Trackside reporter Vicki Gibbins reflects on Future Stars Friday as Libertango struck gold for George Boughey and newly-crowned champion jockey Billy Loughnane.
“What are the American turf horses like today?” I ask an American writer.
“Shit,” he replies, without a moment of hesitation.
I hope he’s right. It’s a long way to carry Yorkshire tea bags if we don’t get a winner on the board.
I make an attempt to use the American betting machines and fall short at the first hurdle – not having a physical card, after leaving it in a restaurant on the first night – so text fellow Sporting Life journalist David Massey, who assures me that my credit is good and I didn’t need to send him the fiver straight away. My tea habit far outweighs any gambling problem at this stage, but we might increase the stakes tomorrow.
There’s time to peruse the food offerings (incredible), take in the atmosphere (infectious) and work out how to move from the paddock to trackside in a timely manner (impossible).
Then, I open X and the world turns upside down.
Matt Chapman announces on social media that Billy Loughnane has managed to get down to 8st 7lb and will now ride Libertango which creates chaos in the press room. No-one can quite work out whether it’s possible to change jockeys with 45 minutes to go without credible reason or dire consequences.
I sidle over to the American turf contingent to beg access to their Equibase accounts and the news is confirmed: Billy Loughnane replaces Flavien Prat on Libertango in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
“Maybe you can in Kentucky?” says an American journalist with a shrug.
It’s definitely Billy Loughnane who strides out of the weighing room ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and the crowd chant ‘Billy, Billy, Billy!’ as he mounts Libertango, looking... well, thin.
She deals with the trumpeting fanfare, moves quietly to the stalls and breaks in reasonable fashion. It’s more than we can hope for, until the words ‘Libertango has seven lengths to make up on the leader’ echo around the grandstand.
I’ve still not worked out where the winning post is and it seems impossible that Libertango can get there, as she creeps ever closer, moving towards leader Hell Of A Spin with every stride.
The field flash by the winners’ circle and she’s alongside, then ahead, then mayhem.
We’re showered in flower petals as Billy celebrates with the vast euphoria of a man who had everything – or at least, a couple of pounds - to lose.
“Are you hungry Billy?” I laugh as Billy enters the press conference room.
“No, but I need this!” he smiles and takes a proffered bottle of water, before turning to clasp hands delightedly with George Boughey.
“I didn’t realise I’d be riding her until an hour ago,” he says, beaming from ear-to-ear. "I'd been getting my weight down for another ride on the card, but I didn’t think I had it in me to make 8st 5lb. I’ve never been that weight in my life – well, not in the last three years when I’ve been riding anyway.
“I came to the track in the car with George and didn’t think I would be able to ride her, even on the way. Then I got on the scales here and I was lighter than expected."
George is a suitably English gentleman about the last-minute jockey change and makes immediate mention.
“Fundamentally, I want to apologise to Flavien because he'd been on the horse a long time,” says Boughey. "It was probably one of the better mounts of the day."
It turns out it wasn’t – Flavien cruises to victory on Hughes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, immediately earning favouritism for next year’s Kentucky Derby.
“Libertango is a filly who has progressed all year,” George adds. “The race looked mapped out for her. Even from Royal Ascot, it was the plan to come here. And for her to train as well as she did through the last few races, it wasn't a huge surprise she was able to put in a performance like that today. The first time round the bend, it was pretty different for her, and I thought Billy gave her a beautiful ride."
The American press room are delighted for the British contingent, gravy train camaraderie at its best.
"And people in America will be asking why they took Flavien Prat off,” laughs one of the journalists. “Now we know!”
Sun Goddess wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf and Haffner makes it an Aidan O'Brien-Ryan Moore double in the Juvenile Turf.
But I know you weren’t watching – no spoilers on The Traitors final please.
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