France: Miss Scott's Prix de l’Opera win highlights Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe undercard

Miss Scott, a 3-year-old who has had a rapid rise in Europe’s filly and mare division in recent months, won her Group 1 debut in Sunday’s $564,000 Prix de l’Opera at France's Longchamp Racecourse, one of five Group 1 Thoroughbred races on the undercard of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

With the win, Miss Scott earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31, although it was not certain she would be sent to the United States.

There were Breeders’ Cup berths available to the winners of four other Group 1 races on the Arc undercard.

Green Empress is expected to run in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 30 after winning the Prix Marcel Boussac for 2-year-old fillies. Amusingly will be considered for the same race on Oct. 30 following her victory against males in the Prix Jean-Luc Largardere.

The filly True Love won the Prix de la Foret at seven furlongs to gain a berth in the BC Mile on Oct. 31. Miss Yechance pulled an upset in the Prix de l’Abbaye at five furlongs that earned the 3-year-old filly a berth in the BC Turf Sprint on Oct. 31.

Miss Scott won for the fourth time in her sixth start in the Prix de l’Opera, closing from seventh of nine. Ridden by Christophe Soumillon for John and Thady Gosden, Miss Scott (who paid $12.20 in American pools) took the lead with more than a furlong remaining and won by 1 1/2 lengths over 5-1 Precise.

Aventure, the even-money favorite, finished fifth by 3 1/4 lengths, missing third by a neck. Aventure was second in the 2024 Arc and 11th last year.

Miss Scott, an Irish-bred by Night of Thunder, won the Group 3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at the Curragh on Aug. 29 in her group stakes debut.

Miss Scott is owned by The Thoroughbred Corp., best known for winning the 2002 Kentucky Derby with War Emblem. At the time, The Thoroughbred Corp. was led by Prince Ahmed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, but the stable was disbanded in the years following his death in summer 2002. Prince Ahmed’s family has revived The Thoroughbred Corp. stable in recent years.

Thady Gosden said after Sunday’s race that the BC Filly and Mare Turf “might be a little too much and a little too soon” for Miss Scott. “We will see how she is,” he said.

Green Empress, also owned by The Thoroughbred Corp, solidified her status as a contender for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with her second stakes win in the $451,200 Prix Marcel Boussac at a mile.

Ridden by Soumillon for trainer Joseph O’Brien, Green Empress, who paid $5.20 as the favorite, closed from the middle of a field of 12 and was fully extended to finish a head in front of 6-1 Data.

The race was marred by a fatal injury sustained by Spirit Tango, who was racing near the front when she was pulled up in the stretch.

Green Empress, an Irish-bred filly by Saxon Warrior, was second to Sun Goddess in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in September. Sun Goddess is rated as the leading contender for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Amusingly was the only filly in a field of 10 in the $451,200 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at a mile. Ridden by Colin Keane for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who later in the day won the Arc with Daryz, Amusingly ($22) closed from last in the stretch to finish 1 1/4 lengths in front of 3-5 favorite Folsom Blues.

Amusingly, a British-bred filly by No Nay Never, has won 2 of 3 starts for Juddmonte Farms. She was supplemented to the Prix Jean-Luc Largardere for approximately $32,400 on Thursday.

Graffard said after Sunday’s race that the Breeders’ Cup will be considered for Amusingly.

True Love ended a five-race losing streak in Group 1 races with her win in the Prix de la Foret, her sixth win in 15 starts for the Coolmore syndicate and trainer Aidan O’Brien.

True Love, who was ridden by Ryan Moore on Sunday, overcame minor traffic issues with more than a quarter-mile remaining to win by a head over 5-1 Nighttime. True Love paid $7 as the favorite.

The Prix de la Foret was True Love’s first win since the English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May. Last October, True Love was eighth in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. True Love is an Irish-bred filly by No Nay Never.

Miss Yechance ($16.60) won her third consecutive start, and first in a Group 1, in the $394,800 Prix de l’Abbaye at five furlongs, which is run on a separate course on the infield.

Ridden by 20-year-old apprentice jockey Jack Nicolls for British trainer Karl Burke, Miss Yechance disputed the pace throughout and won by a neck over 3-1 favorite Shirl, who closed from the middle of the field of 15. Nicolls won his first Group 1 in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

Miss Yechance, an Irish-bred filly by Cotai Glory, races for the Al Leith Racing Club, which is based in Libya, and has won 6 of 15 starts. The current winning streak includes a Group 3 at five furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in Britain on Sept. 19.

Miss Yechance was supplemented to Sunday’s race for approximately $28,600.

Burke said the BC Turf Sprint will be the subject of discussion in coming weeks.

Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup race are due on Oct. 19.

The win the Prix de l’Abbaye occurred a day after the Burke-trained Fallen Angel, a five-time Group 1 winner, sustained a fatal injury in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp.

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