City of Troy not scaring anyone in International

They are lining up in droves to face City of Troy in the International Stakes on Wednesday at York Racecourse in England. A dozen entered to oppose the Epsom Derby-winning 3-year-old trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien.

City of Troy as of Monday was priced at just over even-money by British bookmakers, a heavy favorite considering 12 others were declared for this Group 1, about 1 5/16-mile fixture.

The race is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, offering winning connections automatic fees-paid entry into a Breeders’ Cup race and travel expenses to Del Mar. The International ostensibly links to the Breeders’ Cup Turf, though City of Troy’s camp has mentioned him for a couple months as a potential runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

City of Troy, who hit a very high rating as a 2-year-old, has gone through a bumpy if ultimately successful 3-year-old campaign. His season began with a thud. City of Troy faded to ninth of 11 as the odds-on favorite in the 2000 Guineas in May, after which O’Brien offered a series of detailed explanations for the poor showing that seemed to some a reaching attempt to manage City of Troy’s residual value – until the colt came back with a dominant Derby victory.

Reputation restored, City of Troy proceeded to underwhelm in the Group 1 Eclipse over 1 1/4 miles on July 6 at Sandown Park, where he had to work to win by one length while getting a 10-pound weight-for-age break from Al Riffa, an older horse coming off a sixth-place finish at Saratoga in the Manhattan Stakes. However, Al Riffa returned Aug. 11 and won the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin by five lengths, casting the Eclipse in a more favorable light. York’s relatively flat, left-handed course on Monday was rated good-to-firm, which suits City of Troy, ridden as usual by Ryan Moore.

Three-year-olds in the International get seven pounds from older males, four from older fillies and mares, and the pair just behind City of Troy in the betting markets, Calandagan and Ambiente Friendly, also are sophomores.

Who knows how good Calandagan might be? Gelded at age 2 because of bad behavior, Calandagan has won three in a row for France-based trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, landing the Group 3 Prix Hocquart on May 23 before bursting to prominence a month later at Royal Ascot, where he came from the rear of a 14-runner field and won the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes by six lengths, doing so with apparent ease. That’s a massive margin for the class level, and while the King Edward came over 1 1/2 miles against lesser competition, Calandagan seized the lead with a about a quarter-mile remaining and clearly enjoyed good-to-firm footing after racing over much softer ground in France.

Ambiente Friendly finished second in the Derby, 2 3/4 lengths behind City of Troy, and ran below that form June 30 when third in the Irish Derby. A cutback from 1 1/2 miles might boost his chances.

Four-year-old filly Bluestocking ran into another Graffard-trained monster, Goliath, finishing second in the 1 1/2-mile King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last month at Ascot, and was a sharp course-and-distance winner making her season’s debut three months ago in the Group 2 Middleton Fillies Stakes. She also was considered for the Yorkshire Oaks, but will run in the race sponsored by her owner, Juddmonte Stables.

◗ Wednesday’s Group 3 Acomb Stakes for 2-year-olds over seven furlongs now is part of the BC Challenge Series, and either of the two favorites, Ruling Court for trainer Charlie Appleby and The Lion in Winter for O’Brien, could wind up at Del Mar. Both won their only start. Ruling Court, a physically advanced colt, was somewhat more impressive at Sandown Park than The Lion in Winter was at The Curragh, though both clearly possess talent.