant's Causeway. Rushing Fall's dam was by Forestry.
Hinkle Farms gave $575,000 for the stakes-winning Ladies' Privilege carrying the colt that would become More Than Looks at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. The mare is a full-sister to Takeover Target, three times a winner at the graded level on the grass for Chad Brown, while More Than Looks's third dam produced Critical Eye (Dynaformer), victorious in the GI Hempstead Handicap and GI Gazelle Handicap on the main track.
The current 2-year-old out of Ladies' Privilege is a filly named American Privilege (American Pharoah), a $525,000 Keeneland September purchase who breezed five furlongs at Santa Anita in 1:00.80 (5/11) Oct. 24. The mare's yearling colt by Gun Runner fetched $700,000 from Japanese interests at KEESEP this year and she foaled an Upstart filly Apr. 15 before a date in the shed with 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic hero and Horse of the Year. Flightline.
More Than Looks wins the $2 Million @FanDuel #BreedersCup Mile presented by @PDJFund! Congrats to all connections! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/suArwCmZiV
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 2, 2024
Saturday, Del Mar
FANDUEL BREEDERS' CUP MILE PRESENTED BY PDJF-GI, $1,840,000, Del Mar, 11-2, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:32.65, fm.
1–MORE THAN LOOKS, 126, c, 4, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Ladies' Privilege (SW, $121,675),
by Harlan's Holiday
2nd Dam: Vanquished, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Critical Crew, by Dr. Blum
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($135,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Victory Racing
Partners; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-Jose L. Ortiz.
$1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-3-1, $1,870,715. Werk Nick
Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Johannes, 126, c, 4, Nyquist–Cuyathy, by Congrats.
O/B-Cuyathy, Llc (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $340,000.
3–Notable Speech (GB), 123, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Swift Rose (Ire),
by Invincible Spirit (Ire). 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (GB);
T-Charles Appleby. $180,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, HF. Odds: 6.90, 4.40, 2.30.
Also Ran: Ten Happy Rose (Jpn), Geoglyph (Jpn), Carl Spackler (Ire), Chili Flag (Fr), Porta Fortuna (Ire), Goliad, Win for the Money. Scratched: Diego Velazquez (Ire), Ramatuelle.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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