While 3-year-old filly Diamond Necklace is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Oct. 31 at Keeneland for Aidan O'Brien, the trainer also believes in his other classic winner in the 1 1/2-mile race, Benvenuto Cellini.
Diamond Necklace this year swept the French classics for fillies, taking the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, G1) in May at ParisLongchamp Racecourse and the Prix de Diane (French Oaks, G1) in June at Chantilly Racecourse. She enters off a third-place finish against older males in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) Oct. 4 at ParisLongchamp.
In the Arc, Diamond Necklace, a daughter of St Mark's Basilica, finished a neck behind Bay City Roller, who also is entered in the Turf. Campaigned by the Coolmore-affiliated owners of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Westerberg, Diamond Necklace is a four-time group 1 winner.
Benvenuto Cellini, who earlier this season captured the Irish Derby (G1), finished ninth in this year's Arc. Interestingly, O'Brien's first-call rider Ryan Moore will stick with Benvenuto Cellini, his Arc mount, while Christophe Soumillon is back on Diamond Necklace after riding her for the first time in the Arc. Moore had been aboard for her four previous mounts, including three group 1 wins in that stretch.
O'Brien said they've always thought the Breeders' Cup Turf is a great fit for Benvenuto Cellini and added that he ran a better Arc than what shows up on paper.
"He was a bit slow away in France and still ran a very good race. If you go back and look at France, his run is a lot better than you think," O'Brien said. "We've done a good bit with him, so hopefully he'll get away and have a nice position."
Diamond Necklace's effort in the Arc, where Daryz won for a second straight year, provided thrills.
"The filly ran a stormer in the Arc. It was a slowly run Arc, and she did quicken to go for the win, and just got nabbed," O'Brien said. "So listen, it's going to be interesting with her. You're probably going to have to really ride her to get the trip, where with (Benvenuto Cellini), (Moore) can be very forward and straightforward on him.
"Obviously, (Benvenuto Cellini) won the Irish Derby. He had a massive run in the King George, Ryan was very happy and he just thought that he could improve a little bit on the King George, With the Arc then, we're taking it as it is. We know what happened and he came forward again from then."
European Contenders Take to Track
Defending Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) champion Notable Speech wasted little time getting reacquainted with Keeneland Tuesday morning, leading a strong European contingent onto the track for the first time since clearing quarantine the night before.
The Charlie Appleby-trained runner was among the first European horses on the main track shortly after 7 a.m. ET, exercising alongside stablemate El Cordobes, who is entered in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf.
"He's in great shape," exercise rider Colm O'Donaghue said. "He's danced every dance and he's a professional. He went out there solo this morning, didn't need a lead or anything. It was like his own backyard,"
Both Appleby runners reportedly traveled well and appeared in good condition ahead of their weekend assignments. Appleby is expected to be trackside Oct. 28.
It was a busy but relatively routine morning for the European runners, who were limited to trotting and cantering during their first exercise sessions following their transatlantic journeys.
Among the first to emerge on the training track was Miss Yechance, who appeared shortly after 7 a.m. with regular jockey Jack Nicholls aboard. The Karl Burke-trained filly, a recent winner of the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (G1), is preparing for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Assistant trainer James Cowley said the filly handled the trip from England well and has maintained her condition heading into the race.
"She looks great in herself and we're really happy with her weight leading into the week," Cowley said. "We won't do a lot with her now. She's where we want her fitness-wise and it's just a case of keeping everything moving and ticking over."
Miss Yechance is scheduled for a brief turf workout Wednesday, when she will negotiate the turn and quicken through the stretch. She will have light exercise Oct. 29 and 30 to keep her fresh for Saturday.
Although the filly drew post 14, Cowley believes the outside position could work to her advantage.
"We're hoping the pace will come from within the inner and we will be the pace from the outside," he said. "We're going to try and use the draw in our favor as she's not overly big, so if she was in the middle of the field and half missed the kick from the gate she could possibly get swallowed up by those big sprinters."
