Breeders’ Cup Roundup: Carl Spackler, Charyn impress in Mile qualifiers

The second Sunday in August was all about turf racing, at least when it came to Breeders’ Cup prep events.

A series of prestigious grass races with major implications for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar unfolded around the world. Let’s check in on the results.

Carl Spackler, Charyn win Mile qualifiers

Sunday featured a pair of Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) qualifiers on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Both yielded impressive winners.

In the one-mile Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga, Carl Spackler triumphed in his Grade 1 debut. The talented four-year-old tracked a slow pace over a good course before bursting clear through fast-finishing fractions to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:36.63.

Carl Spackler’s runaway victory came at the expense of More Than Looks, the sixth-place finisher from the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Although More Than Looks was likely rusty in his first start of the season, he finished fast through the final quarter-mile to defeat multiple graded-stakes winner Ottoman Fleet by 1 1/2 lengths for second place.

Both Carl Spackler and More Than Looks are expected to run again before the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Meanwhile in France, Charyn proved much the best in the 1,600-meter Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville. The Breeders’ Cup qualifying berth was redundant — he’d earned one in the Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot — but Charyn’s three-length demolition of a deep field cemented his ranking among Europe’s leading milers.

Among Charyn’s beaten rivals were French Classic winner Metropolitan (second) and two-time defending Jacques le Marois winner Inspiral (third); the latter prevailed in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). 

Charyn’s winning time was 1:33.98, the fastest since Moonlight Cloud clocked 1:33.39 in 2013. Should Charyn’s connections choose to pursue a Breeders’ Cup start, he’ll likely be a popular play at Del Mar.

Moira punches return ticket to Filly & Mare Turf

While Inspiral faltered at Deauville, one of her beaten rivals from last year’s Filly & Mare Turf returned to winning form.

Moira was beaten only by 1 1/4 lengths when third in the Filly & Mare Turf, improving upon her fifth-place finish by six lengths in the 2022 edition. In the 1 3/16-mile Beverly D. (G2) at Colonial Downs on Sunday, Moira earned a return ticket to the Filly & Mare Turf, launching a determined rally from third place to defeat multiple Grade 1 winner and defending Beverly D. heroine Fev Rover by a head in 1:54.80.

Winner of the 2022 Queen’s Plate S. and Woodbine Oaks on Tapeta, Moira has since reinvented herself as an elite grass mare. She hasn’t missed the trifecta in her last eight starts, all in graded stakes, and ranks among North America’s leading hopes for the 2024 Filly & Mare Turf.

Nations Pride, Carson’s Run snag Grade 1 wins

Although they didn’t award Breeders’ Cup qualifying berths, a couple of other Grade 1 grass events contested Sunday could impact the 2024 Breeders’ Cup.

The 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs went to Nations Pride, a Godolphin homebred securing his fourth career Grade/Group 1 win. After racing in third place behind modest fractions set by a runaway leader, Nations Pride blazed his final quarter-mile in approximately :22 1/5 to score by 1 1/4 lengths in 2:01.96.

The question is, what Breeders’ Cup race is ideal for Nations Pride? 

He finished a respectable fifth in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) over 1 1/2 miles, but with eight victories over 1 1/4 miles, a shorter trip seems to be preferable. On the other hand, cutting back for the Breeders’ Cup Mile might prove too short for Nations Pride, leaving this talented five-year-old without an ideal Breeders’ Cup distance.

Carson’s Run appears to be in a similar boat after surging late to win the Saratoga Derby (G1) at Saratoga by three-quarters of a length, completing 1 3/16 miles over a good course in 1:55.81. While he claimed the one-mile Summer (G1) against juveniles at Woodbine last year, Carson’s Run might be better running a bit farther, though he has not negotiated 1 1/2 miles. 

Perhaps if he runs once more before the Breeders’ Cup, we can get a feel for whether the Turf or the Mile is the more appropriate target.

Prix Morny awards Juvenile Turf Sprint berth

The coming week is a quiet one in terms of Breeders’ Cup qualifiers. The only Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race on the agenda is Sunday’s Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville in which a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) berth is up for grabs.

Shareholder, who has already punched his Juvenile Turf Sprint ticket via a victory in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot, is among the potential Prix Morny starters.

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Qualifiers

The following horses have secured Win and You’re In berths to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series:

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Breeders’ Cup Classic

• Arthur’s Ride
• Dornoch
• Kingsbarns
• Peptide Nile

Breeders’ Cup Turf

• Auguste Rodin
• Blow the Horn
• El Encinal
• Goliath
• Obataye

Breeders’ Cup Distaff

• Adare Manor
• Che Evasora
• Randomized

Breeders’ Cup Mile

• Carl Spackler
• Charles Dickens
• Charyn
• Frateli La Vita
• Notable Speech
• Romantic Warrior

Breeders’ Cup Sprint

• The Chosen Vron

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

• National Treasure

Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

• Beach Bomb
• Boudica
• Moira
• Ten Happy Rose

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

• Asfoora
• Cogburn

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

• Shareholder