Mondialiste Connections Mull Breeders' Cup Options

Do they really want to run against Tepin (Bernstein) again?

That's a question trainer David O'Meara and owners Geoff and Sandra Turnbull will ask themselves after the running of Saturday's GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. In Mondialiste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) they have the likely favorite in the race and a horse that has proven to thrive at the one-mile distance. He won last year's GI Woodbine Mile and was second in his next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. However, a return engagement in this year's mile would mean facing superstar Tepin, a horse that has already beaten Mondialiste twice. She beat the 6-year-old by 2 1/4 lengths in last year's Mile and by 11 3/4 lengths this year in the GI Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Might, then the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at a mile-and-a-half be a better option?

“We're looking at things one race at a time,” O'Meara said. “The Mile is the main plan and, hopefully, he will come out of this race well enough that we can come back in the Mile. But we haven't completely ruled out the Turf. His pedigree suggests he should stay. He's out of Kaldoun (Fr) mare and is by Galileo, so the Turf has not been completely ruled out. We'll get Saturday out of the way first and make a decision after that.”

O'Meara hasn't been afraid to stretch Mondialiste out this year. He finished second in the GII Sky Bet York Stakes in July at a mile-and-five-sixteenths.

“His run this year at York behind Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), where he we got beat a half-length was probably as good as anything he's done in the States,” O'Meara said.

In his next start he shipped back to the U.S. and won the GI Arlington Million at a mile-and-quarter.

As for Tepin, O'Meara has plenty of respect for her.

“She's obviously a very good filly and won the Queen Anne impressively in June,” he said. “Other foreign horses have come over for that race with big reputations and not managed to run well. Not having her in this race (the Shadwell) is a help for us.”