France: Kelina notches upset in Prix de la Foret

The blue and white silks of brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer were made famous in America by Goldikova’s three Breeders’ Cup Mile wins, and the Wertheimers are back in the BC Mile after Kelina posted a 28-1 surprise Sunday in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret.

Kelina bested the 2022 Foret winner Kinross by a half-length, denying Frankie Dettori an Arc Day winner before his planned retirement later this year. Kinross, the odds-on favorite, was impeded to some extent by Kelina about a furlong from the finish but stewards let the result stand after an objection by Dettori and a general inquiry.

Shouldvebeenaring was more than one length back in third as the top two pulled clear late.

Kelina had raced keenly from mid-pack in this one-turn, seven-furlong contest while Kinross stuck to the rail nearer the back of the field. Kelina got first run on Kinross, who closed steadily and had to alter course while trying to make a run inside Kelina after jockey Maxime Guyon, riding the winner, crossed in front of Kinross. Kinross was gaining quickly in the final strides but came up a half-length short as Kelina ran the race of her life.

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Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, 3-year-old Kelina had been 12th, 8th, and 9th in her first three Group 1 appearances, but those races came over courses with plenty of give in the ground and Kelina appears to be a firm-turf specialist. In June, winning her only race this season before the Foret, Kelina beat the Group 1-winning filly Sauterne by two lengths in the Prix Sandringham, contested over a good course. Still, it was difficult to see this leap coming, which is why Kelina, who got six pounds from Kinross, was such a long price.

A homebred, Kelina is by Frankel – who had a huge Sunday at Longchamp – and out of Incahoots, by Oasis Dream. The Foret isn’t part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, but connections seem intent on a run in the BC Mile. Goldikova won the Foret in 2010 before capturing the last of her three BC Miles.

Kinross was third in the 2022 BC Mile at Keeneland and while a trip to Santa Anita remains possible, trainer Ralph Beckett said further fall plans aren’t yet set for Kinross.

Highfield Princess likely BC-bound after Abbaye win

After 37 starts and at the end of her 6-year-old season, there was reason to wonder if the mare Highfield Princess had lost her edge. She’d been a no-excuse fifth as the strong favorite Sept. 10 in the Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh, a race she’d easily won in 2022, and all season looked at least slightly slower than she’d been last year.

But Highfield Princess is not done yet. Her 38th start yielded her fourth Group 1 win as Highfield Princess clipped past pacesetting Perdika in the final 50 meters to win the Prix d’Abbaye de Longchamp by one length.

Jason Hart rode the winner for trainer John Quinn, and from the sound of the trainer’s post-race remarks, the mare is bound for a second trip to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The Abbaye is part of the BC Challenge Series and Highfield Princess stands a good chance of trying to better her fourth-place finish last year at Keeneland in the five-furlong BC Turf Sprint next month at Santa Anita.

Perdika held a clear lead with a furlong and a half left in this five-furlong straight-course contest, but her strides shortened and Highfield Princess, who appeared at a couple stages to be struggling, wore her down. Perdika got second by a nose over Aesop’s Fables, who was narrowly in front of Get Ahead and Rogue Lightning.

Highfield Princess is by Night of Thunder out of Pure Illusion, by Danehill – and she’s still got it.

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