Breeders' Cup Turf: Flintshire, Postponed could scare away a few rivals

Flintshire and Postponed have been the dominant runners in major turf stakes at 1 1/2 miles in Dubai, England, and New York this year. One of them may conquer California in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.

Flintshire, unbeaten in three starts this year at Belmont Park and Saratoga, is a slight choice with European bookmakers in the future book for the BC Turf over Postponed, who is undefeated in four stakes in Dubai and England this year.

They have been so brilliant this year that they could prevent a few outsiders from those circuits from traveling to California for the BC Turf, the richest grass race in the United States.

Both Flintshire and Postponed have one more assignment in early October.

Flintshire, trained by Chad Brown for Juddmonte Farms, is scheduled to start in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park on Oct. 1. Flintshire swept the two major stakes at Saratoga – the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 30 and the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on Aug. 27.

Flintshire was second in the 2014 BC Turf at Santa Anita as a 4-year-old when trained by Andre Fabre.

Postponed, trained by Roger Varian for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, is the future-book favorite for Europe’s leading race – the $5.57 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 2. The Arc will be run at Chantilly Racecourse north of Paris this year while Longchamp in Paris is being renovated.

Races such as the Arc will influence European participation in the BC Turf, as will the $1.69 million Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Ascot on Oct. 15. In 2015, the 3-year-old filly Found was ninth in the Arc, second in the Champion Stakes, and scored an upset win over Arc winner Golden Horn in the BC Turf at Keeneland, all in a four-week period.

Found, trained by Aidan O’Brien, was second in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 10 and could again be part of the BC Turf field.

O’Brien has won a record five runnings of the BC Turf, including three of the last five. In 2013, the O’Brien-trained Magician won the race at Santa Anita in his first start in more than four months, an indication that the stable can be effective with runners who do not start in leading autumn races.

This year, O’Brien has several prospects aside from Found, including the brilliant 3-year-old filly Minding; Arc prospect Order of St George, who was second in the Irish St. Leger earlier this month; and Highland Reel, also a candidate for the Caulfield Cup in Australia in October.

Aside from Flintshire, the leading American-based contenders are Da Big Hoss, the winner of the Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10, and The Pizza Man, who won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf at Woodbine last Saturday.

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