Constitution River, Blue Bolt eye possible Breeders' Cup berths in Irish Group 1s

Constitution River, winner of the Group 1 French Derby in May, and Blue Bolt, unbeaten in four starts this year, will start favored in Group 1 races at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland on Saturday that have ramifications for Breeders’ Cup races on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Constitution River is part of a field of eight in the $1.45 million Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf at 1 1/2 miles.

Blue Bolt leads a field of nine in the $464,700 Matron Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile. The winner receives a berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf at 1 3/16 miles.

Constitution River, trained by Aidan O’Brien, won his Group 1 debut in the French Derby and followed with his fifth consecutive win in his first start against older horses in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on July 4 at Sandown Racecourse.

The winning streak ended when Constitution River finished third by 3 3/4 lengths behind Item and Almaqam in the Group 1 International Stakes at about 1 5/16 miles on Aug. 19 at York Racecourse. Constitution River stumbled early in the race and was not a factor late.

Item and Almaqam are part of the Irish Champion field and have appealing recent form.

The 3-year-old Item has won 5 of 6 starts for trainer Andrew Balding, with the only loss a ninth-place finish in a field of 14 in the Group 1 English Derby on June 6 at Epsom Racecourse. Prior to the International Stakes, Item won the Group 2 York Stakes at 1 5/16 miles on July 25 at York.

Almaqam led for much of the final quarter-mile of the International Stakes only to be caught at the wire by Item. Almaqam won the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at 1 5/16 miles at The Curragh in Ireland in May, his only win at the highest level in 14 career starts.

Blue Bolt’s winning streak has been achieved in one-mile races, including the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July, and the Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August.

In the last two races, Blue Bolt beat the O’Brien-trained Precise, who is part of the Matron field. Precise won consecutive Group 1 races for 3-year-old fillies in the Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh in May and the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, but has lost her last three starts.

O’Brien also runs True Love, who won the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May but has lost her last four starts in Group 1 races in Ireland, England, and France. True Love was fifth of 11 as the 2-1 favorite in the Prix Maurice de Gheest against males on Aug. 9 at Deauville. The Maurice de Gheest is France’s top summertime sprint.

The leading race for 2-year-olds on Leopardstown’s nine-race program is the Group 1 Golden Fleece Stakes for colts and fillies, a race formerly known as the Juvenile Stakes.

Darkness Falls, the seven-length winner of a maiden race at a mile on Aug. 23 at The Curragh, will be favored for O’Brien in a field of 10. The undefeated Quest for Stars has his group-level stakes debut after three wins at seven furlongs and a mile in England since early July for trainer Charlie Appleby.

Enceladus leads St. Leger

Enceladus, undefeated in three starts this year in Ireland and England, runs in his first Group 1 as the projected favorite in Saturday’s $946,200 St. Leger Stakes at 1 13/16 miles at Doncaster Racecourse in England.

Trained by Joseph O’Brien, Enceladus starts on the strength of a win by 1 1/4 lengths in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes on July 30 at Goodwood.

The St. Leger Stakes drew 11, including Christmas Day, winner of the English Derby for Joseph’s father, Aidan.