City Of Troy Readies for Breeders’ Cup ‘Ultimate Test’

CaliforniaDerby winner City Of Troy is poised for an ambitious bid to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the United States on Saturday, where he will aim for what would be his seventh and final career victory. Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has prepared City Of Troy, a son of Triple Crown winner Justify, for what is intended to be a distinguished final race at Del Mar (21:41 GMT) before the horse transitions to a breeding career. Having previously achieved victories on turf, City Of Troy, who has drawn comparisons to the renowned Frankel, will attempt to secure his eighth win from nine races as he competes on a dirt surface for the first time. Record-breaking Irish trainer O’Brien, who has previously attempted to win this significant race with 15 different horses since his closest finish 24 years ago when Giant’s Causeway was narrowly defeated by Tiznow, stated, “This has always been the dream.” He added, “We know when the race happens it will be the fiercest that any thoroughbred can be tested in.” O’Brien further commented, “This is the ultimate test at the end of the year after being trained very hard for Classics against his own age and then against older horses in a race run on a different surface and on a different continent.” Among the competitors for Ryan Moore’s mount are Fierceness, a local contender, and Forever Young, a Japanese entry. In the 40 previous editions of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, only two European horses have claimed victory: Arcangues from France in 1993 and the British-trained Raven’s Pass in 2008. The three-year-old City Of Troy’s only loss occurred earlier this season with a disappointing performance in the 2,000 Guineas. Subsequently, he achieved victories in the Derby at Epsom, the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, and the Juddmonte International at York. Following that most recent victory in August, O’Brien, who has trained 10 Derby winners, declared City Of Troy the finest horse he had ever trained and confirmed the strategy to change racing surfaces and target the Breeders’ Cup. To prepare, a specialized gallop was arranged on the all-weather track at Southwell Racecourse, incorporating American-style starting stalls. A total of 1,000 spectators attended to observe the horse during a brief gallop, while an additional 5,000 individuals watched via a live stream. Prominent British contenders participating in the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting include Bradsell, Believing, and Big Evs, all competing in Saturday’s Turf Sprint. Jockey Frankie Dettori, who moved to the United States earlier this year, is scheduled to ride Emily Upjohn again for trainer John Gosden in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. O’Brien prepared for Saturday’s races by securing two victories on Friday, thereby matching the record for 20 winners at the Breeders’ Cup meeting. Jockey Moore piloted the 3-5 favorite Lake Victoria to victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and subsequently guided Henri Matisse to a win in the Juvenile Turf at odds of 7-2. Moore’s precisely timed ride aboard Henri Matisse brought O’Brien to an equal standing with legendary US trainer D Wayne Lukas, both having achieved 20 winners. This achievement also marked the Irish trainer’s seventh victory in that specific race and his third consecutive win, following successes with Unquestionable last year and Victoria Road in 2022. O’Brien commented, “It’s incredible. We all know what a special man Wayne is and it’s an honour to be anywhere close to his record.” Iron Man Cal secured second place in the Juvenile Turf, finishing behind Henri Matisse and ahead of the Charlie Appleby-trained Aomori City, who was permitted to compete despite having broken through the starting gates prior to the race. In other races, Citizen Bull (15-1) claimed victory in the co-feature Juvenile race, and the Godolphin-owned Immersive, the 2-1 favorite, won the Juvenile Fillies.