2019 Breeders' Cup Turf Recap - Bricks and Mortar

Bricks and Mortar capped off a brilliant year with a spectacular win in Saturday's $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at Santa Anita Park. The win here today was the seventh consecutive win for the Chad Brown trainee who remained a perfect six for six in 2019 with five grade 1 wins.

Acclimate shot right to the front along with Bandu and the pair set fractions of :24.81, :48.44, and 1:13.26. Close behind was the even-money post time favorite Bricks and Mortar followed by Anthony Van Dyke. United and Channel Maker were close behind with the field strung out behind as they made their way 1 ½ miles around the Santa Anita turf course.

As they approached the final turn, Acclimate and Bandu continued to lead while United moved up into third. Bricks and Mortar, with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, sat comfortably in fifth and waited to make a final big move. With seemingly perfect timing, Bricks and Mortar shot like a cannon to the front to duel it out with United who had taken up the lead in the stretch.

Bricks and Mortar, with his perfect 2019 record on the line, got the best of United and finished first by a head for Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence. Anthony Van Dyck continued on for third followed by Zulu Alpha and Alounak.

Bricks and Mortar returned $4.00 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.40 to show. United brought back $25.60 to place and $13.00 to show, while Anthony Van Dyck paid $4.00 to show.

2019 Breeders' Cup Turf Odds & Entries

Race 11 at Santa Anita on Saturday, November 02 - Post 7:40 PM

Entry	Horse	ML Odds	Jockey	Trainer
1	Zulu Alpha	20-1	Jose Ortiz 126 Lbs	Michael Maker
2	Acclimate	20-1	Martin Garcia 126 Lbs	Philip D'Amato
3	United	20-1	Flavien Prat 126 Lbs	Richard Mandella
4	Mount Everest (IRE)	15-1	Wayne Lordan 122 Lbs	Aidan O'Brien
5	Anthony Van Dyck (IRE)	3-1	Ryan Moore 122 Lbs	Aidan O'Brien
6	Channel Cat	15-1	Luis Saez 126 Lbs	Todd Pletcher
7	Alounak (FR)	20-1	Clement Lecoeuvre 126 Lbs	Waldemar Hickst
8	Bandua	20-1	Tyler Gaffalione 126 Lbs	Jack Sisterson
9	Bricks and Mortar	9-5	Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 Lbs	Chad Brown
10	Old Persian (GB)	4-1	William Buick 126 Lbs	Charles Appleby
11	Arklow	12-1	Javier Castellano 126 Lbs	Brad Cox
12	Channel Maker	10-1	John Velazquez 126 Lbs	William Mott

U.S. Legal Online Wagering

Bricks and Mortar early favorite in the $4 million 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf

The $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at 1 1/2 miles is led by the Chad Brown-trained Bricks and Mortar, unbeaten in five starts this year. The 5-year-old Bricks and Mortar, owned by Klaravich Stable and William H. Lawrence, is also very much in the Horse of the Year picture, as the son of Giant's Causeway has Grade 1 wins in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park, the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, the Manhattan at Belmont Park and the "Win and You're In" Arlington Million at Arlington Park in his most recent start in August.

Other top U.S. based starters pre-entered for the Turf are the Ellwood Johnson Trust and Timmy Time Racing's Acclimate, who earned a berth into the Turf when he won the "Win and You're In" Del Mar Handicap (G2) in August for trainer Phil D'Amato, and Donegal Racing's Arklow, who won Belmont Park's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on Oct. 5.

Legendary European trainer Aidan O'Brien has pre-entered three horses for the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). His 2019 Epsom Derby (G1) winner Anthony Van Dyck could go against stablemate Magical, who was second last year behind Enable (Magical is cross-entered in the Filly and Mare Turf). O'Brien's third pre-entry is Mount Everest, whose dam is 2003 Breeders' Cup Mile heroine Six Perfections.

The Irish-based conditioner has won the Turf a record six times, starting with High Chaparral in 2002. High Chaparral came back to successfully defend his title while finishing in a dead heat with Johar in 2003. Since then, O'Brien has added wins with St Nicholas Abbey in 2011, Magician in 2013, Found in 2015, and Highland Reel in 2016. Three of his six wins have come over the Santa Anita turf course.

He is not the only European-based trainer to do well in the Turf. Foreign invaders have won the race 22 times in 35 years, starting with Lashkari defeating All Along in 1984. The fillies Pebbles and Miss Alleged won in 1985 and 1991, and American rider Gary Stevens piloted the French-based In the Wings to victory in 1990.

More recently, Turf champions have included two-time Arc de Triomphe winner Enable, the popular white-faced Talismanic, two-time winner Conduit, and globe-trotting Shirocco.

