By Stefanie Grimm
Sometimes a horse just tells you when they're sitting on go.
Nearly all the way from the post parade to the gate Friday at Del Mar, Donnacha O'Brien's Balantina (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) was taking jockey Oisin Murphy for a ride, kicking up her heels in dramatic fashion through her warm up and generally looking like a filly ready to roll.
And ready she was. With a powerful late-running move, the 20-1 longshot exploded up the rail to capture the GI John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The most experienced runner in the field with five starts already under her belt and perhaps the most well-traveled filly as well, Balantina began her career in Ireland, taking two starts to break her maiden at the Curragh going six furlongs each time. Clearly her connections saw something promising as they shipped her to England's prestigious Royal Ascot meet where she came third in the G3 Albany Stakes 2 1/2 lengths behind classy filly and subsequent Group 1 winner Venetian Sun (Starman {GB}).
From Ascot, O'Brien then shipped his filly to France where she just missed by the narrowest of margins in the G3 Prix Six Perfections Stakes at Deauville Aug. 3. From there, she returned to Ireland where she could manage no better than a non-factor fifth in the G2 Debutante Stakes Aug. 23.
Overlooked on the wagering boards Friday even after the day-of scratch of near-undefeated morning-line favorite and MG1SW Precise (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Balantina continued a trend she'd down in previous races and was one of the last fillies to leave when the gates opened. Drawn wide and only faster than two other rivals who both dropped down to her inside, the longshot was able to clear that trailing pair and make the rail by the time Japan's Switch in Love (Jpn) (Contrail {Jpn}) led the field into the clubhouse turn.
On the fence and nicely covered up for the run up the backstretch, Balantina stayed boxed in through fractions of :22.33 and :45.96 with race favorite Ultimate Love (Curlin) just in front of her nearing the half-mile pole. As the pacesetter began to wilt around the far turn amid pressure from 64-1 shot Celebrity Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), the field began to swarm to the front and Balantina was left with nowhere to go with less than a quarter mile to run. It was the undefeated Ground Support (Army Mule) who burst through to lead but the rail was left open for Balantina and she needed no further encouragement, coming through along the fence in decisive fashion to clear off ahead of a closing Pacific Mission (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who made up ground late to steal second. The final time for the mile was 1:35.07.
With Balantina's win, O'Brien picked up his first Breeders' Cup victory while Oisin Murphy added a second to his tally having first taken the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in 2021 for Japan with Marche Lorraine (JPN) (Orfevre {Jpn}). She is also the second Breeders' Cup winner on the day for the Medallion Racing partnership who also took down the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with Cy Fair (Not This Time) to open the championship action at Del Mar.
“This is very special,” O'Brien said. “It was fantastic. Precise is a champion filly so when she was scratched it made it a little bit easier for us, but it's incredible. Oisin was majestic on her. She was slow away but when he got her on the rail he had the luck and had enough filly beneath to go and win the race so it's brilliant.”
“She probably ran a bit tired last time at the Curragh but she was just beaten on the line when Tom (Marquand) rode her at Deauville and she was beaten by a filly, the best 2-year-old French filly (Green Spirit),” Murphy added. “If she didn't run disappointing at the Curragh, she'd have been the favorite. Irad (Ortiz Jr.) broke inside me but he didn't have a great start and I was able to get up inside him and save ground on the first turn. Got in the back of the favorite (Ultimate Love) and when she switched out turning in, I was able to go up the inside, but I had the horse though. She's a great athlete and that's why she was able to handle the track so well.”
Pedigree Note:
Balantina is the third top-level winner (joining Zulu Kingdom and Lush Lips {also co-owned by Medallion}) and fifth overall group/graded winner for Ten Sovereigns, a son of No Nay Never who began his second career at Coolmore Stud and was sold to Turkey to stand at the end of 2024. A €100,000 purchase out of the Arqana August Yearling Sale for Avenue Bloodstock/Parkland/Bawnmore, she is the fourth winner from as many to race for Balankiyla (Fr), a mare who has already produced French GSW Baiykara (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}).
Second dam Balankiya (Fr) also had a prolific second career, responsible for GI Secretariat Stakes winner Bayrir (Fr) (Medicean {GB}) and GSP Evershed (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). Balantina, now with group/graded placings in three countries, has a yearling half-brother by Churchill (Ire). Balankiyla, culled for just € 36,000 in 2021 at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, has not produced a foal nor been reported bred since 2024.
Balantina blazes to victory in the $1 Million @JohnDeere #BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf! 💥 #BC25 pic.twitter.com/19RmqCT06a
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 31, 2025
Friday, Del Mar
JOHN DEERE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF-GI, $920,000, Del Mar, 10-31, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.07, fm.
1–BALANTINA (IRE), 122, f, 2, by Ten Sovereigns (Ire)
1st Dam: Balankiyla (Fr), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Balankiya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Balanka (Ire), by Alzao
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. (€100,000 Ylg '24 ARAUG). O-Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and McNulty, Lissa Ann; B-Summerhill/Lynch Bages/S. Murphy (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Oisin Murphy. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-1-1, $572,440. *1/2 to Baiykara (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), GSW-Fr, $132,409. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pacific Mission (GB), 122, f, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Big Break (GB) (MGSW-Ire, $154,506), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Fame At Last, by Quest for Fame (GB)
3rd Dam: Ranales, by Majestic Light
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Andrew Balding. $170,000.
3–Ground Support, 122, f, 2, by Army Mule
1st Dam: Arch Support (GSP, $159,835), by Arch
2nd Dam: Two Ninety Jones, by Sir Harry Lewis
3rd Dam: Caromist, by Caro (Ire)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($90,000 RNA 2yo '25 OBSMAR; $80,000 2yo '25 EASMAY). O-NBS Stable; B-Champion Equine, LLC (FL); T-Kelsey Danner. $90,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 20.60, 14.20, 24.30.
Also Ran: Imaginationthelady, Ultimate Love, Infinite Sky, Queen of Hawaii (Ire), Celebrity Warrior (Ire), Final Accord, Time to Dream, Switch in Love (Jpn), Brave Deb. Scratched: Precise (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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