Since working his first horse in a Breeders’ Cup race in 1998, Aidan O’Brien has received 18 Breeders’ Cup races, second solely to Corridor of Famer D. Wayne Lukas’ 20 wins. His Breeders’ Cup horses have earned almost $33.9 million, trailing solely the steady tally of Corridor of Famer Bob Baffert, one other 18-time winner, with virtually $40.4 million.Â
These outcomes should not shocking from the 55-year-old O’Brien, a coaching legend often known as “The Grasp of Ballydoyle,” who bases his Irish steady there because the personal coach for Coolmore, the internationally acclaimed racing and breeding operation.
Having received greater than 400 group/grade 1 races worldwide, few vital races have eluded O’Brien. But the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1) is one. Seventeen occasions he has began a horse within the 1 1/4-mile race, solely to be denied, although three have come shut by hitting the board.
Large’s Causeway, O’Brien’s first Basic starter, ran second to Tiznow on the Churchill Downs grime in 2000; Henrythenavigator was additionally runner-up within the 2008 Basic, although over the then-synthetic floor at Santa Anita Park; and Declaration of Struggle ran third when the race was again on grime at Santa Anita in 2013, narrowly overwhelmed by Mucho Macho Man  and Will Take Cost . Large’s Causeway and Declaration of Struggle misplaced in photograph finishes—the previous by a neck, the latter by a nostril and head.
Photograph: Chad B. HarmonMucho Macho Man (proper) edges runner-up Will Take Cost (left), and Declaration of Struggle (middle) within the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Basic at Santa Anita ParkSign up for BloodHorse Each day
Now O’Brien and his Coolmore-affiliated homeowners of Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor are again for one more crack on the Basic prize, beginning reigning European 2-year-old champion male Metropolis of Troy within the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Basic at Del Mar in Southern California. As many as 13 foes will line up towards him, together with an American-trained colt with some widespread possession with Metropolis of Troy, the Chad Brown-trained Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Sierra Leone .
Like most of these O’Brien has run earlier than within the Basic, Metropolis of Troy has no race expertise on grime. Regardless of that, the 3-year-old is favored in ante-post (future-book) wagering with British bookmakers for the Basic, forward of Travers Stakes (G1) winner Fierceness and Japanese star Ceaselessly Younger .
The optimism from abroad punters is expounded to Metropolis of Troy’s accomplishments in Europe—he’s 6-for-7, a four-time group 1 winner, and the top-rated turf horse on the earth—plus his pedigree, being a son of Justify  , who excelled on grime, successful the 2018 Triple Crown. Metropolis of Troy comes into the Basic off three straight wins, victorious within the June 1 Epsom Derby (G1), the July 6 Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown, and the Aug. 21 Juddmonte Worldwide Stakes (G1) at York. The latter victory earned him a paid, computerized berth within the Basic through the Breeders’ Cup Problem Sequence: Win and You are In. He’s considered one of 19 horses O’Brien pre-entered over 14 races within the two-day Breeders’ Cup.
“He was a horse we all the time dreamed about that perhaps could possibly be very aggressive within the Breeders’ Cup Basic,” O’Brien mentioned throughout an Oct. 23 media teleconference. “Clearly, we by no means received it earlier than, however we have been positioned with some excellent horses. And so we all the time thought this horse was sort of like Large’s Causeway, however just a bit bit extra class.”
That’s excessive reward contemplating that Large’s Causeway, a fellow Kentucky-bred and a son of Storm Cat, was 9-4-0 in 13 begins with greater than $3 million in earnings. Nicknamed the “Iron Horse,” he was a six-time group 1 winner, 2000 Cartier Horse of the Yr, and 2000 champion 3-year-old colt in England and Eire.
American runners Captain Steve, Albert the Nice, Lemon Drop Child, Fusaichi Pegasus, and Cat Thief couldn’t run inside a number of lengths of Tiznow within the 2000 Basic as Large’s Causeway did, only a few toes away from victory. This got here regardless of him needing to be blindfolded to enter the beginning gate and jockey Mick Kinane getting his driving crop briefly tangled in his reins as he urged Large’s Causeway late within the race.
Photograph: Anne M. EberhardtTiznow (inside) fends off Large’s Causeway within the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Basic at Churchill Downs
Although Large’s Causeway misplaced the Basic, the flexibility and the excessive degree of efficiency he confirmed over grime, along with his success on turf, led him to develop into a scorching younger stallion fancied by breeders worldwide. After one yr at stud in 2001 at Coolmore Stud in Eire, he transferred to Coolmore’s Kentucky farm, Ashford Stud, the place he commanded a $135,000 charge in 2002. He went on to have an extended and profitable profession as a stallion earlier than he died in 2018 at age 21.
A prime efficiency from Metropolis of Troy within the Basic would equally add to his worldwide business stud attraction. Coolmore introduced earlier this month that Metropolis of Troy would go to stud at their Irish headquarters in 2025 after his last profession begin within the Basic.Â
“The staff in America have been very eager for him to face alongside his sire Justify at Ashford, however the dwelling staff have received the day and we’re delighted to have the ability to provide such a singular expertise to our European shoppers,” Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier mentioned in a launch.