Leading European jockey Frankie Dettori commands the riders' race with five wins, including victories aboard Red Rocks in 2006, Dangerous Midge in 2010, and Enable last year. Before them, he rode seven-time grade 1 winner Daylami to win at Gulfstream Park in 1999, and $8.4 million earner Fantastic Light at Belmont Park in 2001.

Although not as frequently, American-based interests have made their presence known in the Turf as well. Main Sequence was the most recent winner for Graham Motion under John Velazquez, who also piloted English Channel to score in 2007. Motion conditioned upset winner Better Talk Now to outrun favored Kitten's Joy in 2004 at Lone Star Park.

Canada has had their day in the Breeders' Cup Turf, such as in 1997 when the brilliant chestnut Chief Bearhart defeated the German filly Borgia in a dramatic stretch battle.

Well-traveled Old Persian 'here with a live shot' in Breeders' Cup

Old Persian will attempt to take his place among the world's best middle-distance grass horses when the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) winner lines up this Saturday in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park.

Owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, the son of Dubawi will carry the flag of DWC Carnival form when he takes on the likes of Horse of the Year contender Bricks and MortarEpsom Derby (G1) winner Anthony Van Dyck and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) winner Arklow.

The nine-time winner from 16 starts got his first feel for Santa Anita Park on Tuesday morning, galloping around the dirt oval in preparation for his 1 1/2-mile turf assignment. With Appleby looking on, the earner of more than $4,3 million turned some heads as he extended beautifully while taking in his surroundings

"We know he's here with a live shot and we know he stays well," Appleby said. "He shipped in well, and I'm delighted with the way he's moving around there. The great thing about him is he has experience traveling and doing his track work. It's second nature to him."

If the multiple Grade/Group 1 winner is successful, he will have the enviable title of a horse who has won a fixture at four of the most prestigious meetings in the world: the Breeders' Cup, Dubai World Cup, Royal Ascot and Yorkshire Ebor.

In 2018, the English-bred 4-year-old was a rousing victor of the King Edward VII Stakes (G2) at Ascot. Two months to the day later in August, he defeated stablemate and subsequent Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Cross Counter in the Great Voltigeur Stakes (G2) at York Racecourse.

Since his popular victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 30, things took a slight dip for the well-made colt when he failed to fire in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom on May 31, finishing seventh. Given some rest, he returned on Aug. 11 at Hoppegarten in Germany, where he finished a game third by a length to French King in the Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1).

"At Epsom he just showed us signs that he gave us a big performance on World Cup night in the Sheema," Appleby said. "He had trained through the winter and had his two starts in Dubai, so I think he just showed the signs, to be brutally honest, and ran flat. We naturally gave him a short break after that.

"We had pencilled in the Arlington Million as an option, but we saw the race in Germany and we did not want to ship him back and forth too many times," Appleby continued. "We used the German race to get some conditioning back into him. We also, after Epsom, wanted to get everyone's confidence back on track."

Shipped across the Atlantic next out, he sprang powerfully back to form in Woodbine's Northern Dancer Turf (G1) in Canada, defeating an overmatched field by 2 1/2 lengths when racing in his fifth different country and third continent.

"Our plan was always to work back from the Breeders' Cup Turf, so timing-wise we felt it fit well," Appleby said. "Our plan was always to have a crack at the Northern Dancer en route to here. He came out of the Northern Dancer really well, so we did not want to race him again."

Appleby looks forward to getting back to Dubai, himself, in the next couple weeks to prepare to defend his title as top trainer at the DWC Carnival, but in the meantime is squarely focused on preparing Old Persian to make history as the first Sheema Classic winner to land the Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year.

"As you know all these horses are sportsmen, so you like to keep their confidence high," he concluded. "As you can see, he's alert and he's enjoying himself. He's taking it all in. Seeing that, I feel confident as well."

The European challengers for this year's Breeders' Cup were on the Santa Anita main track for the first time this morning excluding the Aidan O'Brien team that is in quarantine until we will see them on the track Thursday. The O'Brien team arrived in the International Quarantine barn around 7:45 Monday night.

Old Persian

Charlie Appleby was trackside this morning to see Old Persian (Turf) do light exercise on the main track. He said: "The plan all year has been to work back from running in the Breeders' Cup Turf here at Santa Anita. After Epsom we gave him a nice holiday then went to Germany where we got in a nice prep run there in the hope to get him on his A game to go to the Northern Dancer (at Woodbine) where he went off favorite and didn't disappoint. He ran a good strong race and gained experience there and he won it very comfortably.

"We come to these major worldwide races to be competitive at the top level, there is no point traveling just to take part. I feel he has the right profile to be coming here and running a huge race so fingers crossed he performs on Saturday."

