Arc undercard features five Breeders' Cup Challenge races

There is a more modest big-race goal for the 5-year-old mare Aventure at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Sunday than on the corresponding day in the past two years.

After finishing second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2024 and 11th last year, Aventure will miss Europe’s leading flat race on Sunday. She is set to run 45 minutes later as the favorite in the day’s top race for fillies and mares, the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at 1 1/4 miles.

The $564,000 Prix de l’Opera is one of five Group 1 Thoroughbred races on the undercard of the Arc de Triomphe, all of which are Win and You’re In events for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland Oct. 30-31.

Aventure, a winner of 8 of 17 starts for trainer Christophe Ferland, will start in the Prix de l’Opera on the strength of a two-length win in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 23 at Deauville Racecourse, the second Group 1 win of her career.

Aventure, who will be ridden by Maxime Guyon, is part of a field of nine in the Prix de l’Opera.

:: Get free past performances for Sunday's Arc card at Longchamp

Pink Panthera, second in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles on Sept. 6 at Longchamp, and Precise, winless in four Group 1 races since the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at a mile at Royal Ascot in June, are the other two leading contenders. Precise will race beyond a mile for the first time Sunday.

The winner of the Prix de l’Opera receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

There is a Breeders’ Cup berth to the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 30 available to the winner of the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac for 2-year-old fillies at a mile that begins Sunday’s 10-race program at Longchamp.

Green Empress, who like Precise is trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, will be a favored on the basis of her win in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on Aug. 22 and second at that venue in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at seven furlongs on Sept. 13 to Sun Goddess, the top 2-year-old filly in Europe.

Data, third in the Group 2 Prix d’Aumale on Sept. 6 at Longchamp is France’s leading hope in the $451,200 Prix Marcel Boussac.

The O’Brien-trained Folsom Blues leads a field of 10 in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere for 2-year-old colts and fillies at seven furlongs. Folsom Blues scored a six-length win in the Group 1 National Stakes at seven furlongs on Sept. 13 at The Curragh for his first stakes win.

Avec Toi, an undefeated Kentucky-bred colt by No Nay Never, starts in his first Group 1 in the Jean-Luc Lagardere for trainer Christopher Head after wins in a maiden race and three lesser stakes in France. There was growing support on Friday for Amusingly, who finished second by a neck after a troubled trip in the Prix d’Aumale. Amusingly is the only filly in the field.

The winner of the $451,200 Jean-Luc Lagardere gains a berth to the BC Juvenile Turf on Oct. 30.

The winner of the Group 1 Prix de la Foret at seven furlongs will have a berth to the BC Mile on Oct. 31.

Samangan, a 3-year-old colt who won France’s leading sprint in the summer, the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August, is a slight favorite in the $394,800 Prix de la Foret over Thesecretadversary, who won the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat for 3-year-old colts and fillies at seven furlongs at Deauville in July.

Thesecretadversary was sixth of 10 by three lengths against older horses in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at a mile at Deauville in August, fading in the final furlong.

The most competitive Group 1 race on the Arc undercard is the $394,800 Prix de l’Abbaye at five furlongs, which is run on a separate course on the infield.

The 3-year-old filly Naana’s Shadow was a narrow favorite at 6-1 as of Friday with British bookmakers over Rumstar, Shiri, and Time for Sandals, who were all 13-2.

Naana’s Shadow, trained in Scotland by Katie Scott, won her first start outside of Britain in the Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert at five furlongs on Sept. 13 at Longchamp, her group stakes debut. Shiri was second.

Rumstar, a 6-year-old gelding trained in Britain by Jonathan Portman, will start in his third country in as many starts in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

Rumstar was third to the American colt Bacio in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York Racecourse in Britain on Aug. 21, and third in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh on Sept. 13.

The winner of the Prix de l’Abbaye receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf Sprint on Oct. 31.

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