Future Stars Friday Breeders' Cup review: Wins for Twilight Gleaming, Pizza Bianca and Corniche

Clement claims first Cup success

Trainer Christophe Clement won his first Breeders' Cup race as Pizza Bianca swept home late in the piece to land the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

French-born Clement, a one-time assistant to Luca Cumani in Newmarket, has a vast array of big-race wins on his résumé in North American dating back to the early-90s but came into the 2021 meeting with a 0-41 record in Breeders' Cup events.

The long wait for a breakthrough looked likely to continue when Pizza Bianca was still positioned right at the back of the pack heading to the turn in, but after George Boughey's Cachet committed for home a long way out, the closers were brought into the picture close home and nothing finished as well as Pizza Bianca.

David Loughnane, who hit the crossbar with Go Bears Go in the Juvenile Turf Sprint earlier in the day, will have had high hopes for Hello You after she tracked the pace in what looked the ideal slot just behind the leaders, but she failed to see it out and was swamped by US-based trio Pizza Bianca (15/2), Ryan Moore's mount Malavath (12/1) and 4/1 favourite Haughty.

Front-running Cachet held on for fourth at 20/1, with Hello You (9/1) ultimately having to settle for fifth.

Pizza Bianca is owned and bred by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who said: “I’m a chef and the dam’s name is White Hot so I moulded that into the naming of her. I’m the owner-breeder and my favourite thing to do is go in with the matings and breed.

“The dam never ran, but had a great pedigree and I kept her knowing that the blood would show up eventually.

“She was last round the far turn and I thought she wasn’t liking the firm ground, but all of a sudden it was insane. How many bobs and weaves did Jose take?”

He added: “Christophe is a very deserving trainer, he’s so great at what he does and pays attention to every detail. He eats and sleeps his horses, and for him to have a first Breeders’ Cup winner is so incredibly deserved.

“I’m a dreamer, and believe that when they are good these horses can take you all over the world, so maybe Ascot where I’ve had a second before.”

Clement said: “This is the first (victory) at the Breeders' Cup for me and I feel elated. We have been waiting for this for so long.

"She got a great ride. She looks like a three-year-old, has always trained like a three-year-old and she's top class."

Boughey said of Cachet: “I thought for a moment we were going to win it. Luis (Saez) gave her a fine ride and I would like to thank all those who have travelled her and done such a great job. She’s bred to be better at three, which makes it all very exciting.

“It was a huge run, she’s proved she’s a global Group One filly. It’s great. It’s a huge honour to be be out here, we’re delighted.”

Ridden by Ryan Moore, Malavath was an excellent second for French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who said: “It’s amazing because Ryan said we needed to race on the inner and she missed the break, but during the race she just kept progressing as the gaps opened.

“She’s a very progressive filly and it’s a dream. She’s very talented and she stays a mile, but I think she’s a good ground filly.”

Gleaming brings up treble for Ward and Ortiz

Wesley Ward and Irad Ortiz Jr won a third straight Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar with Twilight Gleaming.

The daughter of National Defense was narrowly denied by Quick Suzy in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in the summer but bounced back to winning ways in a Listed race at Deauville in August, and she followed up in devastating fashion in the opening race of the 38th Breeders' Cup Championships.

Fastest from the gate and sent right to the front from stall six, Twilight Gleaming had plenty of her rivals in trouble by halfway and although one or two of the Europeans closed in the final furlong, the 7/1 shot held on to win with something to spare.

David Loughnane's relatively experienced Go Bears Go (12/1) ran on really well in the closing stages from near the back of the field to grab second, just ahead of another Ward inmate, Kaufymaker, with Christophe Clement's Derrynane back in fourth.

“I’m lucky to train so many fast horses this year. But there are some really good prospects coming through for next year. When you have the athletes on your side it makes everything so special.

“I will see how she progresses and I imagine either the King’s Stand or the Commonwealth Cup will be on her agenda next season.

“We start them early, and moving forward I knew she was fast. She won at Belmont on the grass and finished second in the Queen Mary. Then we knew we had something special.

“When she won in France (after Royal Ascot) we brought her back a gave her a good break. When she came back into training she got better and better.”

It was a 12th Breeders' Cup success for jockey Ortiz, who also guided Four Wheel Drive and Golden Pal to victory for the same trainer in this race in 2019 and 2020.

