GI Breeders' Cup Mile

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the Breeders' Cup meeting. Ethical Diamond Hands Mullins The Turf Training maestro Willie Mullins landed the biggest Flat victory of his career with Ethical Diamond (Awtaad) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Saturday (video). A winner of a brace of valuable handicaps across the pond, the five-year-old gelding has also run seven of his lifetime starts over hurdles. Bred by W. Kennedy, Ethical Diamond is owned...

Johannes capped off a four-race win streak in 2024 when winning last year's renewal of the GII City of Hope Stakes before enduring a tough beat at the hooves of More Than Looks in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar in November. With only a single prior race under his belt in 2025, the 5-year-old set the stage for his return to the World Championships at the seaside oval with a gutsy victory over Cabo Spirit in the "Win and You're In' qualifier for the Mile on Nov....

GISW Johannes (Nyquist) has emerged from his victory in the GII San Gabriel Stakes with bone bruising and will need time off, Camilla Yakteen tweeted on X Friday. A three-quarter-length winner of that graded contest for trainer Tim Yakteen, his fifth in a near perfect 2024 season blemished only by a game second in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, Johannes will be given time off to heal and will resume his 2025 campaign once fully recovered. "Coming out of the San Gabriel Stakes, Johannes developed a mild case of...

Charlie Appleby is confident that Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has all the attributes to thrive at Del Mar when the G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes hero attempts to become his trainer's fourth straight winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Appleby certainly knows what is required to win the $2 million-prize, having struck with Space Blues (Ire) in 2021, Modern Games (Ire) in 2022 and Master Of The Seas (Ire) in 2023. Notable Speech will need to bounce back from a below-par effort in last month's G1...

War Chant (Danzig), the winner of the 2000 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, passed away on Thursday, Apr. 11. Housed at Yarradale Stud in Western Australia, the 27-year-old stallion succumbed to old age at the Gidgegannup nursery that he had called home for over a decade, the breeder said in a Thursday release. War Chant was bred and raced by Marge and Irving Cowan, and trained by Neil Drysdale. Out of MGISW Hollywood Wildcat (Kris S.), the homebred finished ninth in the GI Kentucky Derby and ended his...

Gainesway stallion and GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) will stand for $15,000 LFSN, the farm said in a release Friday morning. Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family, Karakontie campaigned in France, where he won a pair of group races at 2-year-old, including the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium. The future sire trained on as a 3-year-old to capture the classic G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas before traveling to Santa Anita for that Breeders' Cup win. Karakontie continues to serve as one...

The high-class miler Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}--Modern Eagle {Ger}, by Montjeu {Ire}), bound for Santa Anita's GI Breeders' Cup Mile, has instead been retired directly to Coolmore Stud for the 2024 breeding season due to an elevated temperature and a respiratory infection, the stud announced on Friday. A fee for the Aidan O'Brien trainee will be revealed later. Bred by Dayton Investments, Ltd., the four-time Group 1 winner won his second start as a juvenile, and then proceeded to take his first six races at three, including the top-level Irish...

Godolphin's Classic winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) is expected to make her next start in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Mile, according to trainer Saeed bin Suroor on Tuesday. Unbeaten in four starts this season, the sophomore filly most recently came home a half-length winner over Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in Keeneland's Oct. 14 GI QEII Challenge S. "She's a tough filly with a big heart, to do that on her first run for five months and win a Grade I," said Bin Suroor. "She had...

   Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a five-time Group 1 winner, will start in either the GI Breeders' Cup Mile or on QIPCO British Champions Day, as connections mull their options. The star homebred of the Cheveley Park string, the 4-year-old could also potentially stay in training in 2024. Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Richard Thompson said of the John and Thady Gosden trainee, "We're looking at the QEII or the Breeders' Cup this season. It will be one of the two, we just don't know which one yet. It depends...

Breeders' Cup winner Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}--Senta's Dream {GB}, by Danehill) has been sold privately and will stand at Manjri Stud in India beginning in 2024 according to published reports. A fee will be announced later. Bred by Aidan and Annemarie O'Brien's Whisperview Trading, the Coolmore partners-owned bay had been entered in the Tattersalls July Sale, but had been withdrawn. Trained by O'Brien for five seasons, the son of three-time Group/Grade 1 producer Senta's Dream won six of his 25 starts and earned over $2.25 million. Besides his...

Group 2 winner Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) will not participate at Royal Ascot, and will instead point toward targets later in the summer with a trip to the Breeders' Cup also a possibility, trainer Paddy Twomey revealed on Friday. The 5-year-old Moyglare Stud colourbearer ran fifth in the G3 Athasi S. at the Curragh in early May, before taking the G2 Lanwades Stud S. later in the month. The G1 Falmouth S., as well as the G1 Prix Rothschild--both in July--and the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest...

A pair of Godolphin's stable stars are headed back to contest Grade I races in America, the owner confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the American champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will ship to Keeneland's Spring Meet to run over the Haggin Turf Course in the GI Maker's Mark Mile on Friday, Apr. 14. With the Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. and was second in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., will contest the GI Jenny Wiley S....