Annapolis defeats older rivals, sets stakes record in Coolmore Turf Mile
Annapolis from the start of his career looked like a turf horse overflowing with raw talent. Saturday, facing by far the toughest field he’s ever met, he brought all that natural ability to bear winning the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile in smashing style.
Irad Ortiz Jr. asked Annapolis for just enough speed to get him from post 7 over to the fence before the first turn, Annapolis readily accepting Ortiz’s rating hold to sit a perfect trip in the pocket as Masen led and Atone pressed. Ortiz had to squeeze past Masen after coming out at the top of the stretch to make his final run, but once clear, Annapolis was gone, quickly opening daylight and holding clear some solid late runs. Ivar, who won this race in 2020, was up for second, with Order of Australia, who won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile, a solid third.
“I was pretty happy at the seven-eighths pole,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He got to the position that Irad and I spoke about this morning, and he did it the right way. He was always traveling well. There was a brief moment turning for home he needed a spot, but he kicked on impressively.”
Pletcher and Ortiz went back-to-back in Saturday Grade 1s at Keeneland, Forte having captured the Breeders’ Futurity a race before the Turf Mile. Annapolis clocked 1:33.29 over a firm course, a stakes record, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103. He was the first 3-year-old winner of the Turf Mile since Aussie Rules in 2006.
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The Turf Mile is a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In race for the BC Mile, and Pletcher confirmed that’s the goal for Annapolis, who will remain stabled at Keeneland preparing for his next start.
Smooth Like Strait suffered a minor cut and was scratched from the Turf Mile, taking out one pace player, but Atone, who drew into the field because of the scratch, came roaring out of the gate before Masen stopped him from crossing over from post 11 and clearing. The opening quarter-mile went in 23.58 seconds, the half in a strong 46.60 – and through it all Annapolis looked like a winner.
Bred and owned by Bass Stables, Annapolis is by War Front out of My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled Song, and after winning his 2-year-old debut, a Saratoga turf route, and the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont, he looked like the best 2-year-old turf route horse of 2021. Injury kept him from a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year, and Annapolis in his 2022 debut caught what Pletcher termed “a bottomless course” finishing second June 3 as the odds-on favorite in the Penn Mile.
He came back to win the Manila over one mile at Belmont before finishing a commendable second behind the talented Nations Pride going 1 3/16 miles in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, and soon after Pletcher said the focus would turn to grass starts at one mile or thereabouts. A front-running win Sept. 3 over a wet Saratoga course in the Saranac Stakes was no more than a paid workout, and Pletcher had to guess there was plenty of improvement in his colt to give him a shot against older horses at Keeneland.
“He’s very tactical; he can do anything,” Ortiz said. “In the stretch he gave me a good turn of foot – very impressive.”
Annapolis won by 1 1/2 lengths while getting three pounds from his older rivals. Ivar, a distant second to Modern Games last out in the Woodbine Mile, came home well on the outside from eighth position off the turn to nab second by a nose over Order of Australia, who saved ground much of the trip and had a clear run at things in the stretch. Set Piece, last for much of the race, came home strongly, too, to get fourth, just a neck behind Order of Australia. Casa Creed, coming off a win in the Fourstardave, loomed a win threat in upper stretch after stalking the leaders but flattened out late to finish fifth, followed home by Masen, Classic Causeway, Atone, 3-1 favorite Santin, Gray’s Fable, and Somelikeithotbrown.
Santin “jumped in the air when the gate opened, and they went away from him,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He was beat from the get-go.”
Annapolis looked like a winner almost from the get-go – and there may be more to come.
– additional reporting by Marty McGee and Nicole Russo
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