Aidan O'Brien and Christophe Soumillon completed the juvenile group 1-double on Arc day Oct. 5 as Puerto Rico dominated the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) from the front, holding Nighttime and Rayif at bay for a 2 1/2 length success.
This was a 10th Lagardere to go with O'Brien's six wins in the fillies' Prix Marcel Boussac (G1), although it was only the second time the Ballydoyle trainer had won both on the same card, 20 years after Rumplestiltskin and Horatio Nelson doubled up.
Soumillon said he was indebted to a conversation with the injured Ryan Moore Oct. 5 for his decision to take the initiative. The chasers never looked like catching Puerto Rico after he plunged to the inside at the "open stretch" cutaway rail.
The winning rider said: "Ryan said he thought the ground would be a big help to him and for me to ride him confidently, and it was the same with Aidan before the race. There's nothing hard, we ride for the horses.
"He jumped the gates really well and I took him to the front and he was really relaxed. He was hanging out for a while, but in the straight when I took him to the rail he picked up really well, and I felt nobody was following me."
Puerto Rico is a son of the late Wootton Bassett, winner of this race for Richard Fahey in 2010 and also the sire of last year's Lagardere scorer Camille Pissarro. He took six runs to break his maiden, although O'Brien typically blamed himself for the shaky start to the colt's career.
"I was probably running him over a little bit too short because he was showing us loads of speed," O'Brien said. "He ran over six furlongs up until Doncaster. That was his first run over seven (furlongs) and he won. The horse that was third to him that day (Cape Orator) won yesterday, so the form got very strong overnight.
"Christophe gave him a beautiful ride. He's a lovely, big, powerful, mature horse with loads of speed."
The son of Wooton Bassett earned an automatic, fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar Oct. 31 as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. Additionally, he earned 10 qualifying points on the European-Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby as the top five finishers received points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
Asked whether Puerto Rico might join the squad on the way to Del Mar, O'Brien added: "The lads were thinking of the Breeders' Cup and they asked about ground, but Christophe said ground and trip would be no problem. I'd say he definitely could be one for the Juvenile Turf."
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Diamond Necklace Surges to Win in Prix Marcel Boussac
Diamond Necklace's irresistible final-furlong surge in the Prix Marcel Boussac eventually wore down Green Spirit and catapulted the classy sort to the head of the markets for next year's fillies' classics.
The O'Brien-trained daughter of St Mark's Basilica was unbeaten in two starts and Green Spirit brought a similarly flawless record of four-from-four into the mile group 1. The Christopher Head-trained contender took a narrow lead from the other Ballydoyle runner, Venosa, and the race looked set up nicely for her when Maxime Guyon sent her on 2 furlongs down.
However, Soumillon coolly extricated Diamond Necklace from in behind and had a target to aim at down the stretch. They swept down the middle of the track and were a length clear, and stretching away, at the post, with the rider timing it to a nicety under a hands-and-heels drive.
O'Brien became the single most successful trainer in the history of the Boussac, his sixth win—20 years after his first with Rumplestiltskin—elevating him above Pascal Bary and Criquette Head-Maarek.
The victory earned Diamond Necklace an automatic, fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar Oct. 31 through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. However, O'Brien said her year has likely come to a close.
"We thought she was a bit babyish to come here, but Christophe rode her at Leopardstown and he said to let her come, and we'd leave her alone after that for the year," O'Brien said of the 11-10 favorite.
"We've only really seen the St Mark's Basilicas coming to hand in the last month or six weeks. St Mark's didn't win his group race until the Dewhurst, and we all know what he did at 3, so they are obviously very like him."
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