Benvenuto Cellini Rallies Late to Capture BC Turf

With jockey Ryan Moore seemingly conjuring open space in the stretch of the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) surged late to claim victory by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/2-mile test. Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who added three Breeders' Cup wins this year, said days before the Turf that a pair of off-the-board finishes in recent starts were better efforts than what showed up on paper. With his late run Saturday, this year's Irish Derby (G1) winner would show his best, out-kicking longshot Map of Stars (GB), who finished second, with O'Brien-trained 3-year-old filly Diamond Necklace (IRE) another three-quarter lengths back in third. Owners Peter Brant and Cooomore-affiliated partners Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Westerberg thought the homebred might improve on firm ground in North America. "The lads were always very anxious for him to come here," O'Brien said. "He's a horse who always has shown an awful lot of class, even as a 2-year-old. He's such a beautiful mover. He loves his fast ground." Benvenuto Cellini, a son of Frankel, entered off of a fifth-place finish in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), where Diamond Necklace finished third. But first-call rider Moore, who was aboard Benvenuto Cellini in the Arc, saw enough to stick with him in the Breeders' Cup. "He was a little bit slow away in the Arc, and he was drawing low, so he just got trapped in, and didn't really get to gallop," O'Brien said. "But he came home very well. Ryan was over the moon with him after the race. "When you looked into it, he was only beaten I think about two and a half lengths by (Diamond Necklace)." In Saturday's race Moore and Benvenuto Cellini settled near the back of the pack while saving ground, seventh through a swift half-mile in :47.82 set by clear early leader Deep Monster (JPN), 10th through a mile in 1:38.76, and back to 12th as the frontrunner completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:04.24. The eventual winner was blocked through the upper stretch, then Moore began to find a path, before his deep stretch magic found just enough room for Benvenuto Cellini to surge between horses to victory. Benvenuto Cellini completed 1 1/2 miles in 2:27.50 on firm turf. The winner returned $8.52, $6.32, and $4.60 across the board. Wathnan Racing's Map of Stars, who is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, rallied from last of 14 early to claim second under James Doyle at 40-1 odds, returning $30.80 to place and $20.98 to show. Diamond Necklace and Christophe Soumillon raced in 11th early before rallying six wide. She returned $3.96 to show. "He is a very nice horse. I didn't like being second," Graffard said of Map of Stars, who drew in as an also-eligible after a runner-up finish in a group 3 race in France in his previous race. "The winner had the strongest turn of foot in the last furlong. We came a long way with this horse, and the form of this horse is good. He is a top contender. We made a plan and it worked out." O'Brien said Diamond Necklace likely will be shortened up in races going forward. Bred in Ireland by Coolmore and Brant's White Birch Farm, the victory adds to a Breeders' Cup legacy as Benvenuto Cellini is out of 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Newspaperofrecord (IRE), a daughter of Lope de Vega who was trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables. After Saturday's race, Coolmore's M. V. Magnier credited Brant as the driving force to privately purchase Newspaperofrecord. "I have to say thank you very much to Peter Brant because if not for him we wouldn't have bought the mare," Magnier said. "He was very adamant that we buy her. this man can see around corners." Newspaperofrecord is just the fifth Breeders' Cup winner to produce a Breeders' Cup winner, joining the likes of Shared Account, Personal Ensign, My Flag, and Hollywood Wildcat. Newspaperofrecord also has produced stakes-winning filly Giselle, and has a 2-year-old full sister to Benvenuto Cellini, as well as a yearling colt and weanling colt by Justify. "We're very fortunate to be breeding to her," Brant added. "She has some very nice foals on the ground." O'Brien secured his 24th Breeders' Cup win to pad his advantage as the leading Breeders' Cup trainer by wins. Moore guided all three of those horses to victory, moving into fourth on the Breeder's Cup list with 19 wins. All three winners are owned by Coolmore partners. The other two winners scored on Oct. 30: Sun Goddess (IRE) in the in Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner and Kentucky-bred Juvenile Turf (G1T) winner Haffner, who Brant also partners on.