Esoterique snaps losing streak in Jacques Le Marois

Soft ground and the straight-course mile at Deauville bring out the best in Esoterique.

The 5-year-old mare won the Group 1 Prix Rothschild under those conditions Aug. 3, 2014, and subsequently lost five races in a row but was back in the winner’s circle Sunday after a convincing 1 1/2-length tally over the favored Territories in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Les Marois.

Trainer Andre Fabre swept the top two placings in the Marois, which was contested over very soft ground that might have compromised the chances of several runners, among them the Breeder’s Cup Mile winner Karakontie, who came home sixth after rearing at the start of his first race since last fall’s BC Mile.

Esoterique, in her defense, met imposing opposition during her losing skein, finishing second to Solow two races ago in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and second just one week ago sprinting against talented Muhaarar in the Maurice de Gheest. That latter run was a mere prep for the Marois, which Esoterique took down in fine fashion.

Racing second to last, ahead of only the slow-starting Karakontie, under Pierre-Charles Boudot, Esoterique began moving up with about three furlongs to race, was briefly blocked, but found room between rivals more than a furlong out, shooting past Territories and running out to a comfortable victory, the fifth from 15 starts for the daughter of Danehill Dancer.

The Marois was a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Race, giving Esoterique a berth in the Mile field and travel expenses to the race at Keeneland if owner Edouard de Rothschild decides to supplement for $100,000.

Three-year-old Territories ran yet another solid race and never has been worse than third in eight starts. The Godolphin colt is no soft-turf specialist and persevered despite the course conditions. He was followed home by the longshot Wild Chief, who had 1 1/2 lengths on Lightning Spear, with the pace-setting Toormore finishing fifth.

Arc hope New Bay returns victorious

The 2015 French Derby came out of the weekend looking like a better race than it did Friday. On Saturday at Arlington, Highland Reel, second in the French Derby, easily won the Grade 1 Secretariat, while the French Derby winner New Bay made his first start since that race, winning the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano by 1 1/2 lengths over Dariyan.

Also trained by Fabre, New Bay now has three wins and two seconds from his five-start career, adding Sunday’s tally to his Derby win and a second in the French 2000 Guineas. The Guillaume d’Ornano, over 1 1/4 miles, was chosen as a mild comeback spot designed to move New Bay forward into a fall campaign his connections, Fabre and owner Juddmonte Farms, hope leads to a start in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Little Nightingale, Saint Amarante head Prix de la Nonette

Little Nightingale and Saint Amarante, who finished third and fifth in the French Oaks at Chantilly on June 14, are part of a field of six in Tuesday’s $144,300 Prix de la Nonette for 3-year-old fillies Tuesday at Deauville, France.

The Group 2 Prix de la Nonette is run at 1 1/4 miles and is likely to be run on a heavy turf course. The race drew a competitive field, including Jazzi Top, a stakes winner at Newmarket, England, in May who was fifth in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Aug. 1, and Wekeela, who was second in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on May 24 and returned to win the Group 3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly on June 29.

The German stakes winner Holy Moly and Kataniya, who was second in the Group 2 Prix de Malleret at Saint-Cloud in June, are the other runners.

The Prix de la Nonette could produce a starter or two for the Group 1 Prix Vermielle, a $388,500 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles Sept. 13 on turf at Longchamp on Sept. 13.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen