Breeders' Cup Turf: Blinkers lit a fire under Arklow
At 6, Arklow has a renewed focus on racing and training in advance of a scheduled third career appearance in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
Credit the addition of blinkers, absent for Arklow’s first 28 starts, as part of a revival that has left Kentucky trainer Brad Cox optimistic about the veteran horse’s chances.
Arklow was sixth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on July 12 at Keeneland and fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park six days later. Cox watched with a level of frustration as Arklow galloped out in front after the United Nations.
“I thought, I’ve got to get him more involved,” Cox recalled Wednesday. “I wanted to light a spark.”
Cox fitted Arklow with blinkers training up to the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles on Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs, a race he won by 1 1/4 lengths. The blinkers have remained part of Arklow’s equipment on most days. He will be fitted with blinkers for the BC Turf, which is run at 1 1/2 miles.
“I think the addition of blinkers got him a little more involved,” Cox said. “He’s been consistently working well, which was not always the case.”
The $910,000 Kentucky Turf Cup was Arklow’s fifth stakes win and first since the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in October 2019 at Belmont Park, his most prestigious victory. Arklow was eighth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths, by Bricks and Mortar in the BC Turf at Santa Anita last November. In the 2018 running at Churchill Downs, Arklow was fourth, 11 3/4 lengths behind Enable.
Arklow, owned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger, and Peter Coneway, has one victory in four starts on the Keeneland turf, a maiden race in 2017. A year later, Arklow was second in the Grade 2 Sycamore Stakes to longtime rival Zulu Alpha. Cox is not concerned about Arklow’s absence of wins on turf at Keeneland.
“I would throw out the race this summer,” Cox said. “That’s my job, to keep him as good on Nov. 7 as he is today.”
This year, Arklow is one of several American-based runners who will face a formidable team from Europe. The list of international shippers has been reduced in the last few weeks with the retirement of Enable and Sottsass, winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4 at Longchamp in Paris, and the recent defection of race favorite Love.
The list of European candidates includes horses such as Ghaiyyath, winner of three Group 1 races in the late spring and summer; and Mogul, who won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in September but was scratched from the Arc after concern over feed contamination the day before the race.
Mogul is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who also may start Magical, pending the results of Saturday’s Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in England. Despite its proximity to the BC Turf, the Champion Stakes runners trained by O’Brien have occasionally started in the BC Turf a few weeks later.