By Alan Carasso
Team Ballydoyle was dealt a bit of a blow Friday when having to scratch their once-beaten dual Group 1 winner Precise (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) out of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a cough. But the opening day of championship weekend ended on a high note for the operation, as heavily favored Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) overcame a slow break and torrid trip to take out the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf by a 3/4-length margin that entirely belies the dominating nature of the victory.
For trainer Aidan O'Brien, it was a history-making success, as Gstaad was providing him with his 21st Breeders' Cup winner, surpassing the record previously held by the recently departed Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. It was an eighth victory and fourth consecutive winner of the Juvenile Turf for O'Brien, following on from Victoria Road (Ire), Unquestionable (Fr) and Henri Matisse (Ire) the last three years.
“I'm just so delighted,” said O'Brien, whose first Breeders' Cup victory ironically came on the dirt with Johannesburg at Belmont Park in 2001. “Obviously everyone knows that we're in just this unbelievably privileged position. To [be] working for the lads that put so much in since we have come to Ballydoyle, all the way, breeding, buying, employing everybody, putting the pedigrees together and letting the horses and asking them and wanting them to come here for everyone to see them race.
“We feel so privileged. And like obviously working for such special people, with such special people. And today what could I say. Incredible. Christophe gave him a beautiful ride.
I'm so delighted, so delighted for the lads, really. They're the ones that make it happen day in and day out. Like I say, we feel very privileged to be in the position that we are, really.”
It should be noted that just two of Lukas's 20 victories came following the expansion of the Breeders' Cup in 2007, but did include a win in the short-lived Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint with Hightail in 2012.
The aforementioned Henri Matisse overcame the outside barrier 12 in validating favoritism at odds just short of 4-1 last year, but off his body of work at home this season, Gstaad was nevertheless backed to the tune of 6-5 despite once again landing the visitors' draw this past Monday.
With Ryan Moore forced to miss this year's Breeders' Cup meeting with an injury, Christophe Soumillon has been riding the Ballydoyle first-stringers over the course of the recent weeks, but was in search of his first win at the championships since piloting Germany's Shirocco (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) in the 2005 Turf at Belmont Park.
Things were off to a fairly inauspicious beginning Friday afternoon. Gstaad missed the kick by perhaps a half-length and the Belgian-born, but French-based rider asked this year's G2 Coventry Stakes romper for a bit of early zip to gain some semblance of early position and was more or less able to slot in Gstaad into about the three path as 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Outfielder (Speightstown) went at it hammer and tong with local hope Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never).
Trapped out three deep with no cover rounding the first turn as the top two match-raced away from their rivals, Soumillon was content to play the hand he'd been dealt and Gstaad was still off the course and slightly worse than midfield passing halfway. Slipped a bit of rein by Soumillon with 3 1/2 furlongs to travel, the 450,000gns Tattersalls December foal acquisition had improved into about fifth position and was well in hand while working into the race ominously despite covering stacks of ground.
On the back of the prominent-throughout Street Beast (Street Sense) four wide off the final corner, Gstaad was yanked off that one's heels and stayed on nicely to score as GIII Zuma Beach Stakes hero Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) made late inroads at the fence to spice up the exotics. North Coast (Ire) (Starman {GB}) improved for the firmer footing to round out the trifecta.
“I was loaded last, and when the guy who put me in the gate went backwards, he got a bit scared and turned his head and they opened the gates,” Soumillon explained. “I think if I had been loaded before the last, I think he would have jumped nearly in front because he's got that much speed. I was quite happy to be able to get him in, because doing three or four deep on the first corner is not a big advantage.
“I was trying to ride like Ryan (Moore) did last year with Henri Matisse, it works well because I was 2 1/2 deep on the back straight the pace was strong and I just tried to make a little move to get a little closer to have an option so I could choose where we would come into the turn. Finally, we came into the last turn, he was cruising and I knew he was doing everything well. When I came into the straight I knew it was game over.”
A debut winner at Navan in Ireland May 17, Gstaad rolled home by three lengths in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot a month later. In three subsequent tries in some of Europe's top juvenile Group 1 contests, Gstaad was beaten by a length combined, going down by a neck in Deauville's Prix Morny Aug. 21, by a head in the Sept. 14 National Stakes at the Curragh and by three-parts of a length when last seen in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 11.
O'Brien and Soumillion will likely be favored to add to their totals when teaming with Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.
Pedigree Notes:
Gstaad is the 10th elite-level scorer for his sire, whose other notable produce includes State of Rest (Ire), a Group 1 winner in America, France, England and Australia; and the Hong Kong-based milers California Spangle (Ire) and Beauty Eternal (Aus). Rhea Moon (Ire) won the GI American Oaks on this circuit. Daughters of Exceed and Excel have now produced 16 winners at the top level.
Bred by Kelly Thomas of Maywood Stud, Gstaad is one of five winners from six to race from his dam, whose son Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) took the Morny and G1 Middle Park Stakes as a 2-year-old in 2023 and was third in the 2024 G1 July Cup at Newmarket.
Hailing from the deeper female family of July Cup winner Anabaa (Danzig) and French Classic winner Always Loyal (Zilzal), Gstaad is the last listed produce for the now 18-year-old Mosa Mine.
Gstaad flies home a #BreedersCup champion in the $1 Million Juvenile Turf! #BC25 Congrats to the connections! pic.twitter.com/3vmoylVbVb
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 1, 2025
Friday, Del Mar
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF-GI, $920,000, Del Mar, 10-31, 2yo, c/g, 1mT, 1:34.93, fm.
1–GSTAAD (GB), 122, c, 2, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Mosa Mine (GB), by Exceed And Excel (Aus)
2nd Dam: Baldemosa (Fr), by Lead On Time
3rd Dam: Bamieres (Fr), by Riverman
1ST GRADE I WIN. (450,000gns Wlg '23 TADEWE). O-Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael B. Tabor; B-Maywood Stud (GB); T-Aidan P. O'Brien; J-Christophe Soumillon. $520,000. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Fr, 6-3-3-0, $993,157. *1/2 to Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Hwt. Colt-Fr, G1SW-Fr, G1SW-Eng, $650,249. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stark Contrast, 122, c, 2, Caravaggio–Catch the Eye, by Quality Road. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $170,000.
3–North Coast (Ire), 122, c, 2, Starman (GB)–La Australiana, by Australia (GB). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (42,000gns Wlg '23 TADEWE; 180,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Gary Barber and John C. Oxley; B-Ringfort Stud LTD (IRE); T-Joseph Patrick O'Brien. $90,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.20, 58.20, 16.10.
Also Ran: Street Beast, Heeere's Johnny, Turf Star, Ardisia (Ire), Argos, Bottas, Hey Nay Nay (Ire), Let's Be Frank, Third Beer, Gordon Pass, Outfielder. Scratched: Caro Buono (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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