Saint-Cloud: Learn invades for O'Brien in Criterium International

The French stakes winners French Fifteen and Kendam make their first starts in a Group 1 in Sunday’s Criterium International for 2-year-olds colts and fillies at Saint-Cloud, France.

They pose a home-country threat to Irish invader Learn, who was fourth in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, England, on Oct. 22. By Galileo, Learn is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has won the last two runnings of the Criterium International, which is worth approximately $350,000 and is run over a mile. O’Brien won the race in 2009 with Jan Vermeer, and last year with Roderic O’Connor.

Learn was beaten five lengths by his highly regarded stablemate Camelot in the Racing Post Trophy over a mile.

The distance of the Criterium International is familiar to French Fifteen, who won the Prix des Fourrages at Craon, France, over a mile on Sept. 5. In that race, she beat Dear Lavinia, who has been pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs on Friday. Dear Lavinia was second in the Prix des Fourrages, and later won a stakes at Le Bouscat, France.

Kendam won the Group 3 Prix Eclipse over six furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte on Oct. 12 in her sixth start of the year.