Quick Suzy was also due to run in California, but unfortunately missed out when spiking a temperature at the start of the week.

Paddy Power introduced Twilight Gleaming into their Commonwealth Cup betting at 8/1.

A proud Loughnane said of Go Bears Go: “He’s a superstar and has taken me to new heights. He’s a life-changing horse.

“I thought the distance might be too sharp, but that wasn’t it. He just missed a stride at the gate and Johnny thought it cost him the race. He’s never done that before, but on this stage you can’t get away with it.

“Out here the races are won in the first furlong, whereas we go quickest in the last. You can't be disappointed.”

Baffert back in Juvenile limelight

Controversial Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert won his fifth career TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile courtesy of Corniche.

The unbeaten son of Quality Road broke well from the outside stall (12) and promptly made every yard of the running.

Pappacap appeared to be going equally as well down on the inside behind the leader as he turned into the straight, but veteran jockey Mike Smith had kept something back with Corniche, who kind finding for pressure to hold the 18/1 runner-up at bay. Giant Game (25/1) was third with 3/1 chance Commandperformance only fourth.

Smith, 56 years of age and recording the 27th Breeders' Cup winner of his remarkable career, said: "He's just dynamite. The horse got a little bit excited for the first time today, but it is the biggest crowd he's seen.

"There's just something about the Breeders' Cup which takes me to another level, I just feel 18 again.

"I don't plan on retiring any time soon."

Baffert said: "I felt for Chad (Brown, when he had to scratch Jack Christopher). You don’t want to see that, these races are really hard to win and there’s not a lot of margin for error.

“When I knew he had to come out of the 12 I called Mike Smith and he said ‘I can get it done’. Good horses find a way to win, and he’s so talented.

“The fractions were hot, but running for home you saw this horse’s mechanics, they are almost like American Pharoah’s with that long, loping stride.

“He’s a laid-back horse with a great mind, and I felt good coming down here with such a smart individual.”

He added: “I welcome everything, I want people to know Bob Baffert is a good trainer and takes care of his horses. I want to win, I want to win these races for the clients. We have a great team, a great staff.

“I keep focussed – don’t listen to the clutter and stay focussed. I have a huge support system, it’s been very good since I’ve been here in California. I’m just happy this horse ran so well.”

Having won the American Pharoah Stakes last time out, Corniche would now have 30 points towards the ‘Run for the Roses’.

Peter Fluor, of owners Speedway Stable LLC, told NBC Sports: “I’m thrilled for Bob, he’s done a great job with the horse. This is really big for us, and a great thrill. I’m very pleased for Bob, too.”

Asked what he would do with the winner, given the points situation, Flour said: “That’s a fair question, this race is so important for his career and what it would mean, as far as his two-year-old focus.

“So we wanted to get to this race and see how we did, and then Bob and I will sit down and talk. We’ll see what happens, we haven’t made any decisions.

“It would be difficult (to send to another trainer), but Bob and I have always talked, we’ve been very candid. I’ve visited with him and said we’ve got to do what’s right for the horse.”

No stopping Zulu in Juvenile Fillies romp

Echo Zulu (11/10 favourite) pulverised the opposition in the Netjets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Having won all three starts in ready fashion earlier in the year, the daughter of 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Gun Runner dominated the race from the off, despite starting from the widest stall in the six-runner field.

Joel Rosario was allowed to set his own fractions in front and didn't go overboard on the speed, breezing along with a length and a half to spare throughout the early stages of the mile event.

Juju's Map made a promising-looking move heading to the top of the straight but when Florent Geroux really went for her, Rosario just flicked a switch and Echo Zulu - trained by Gun Runner's handler Steve Asmussen - careered into a four-length lead.

Nothing could live with her from that point and she coasted home to beat Juju's Map, who was sent off at 4/1.

Asmussen said: “She’s a very special filly and this means so much to us. That she’s from the first crop of Gun Runner makes it surreal that we are back here four years on from his Classic success.

“She has just done everything right. She is a true champion.”

He added: “She’s done just like she did in the Spinaway and it will be geared towards the Kentucky Oaks next year. To compare her against horses of her age is hard to do because right now she’s an extremely rare commodity.

“When she broke her maiden and broke a 92 Beyer at Saratoga, she ticked all the boxes. We definitely appreciate the results and I would expect to take stock of future plans after she ships back to Kentucky on Wednesday.”

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