Esoterique wins second straight Group 1 in Sun Chariot

Esoterique won her second consecutive Group 1 race Saturday in the $377,000 Sun Chariot Stakes for female turf milers at Newmarket Racecourse in England, a victory that could lead to an appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Esoterique, the 11-8 favorite, won the Sun Chariot Stakes by a half-length over Integral, the 2014 winner. Esoterique was ridden by Pierre Charles Boudot, who dropped his whip in the final furlong but still guided his mount to the front in the final sixteenth to get by the pacesetting Integral.

Boudot has been Esoterique’s regular rider since summer 2014, a span that includes a win in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild for fillies and mares at Deauville in 2014 and a win in the Group 1 Jacques le Marois against males at Deauville in August.

The Sun Chariot Stakes was Esoterique’s first win in England since the Group 3 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket in May 2014. A 5-year-old Irish-bred mare by Danehill Dancer, Esoterique was fourth in the 2014 Sun Chariot and second to Solow in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes against males at Royal Ascot in June.

Owned by Edouard de Rothschild, Esoterique could start in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at a mile Oct. 17 at Ascot or the BC Mile, for which she is as low as 9-2 with British bookmakers in future-book betting.

There were four Group 2 races Saturday at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on the eve of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe program.

Candarliya, second to the Arc favorite Treve in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Sept. 13, won her third stakes of the year in the $280,000 Prix de Royallieu for fillies and mares at 1 9/16 miles on turf.

Ridden by Christophe Soumillon for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, Candarliya, the 7-10 favorite, closed from the back of the field of eight to finish 1 1/2 lengths in front of the 20-1 Lady of Kyushu, a Kentucky-bred filly by Smart Strike.

A 3-year-old filly by Dalakhani, Candarliya is owned by the Aga Khan, who earlier in the day won the $223,700 Prix Chaudenay at 1 7/8 miles on turf with the 3-year-old Vazirabad, the 7-10 favorite. Ridden by Soumillon for Royer-Dupre, Vazirabad won his fourth consecutive race and second stakes in the marathon.

The 4-year-old Free Port Luxx won his first group stakes in more than a year in the $223,700 Prix Dollar at about 1 3/16 miles on turf. A 7-1 shot, Free Port Luxx overcame trouble in the final quarter-mile to win by three-quarters of a length over the 12-1 Fractional, who caught the 10-1 Air Pilot in the final strides to finish second.

Free Port Luxx, by Oasis Dream, was ridden by Thierry Jarnet for Freddy Head and owner Olivier Thomas.

Cirrus des Aigles, a 9-year-old gelding and the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths in his sixth consecutive appearance in the race. He won the Prix Dollar in 2010, 2012, and 2013 and was first in 2014, only to be disqualified and placed fifth for causing interference.

The 3-year-old filly Impassable beat three females and two males in the $223,700 Prix Daniel Wildensten at a mile on turf for her third consecutive win in her first start since May. Ridden by Olivier Peslier for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parais, Impassable (5-1) finished a half-length in front of the 6-5 favorite Miss France in the field of six.

Fillies swept the first four positions with Akatea and Sonnerie, finishing third and fourth.

Impassable races for Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. She won the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham in May.