The Challenges Going through Europeans
As Large’s Causeway demonstrated shortly earlier than the beginning of the 2000 Basic, gate points should not unusual for overseas horses competing in the USÂ on account of variations that embody the dimension of the gates and using assistant starters in America. Equine nerves from unfamiliarity additionally play a task.
The race itself then poses challenges. Grass races usually reward horses who can quicken with a pointy flip of foot, whereas grime races can usually go to horses with sustained velocity. Kickback from grime can discourage horses settling in midpack or towards the rear, significantly for these unaccustomed to it.
“Clearly, it is a very troublesome job,” O’Brien mentioned of going from turf to grime within the Basic. “It is in all probability the hardest Thoroughbred race on the earth, actually—the truth that it is the tip of the season towards older horses. … It is on a very totally different continent, completely totally different race make-up, completely totally different floor. There’s so many ‘first occasions’ that he has to cope with, and it doesn’t matter what we do on this a part of the world, we won’t replicate that. So hear, it’s extremely, very powerful.
“I do not know the best way to examine to some other sport, like he is going into the ring in some struggle that he is by no means ever skilled, actually, you recognize? So, it is a number of unknowns. There’s a number of (variables) that we can’t be capable to management.”
Although not within the Basic, O’Brien has beforehand pulled off the turf-to-dirt feat on the Breeders’ Cup. Johannesburg captured the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on the Belmont Park essential monitor after beginning on turf twice in England, as soon as in France, and 3 times in Eire. Even with only one race in North America, he was later honored as champion 2-year-old male on the Eclipse Awards to associate with the prizes he received in Europe.
With no American 3-year-old male having achieved sufficient already to seal up this yr’s championship, an Eclipse Award could possibly be in play for Metropolis of Troy, even Horse of the Yr. However a victory would seemingly be required within the Basic.
In preparation for it, O’Brien did his greatest to simulate an American race by placing Metropolis of Troy via a race-like mile exercise over an artificial monitor Sept. 20 at Southwell Racecourse. With a whole lot of attendees turning out to see Metropolis of Troy, the colt made simple work of his outclassed stablemates beneath common rider Ryan Moore after breaking from an American-style gate. Metropolis of Troy broke alertly, was skilled in navigating the sweeping left-hand bend, and accelerated and strode out fantastically when he was lower unfastened down the stretch. The exercise came to visit an artificial Tapeta floor.
Metropolis Of Troy’s gallop in full! Subsequent cease: @BreedersCup! @Southwell_Races pic.twitter.com/duhPiDcZmi— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 20, 2024
Whether or not he responds equally over a standard grime floor is among the key questions for bettors. Horses accustomed to racing on turf are inclined to switch their kind to artificial surfaces extra frequently than grime.
Photograph: Edward Whitaker/Racing PostCity of Troy extends his stride in a Sept. 20 exercise at Southwell Racecourse
Reflecting on why he opted to not prep Metropolis of Troy on grime earlier than the Breeders’ Cup Basic within the Sept. 28 California Crown Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita after the colt earned an expense-paid California Crown berth within the Coral-Eclipse, O’Brien mentioned he most well-liked having the 3-year-old near dwelling. Earlier in the summertime, O’Brien and his homeowners had additionally thought of working him at Saratoga Race Course within the Travers but in addition handed on that choice in favor of a European marketing campaign.
“Yeah, I suppose we solely had a sure period of time, actually, and clearly we had loads to cope with to go and do this,” he mentioned of the California Crown. “He would in all probability have needed to (go) out and educated in California and keep on a unique floor. There can be loads there that we could not management, and we would not understand how he would react to. So I suppose that is why we saved him at dwelling. We knew how he would react to his coaching.”
By giving him a race-like exercise at Southwell a month in the past, “We thought it was as a lot as we may do, and we must take a number of the opposite stuff on belief,” he continued. “And the very last thing we wished to do was sort of wipe him out, or backside him out, and since he would have a tricky season right here to date anyway, and he’s solely a 3-year-old. So we simply should be a bit of bit cautious. We sort of appeared beneath as many stones as we may.”
It’s not unprecedented for a European-trained horse to win the Basic. The Andre Fabre-trained Arcangues scored a shocking upset in 1993 at Santa Anita at odds of 133-1.
Metropolis of Troy will likely be a fraction of that value. Many British bookmakers have him at odds of 3-2 to win the Basic, although his value will seemingly be larger in a North American wagering pool. North American bettors may be reluctant to again overseas shippers in races on grime.
Requested throughout the teleconference if he has heard any skepticism about working within the Basic—a race through which O’Brien has not competed since Mendelssohn  ran fifth in 2018—the coach mentioned that skepticism is widespread and doesn’t let it influence him.
“Like we decide and now we have a perception, after which we do our greatest to attempt to assist it occur after that, actually. … There will likely be professionals and cons to every part, and a few folks naturally are skeptical about issues,” he mentioned. “That is the best way human beings are, and so they’re entitled to be as a result of that is what makes up the entire world, actually, is not it?
“So, I believe, who is aware of what is going on to occur, actually? However now we have to try to once we consider in one thing, now we have to maintain going, do our greatest to try to assist (him) carry out to his greatest.”