Cowley also expressed confidence in Nicholls, who is unbeaten in three starts aboard the filly, including victories in a handicap, a group 3 and a group 1.
The O'Brien family also had a strong presence at Keeneland Tuesday morning, with Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien all trackside to oversee their respective runners.
Joseph O'Brien led his string aboard a pony, with Folsom Blues among the horses following him onto the main track. Jockey Dylan Browne-McMonagle was aboard Johanna Walsh, who is entered in the Turf, and reported that the filly was in good form.
Puerto Rico, entered in the Mile, led Aidan O'Brien's contingent onto the track.
The group also included Sun Goddess, who is expected to be among the shortest-priced runners of the weekend in the Oct. 31 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).
The filly was ridden by Rachel Richardson, who regularly accompanies many of Aidan O'Brien's leading runners when they travel to the United States. Sun Goddess appeared in excellent condition as she continued preparations for her Oct. 30 assignment.
Another European hopeful attracting attention is Hell of A Spin, who will give trainer Adrian Keatley his first Breeders' Cup starter in Friday's Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T).
The colt enters off a third-place finish in the Middle Park Stakes (G1) Sept. 26 at Newmarket Racecourse and will break from post 11 under jockey Mikey Sheehy.
"It's a great honor to have a runner in the Breeders' Cup and a massive opportunity," Keatley said. "We are a relatively small yard based in the North of England, so for the horse and ourselves we're punching way above our weight, but we think he has a massive chance."
Keatley expressed confidence in Sheehy, who joined his stable earlier this season after twice narrowly missing apprentice riding titles in Ireland. Sheehy's brother, Danny, rides at Keeneland, giving the young jockey a familiar connection as he prepares for his Breeders' Cup appearance.
Keatley described Hell of A Spin as a straightforward, competitive colt with a strong work ethic.
"He is a lovely horse who is very straightforward. You wouldn't know he's in the yard," Keatley said. "He loves his work, with a great attitude, who puts his head down and battles hard."
Hell of A Spin is also scheduled to be offered at Wednesday's Keeneland Championship Sale, presenting prospective buyers with an opportunity to acquire a Breeders' Cup starter with potential beyond this weekend.
Keatley believes the colt has the pedigree and temperament to stretch out to 7 furlongs or a mile next season.
"He is a genuine group 1 horse," Keatley said. "The team is very much looking forward to the race. We're very hopeful of a huge run."
French champion trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has three horses in Kentucky for the championships, including Amusingly in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Primetime Emmy in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Map of Stars in the Turf as an also-eligible.
All three reportedly traveled well and have settled into their surroundings.
Edited Press Release - Breeders' Cup
Don't Count Out Kathynmarissa
In what appears to be a rather salty renewal of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T), the American contingent has its work cut out for it against the likes of favorites Blue Bolt and Precise. That said, if history is any indication, counting out Chad Brown in a race in which he owns the record of four victories could be folly.
This year, the New York native looks to return to the Filly and Mare Turf winner's enclosure for the first time since 2018, and while he does not have the favorite, that has not stopped in him in the past. In fact, none of his four winners—Sistercharlie; Stephanie's Kitten; Dayatthespa; and Zagora—were the market leader, which should give supporters of Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb's Kathynmarissa some well-founded confidence.
In career form, the 5-year-old daughter of 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner American Pharoah has won three of her four 2026 starts, including defeating last year's Filly and Mare Turf winner Gezora in Churchill Downs' Modesty Stakes (G3T) to kick off her campaign. After a third in Saratoga Race Course's New York Stakes (G1T), she defeated grade 1 winner Segesta in the Diana Stakes (G1T) at the Spa, before closing enthusiastically to take Belmont Park's Flower Bowl Stakes (G2T) as her final prep.