Acclimate

Trainer Phil D'Amato was pleased, exclaiming, "great post," with the number two post position draw of his speedy California-bred Acclimate for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

"With his style of running, this fits him," D'Amato said. "He's a graded-stakes winner over this turf course, so I hope that's an advantage."

Acclimate notched his first stakes victory in the marathon 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano over this turf course in June.

Bricks and Mortar

One of the leading candidates for Horse of the Year, Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence's Chad Brown-trained Bricks and Mortar got his first look at Santa Anita Park on Tuesday morning, leaving Barn 48 and having a light gallop just past 7:45.

The son of Giant's Causeway enters the Turf in lieu of the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, both of which he likely would have started as the wagering favorite. Initially reported to be leaning toward the latter with his charge, Brown decided on the former in the days leading up to entries.

"I'm happy with choosing the Turf," Brown said. "I think he's drawn fine, being a little toward the outside (in post nine of 12)."

A winner of four Grade 1s this year, including the world's richest turf route, the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational over 9.5f, Bricks and Mortar will attempt the 12-furlong distance for the first time. His past two races were impressive wins at 10 furlongs, including the Arlington Million and Manhattan.

"We're just hoping for a clear trip to give him a chance to show that he can stay the mile and a half," Brown said. "I'm confident, with the way he's training, that he'll be able to do it."

Bricks and Mortar would be Brown's first win in the Turf. He has had 10 starters, with his best finishes being runner-up efforts from Flintshire (2016) and Beach Patrol (2017). None has entered with the kind of season Bricks and Mortar boasts in 2019, being 5-for-5 with earnings in excess of $4.5 million.

Channel Cat

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat galloped 1 ¼ miles at Santa Anita Tuesday, on the morning after arriving from New York to prepare for a start in Saturday's Turf.

The 4-year-old son of English Channel, who was a multiple ungraded-stakes winner last year, has run exclusively in graded stakes in his six starts this year, including a front-running half-length victory in the Bowling Green at Saratoga in July after finishing a close-up third in the United Nations at Monmouth Park.

"Like you'd expect from a lot of the English Channels, they tend to get better as they get older," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He's been consistently right there. In the Bowling Green he got a great trip and was able to win. He got not quite-as-smooth trips in his last two races."

The Calumet homebred finished third in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga and fourth in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont in his two most recent starts.

Pletcher is hoping that Channel Cat and jockey Luis Saez, have better racing luck in the 1 1/2-mile Turf.

"It's a race that, as always in some of these turf races, you need to work out a smooth trip," Pletcher said.

2019 BREEDERS' CUP RACE SCHEDULE

What is the Breeders' Cup Turf?

The Breeders' Cup Turf (Grade 1) is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up since it's inauguration in 1984. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The forerunner for this race was the Washington, D.C. International Stakes at Laurel Park Racecourse. Inaugurated in 1952, it was raced on turf at 1-1/2 miles and drew the best horses from North America and Europe. A winner of this race was the American legend Kelso, albeit on his fourth attempt, after being second three times in a row.

Analyzing the statistical records, it has been found that the European contingents find it suitable to hold their feet in this event ever since the race started. Possibly due to the Breeders' Cup racing schedule - it generally takes place at the end of October or beginning of November every year - that is just at the end of European Racing Season. Another possibility may be the hot and humid weather condition at the Florida or Southern California Breeders' Cup sites.

Though the American owners have groomed some outstanding grass runners in the past, they have been defeated by the top-level European competitors in recent years. While comparing these facts to the world racing calendar, the Breeders' Cup Turf seems a North American championship race. British jockey Frankie Dettori has registered the most number of wins in the Breeders' Cup Turf category with three - capturing the race in 1999, 2001 and 2006. The Breeders' Cup Turf has come to be dominated by European horses that are reflected by the first four horses in the 2005 contest. High Chaparral, the then Irish champion - clinched the winning title back-to-back in 2002 and 2003, followed by Conduit with back-to-back wins in 2008 and 2009.

Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed "The Breeders' Cup Challenge," a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the fourteen divisions has between three and six of these "Win and You're In" qualifiers. In the Breeders' Cup Turf Division there are five automatic births. In 2011, the Win and You're In races were: the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) at Saint-Cloud Racecourse, the United Nations S. (Gr.I) at Monmouth Park, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. (G1) at Ascot, the Arlington Million (Gr.I) at Arlington Park, the Del Mar Handicap (Gr.II) at Del Mar, the Irish Champion S. (G1) at Leopardstown, the Qatar Prix Niel (G2) at Longchamp, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (Gr.I) at Belmont Park, and the Pattison Canadian International S. (Gr.I) at Woodbine Racetrack.