By Alan Carasso
From Qatar to Dubai to Hong Kong, back to Britain and then across to Germany. By any metric, it had already been a massive season for Godolphin's hearty globetrotter Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), and it got that little bit better Saturday afternoon, as his best battling qualities were on full display in just staving off a gallant effort from Rousham Park (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB})–the lesser-preferred of the two Sunday Racing-owned horses–to win the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf for the second time in three seasons. Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) rounded out the trifecta for the second straight year.
“A horse like this, he's a superstar, he really is,” said trainer Charlie Appleby, winning his 11th Breeders' Cup race, having saddled Yibir (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to the victory in the 2021 Turf at Del Mar. “You watch him run around there and you really feel it. You want him to win.
“I'm just delighted for him and to win back to back Del Mars so we know he likes it here. For the mileage he's done and the competition that he's been campaigning at, that level for the time he has it takes a lot of guts.”
Alertly away from his wide draw, the handsome dark bay settled in about fourth position in the early exchanges as longshot Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) kicked on with it, but Buick clicked up Rebel's Romance on the turn, asking him to improve into a pace-pressing position entering the stretch for the first time. 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel), America's best chance for the Turf, enjoyed the run of the race as he tugged his way along from third.
There was no significant change in plot passing the stands first time around, as Cabo Spirit still had the 19-10 favorite glued to his outside, with Far Bridge in the box seat and Shahryar and Rousham Park midpack and last, respectively. Past the halfway point in an easy 1:13.82, Cabo Spirit turned them into the backstretch as Rebel's Romance was held together, jockey William Buick waiting for the right time to cut the ribbons. That cue came at the five-sixteenths, and Rebel's Romance readily wrested command traveling strongly into the lane. Rousham Park looped rivals in the clear and had aim on Rebel's Romance, close with monster strides and just missed, with Buick all out on the eventual winner. Shahryar, who lacked a clean run in last year's Turf, was again snookered behind Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) in the lane and finished well once steered off heels to complete the Japanese 2-3 finish.
“He's just a legend of a horse who is all class and heart,” said Buick. “We had a good run around and he stuck his head down to the line.”
Rebel's Romance becomes the third to win the 12-furlong feature on multiple occasions, joining Conduit (Ire) and High Chaparral (Ire), but the first of that trio to do it in non-consecutive tries. Buick has now visited the Breeders' Cup winner's circle nine times–five of those in the three runnings at Del Mar–and the legendary Dubawi was being represented by his eighth winner of a Breeders' Cup race.
Fourth in unsuitably easy ground in the 2023 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, effectively dashing any plans at a title defense in last year's turf, Rebel's Romance rediscovered his better form when taking the Listed Wild Flower Stakes over the Kempton all-weather Dec. 13. A metamorphosis of sorts had begun.
After defeating Japan's Zeffiro (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G3 H H The Amir Trophy in Doha Feb. 17, Rebel's Romance was programmed for the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, but made the long trip back to England as opposed to the much shorter one to Dubai. It mattered not at all, as Rebel's Romance took command of the $5-million contest 600 meters out and comfortably held Shahryar by two lengths. A rare overseas runner in the G1 Champions and Chater Cup in Hong Kong in late May, Rebel's Romance really never took a deep breath in validating 2-5 favoritism and his third in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes came behind a couple of heavyweights, namely Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger})–who is set to go on his own travels for the G1 Japan Cup at the end of this month–and Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}), winner of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in early October. As he did in 2022, Rebel's Romance prepped for his American working vacation in the Sept. 22 G2 Preis von Europa at Cologne, where he gutted out a narrow victory.
And he's not done yet. Rebel's Romance is tentatively penciled in for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase Dec. 8. And they'll have him to beat one more time.
Pedigree Notes:
Sheikh Mohammed's operation purchased Rebel's Romance's second dam Short Skirt, a half-sister to the multiple group-winning and multiple Group 1-placed Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian), for 1.4 million guineas ($2,839,305) at the 2006 Tattersalls December Mares sale, and among her four other winners was G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), while her unraced daughter Rose Law (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) produced Godolphin's Japanese listed winner and Group 3-placed Due Process (GB) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).
There is more Japanese black-type in the third dam, as Whitewater Affair accounted for multiple Japanese champion/Group 1 and poignant G1 Dubai World Cup hero Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), as well as Group 1-winning miler Asakusa Den'en (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}).
Rebel's Romance's G1 Jebel Hatta-winning half-brother is Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won the GI Manhattan Stakes at Saratoga June 8 and was just touched off by Far Bridge in the GI Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes Aug. 24.
The last-listed foal from Minidress is a yearling full-brother to Rebel's Romance.
🏆 Quelle victoire de Rebel's Romance (@WilliamBuickX 🇬🇧 – C.Appleby 🇬🇧 – @godolphin) dans la @BreedersCup Turf (Gr.1) !
Il remporte cette épreuve pour la deuxième fois après 2022 (@keenelandracing) et enregistre une 7e victoire de Groupe 1 ! pic.twitter.com/Sh3Ic63dmb
— Equidia (@equidia) November 2, 2024
Saturday, Del Mar
LONGINES BREEDERS' CUP TURF-GI, $4,600,000, Del Mar, 11-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:26.07, fm.
1–REBEL'S ROMANCE (IRE), 126, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Minidress (GB) (SP-Eng), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Short Skirt (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick.
$2,600,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-UAE at 9.5-11f, GSW & GISP-Eng, G1SW-UAE,
MG1SW-Ger, GSW-Qat, G1SW-HK, 22-15-0-1, $11,777,574.
*1/2 to Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}), G1SW-UAE,
GISW-USA, SP-Eng, $1,429,650. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rousham Park (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Harbinger (GB)–Reinette
Groove (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Sunday Racing Co.
Ltd.; B-Northern Racing (JPN); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka. $850,000.
3–Shahryar (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Dubai Majesty,
by Essence of Dubai. O-Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.; B-Northern
Farm (JPN); T-Hideaki Fujiwara. $450,000.
Margins: NK, 1HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 22.10, 8.50.
Also Ran: Gold Phoenix (Ire), Wingspan (Ire), Luxembourg (Ire), Jayarebe (Fr), Emily Upjohn (GB), Far Bridge, There Goes Harvard, Grand Sonata, Cabo Spirit, El Encinal (Arg).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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