"It seems like the perfect distance for her—what a unique distance, a mile and three sixteenths," Brown said. "It seems to hit that sweet spot for her, right in between a mile and an eighth and mile and a quarter, which is probably what she wants to do. It's a considerable step up, but her record is as good as any Americans this year, along with Classic Q, who must navigate a stretchout. That said, she's only been beaten once, but that was a paceless race (the New York) on a speed-favoring track at Saratoga—otherwise, she'd be undefeated going into this race. She should be one of the top choices in the race. I could see this race definitely setting up for her."
Part-owner, Dubb, shares his optimism.
"She's been a top-rated turf filly in the country for some time," Dubb said. "She's quite a horse. We've known how good she is and she's one we've had to be patient with. She had some bone bruising last year and we only got one race into her. This year, Chad's been working backwards from the Breeders' Cup for a carefully managed campaign. She's done everything we've asked of her and we're strong believers in her. She, for me, is a special horse because I named her after two bankers that I do business with, Kathy Flock and Marissa Magnuson."
It appears that if Brown and Dubb want to take this one to the proverbial (and literal) bank, they are most likely going to get a decent price.
Edited Press Release - Breeders' Cup
Stretching His Legs
Dual Classic-winner Golden Tempo galloped over the main track under assistant trainer and exercise rider Enrique Miranda.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux said in a press conference the morning of Oct. 27 that Golden Tempo continues to train forwardly into his first test against elders in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
"It feels like he's got a lot of class (and he's) very confident," DeVaux said. "The confidence he has is unique to him, and he's always had that."
Golden Tempo won both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) with an extreme late turn-of-foot under regular jockey Jose Ortiz, and would benefit from the expected hot pace in the Classic with the likes of Knightsbridge , Napoleon Solo, and Magnitude likely to be involved early.
"It does appear a lot of speed signed on, which is one of the elements that Golden Tempo needs to be successful in a race," DeVaux said. "He's not completely pace dependent, but it sure does make it a lot easier when there's speed in front of him. That does look like it will materialize on Saturday, so we're just hoping he gets a fair pace to run at. Obviously, as we have said along his whole career, he's going to have to improve. He's improved a little bit each time he's run, even in defeat in the Travers. He should step up, the complexity of the race should be in his favor, and Jose (Ortiz) is the one from here on out that has the most important job of timing it correctly."
Campaigned by breeders Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, Golden Tempo looks to improve from a last-out third in the Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 29 at Saratoga and put an exclamation point on what has been a tremendous sophomore campaign.
Edited Press Release - Breeders' Cup
One of a Kind
Sometime Saturday, or maybe a few days after, it will hit Bill Mott.
Sovereignty , one of the best horses to ever do it for the Hall of Fame trainer, will likely have run his last race. Saturday's $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic figures to be the swan song for the 2025 Horse of the Year.
Mott, 73, started training horses when he was 15. He has won more than 5,600 career races, won five Eclipse Awards as the nation's best trainer. Three of his horses, including Sovereignty, have been named Horse of the Year.
When they go, sure, he feels it.
"Absolutely, of course," Mott said outside his Rice Road barn. "I have had to say that about other ones, too. It will be a little emotional. It's hard to turn those horses loose."
Mott has had to say goodbye to champions such as 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish and the great Cigar, who won back-to-back Eclipse Awards in 1995 and 1996.
Sovereignty will go down in Mott's book as one of the best to ever do it. He won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes last year and added the Travers Stakes on his way to Horse of the Year honors.
He was supposed to run in last year's Classic, but was knocked out by a fever.
Sovereignty has won seven of 12 career races, four of them grade 1s. Mott was not ready to start comparing his star horses against each other.
"(Sovereignty) is pretty high up there, but, you know, I had a good horse name Cigar," Mott said. "It's pretty hard to take anything away from him. Sovereignty is definitely the best 3-year-old I have ever been around. I have never had a horse that could do what he did as a 3-year-old."
Sovereignty, owned and bred by Godolphin, will be heading to the breeding shed following the Classic. He will long be remembered for what he did for Mott.
"Good horses, these great horses, are hard to come by," Mott said. "I have just been so fortunate over the years."
Edited Press Release - Breeders' Cup
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
