'Moore' of the Same

In the space of about 10 days in 2014, jockey Ryan Moore won the GI Canadian International S. in Canada, the G1 Cox Plate in Melbourne, jetted into Los Angeles for the Breeders' Cup meeting and returned to Melbourne to register an upset in the G1 Melbourne Cup. ThoughMoore, who was named the first winner of the Longines World's Best Jockey award at the end of the year, was shut out at Santa Anita 12 months back, he wasted little time in getting on the board in 2015, navigating his way through stretch traffic masterfully atop 7-1 chance Hit It a Bomb (War Front) for a narrow victory over favored Airoforce (Colonel John). Fellow European raider Birchwood (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was a close third. It was the third win in five years for Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien. It was the first Breeders' Cup victory for Mrs. Evelyn Stockwell, the mother of Coolmore principle John Magnier.

Friday's, Keeneland
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF-GI, $920,000, KEE, 10-30, 2yo, c/g, 1mT, 1:38.86, fm.
1–@&HIT IT A BOMB, 122, c, 2, by War Front
1st Dam: Liscanna (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $118,164), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Lahinch (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Dublah, by Private Account
O/B-Mrs. Evelyn M. Stockwell (KY); T-Aidan P. O'Brien; J-Ryan
L. Moore. $550,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $599,967. Werk
Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

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2–Airoforce, 122, c, 2, Colonel John–Chocolate Pop, by Cuvee.
($20,000 Ylg '14 FTKOCT; $350,000 2yo '15 OBSAPR). O-John C.
Oxley; B-Stewart M. Madison (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $180,000.

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3–Birchwood (Ire), 122, c, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Layla Jamil (Ire),
by Exceed And Excel (Aus). (77,000gns Ylg '14 TAOCT).
O-Godolphin Management Company; B-Marathon Bloodstock
(IRE); T-Richard Fahey. $100,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 2HF. Odds: 7.20, 2.70, 18.50.
Also Ran: Conquest Daddyo, Dressed in Hermes, Highland Sky, Manhattan Dan, Cymric, Hollywood Don, Shogun (Ire), Ray's The Bar (GB), Camelot Kitten, Azar, Sky Marshal. Scratched: Sheikh of Sheikhs. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Moore was at the controls when Hit It a Bomb made his debut over seven furlongs at The Curragh Sept. 27, and, sent off the 2-1 favorite in a field of 22 juveniles, the homebred sat off the pace from a high draw, bid a quarter mile out and took over inside the final furlong en route to a neck success. As connections are wont to do with horses they are contemplating sending overseas, Hit It a Bomb was sent to Dundalk for the Listed Star Appeal S. Oct. 9. Dispatched the 2-5 chalk, Hit It a Bomb, partnered this time by Joseph O'Brien, raced in a covered-up third, was pulled out full of run at the head of the stretch and powered home to score by 4 1/2 emphatic lengths. With that effort behind him, many thought the colt would have a date in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the main track, but it was back to the turf and another shining moment for Moore.

The 9-2 third choice on the morning line, Hit It a Bomb was allowed to drift out to better than 7-1 owing mostly to the awkward 'visitor's' draw in gate 14. Hit It a Bomb broke slightly outward at the break and settled in a joint last outside GII Summer S. winner Conquest Daddyo (Scat Daddy) as Manhattan Dan (Big Brown), a pacesetting third in the Summer, cut out an opening quarter in :23.12, a very demanding split over the testing ground. The well-bet Cymric (Kitten's Joy) got a good spot in third for William Buick, just ahead of the ground-saving Azar (Scat Daddy), who raced just in advance of favored Airoforce. Manhattan Dan was still going easily up front and the half-was posted in :48.22, as positions were largely unchanged on the turn, and Moore was biding his time with just one behind as the quarter-pole loomed. Hit It a Bomb rallied in tandem with Conquest Daddyo from the tail and may have bumped lightly with Hollywood Don (Tapit) just inside the three-sixteenths. Manhattan Dan took them into the final furlong and looked for a few strides like he was going to pull a 45-1 upset, but Moore steered Hit It a Bomb off the heels of Airoforce and got his ultimate quarter in a sensational :24.10 to be up in the shadow of the post.

“I'm absolutely delighted,” commented winning trainer Aidan O'Brien, unsaddling his ninth Breeders' Cup winner. “We were always looking forward to Keeneland. When we got the outside draw, we were worried and when the ground changed, we were also worried. Ryan said he would let him really relax, because he knew what he could do. This was always the plan–he's a real classy miler.”

The winner's dam was the first foal from MSW & GSP Lahinch, purchased by Mrs. Stockwell at the Goffs October Yearling sale in 2000. Liscanna is also a half-sister to GSW The Bogberry (Hawk Wing) and Lahinch Classics (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is trained for Stockwell by Chad Brown. Liscanna produced a full-sister to Hit It a Bomb in 2014, a full-brother to the winner this year and was bred back to War Front.