France: St. Mark's Basilica surges in French 2000 Guineas
St. Mark’s Basilica capped his 2020 season with the best run of his 2-year-old campaign by winning the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, and his 3-year-old debut Sunday at Longchamp was even better.
Rating along nearer the back of a 12-horse field than the front, St. Mark’s Basilica cruised into contention a little more than a quarter-mile to the finish before putting on a burst of speed that propelled him to a 1 3/4-length victory in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas.
The second favorite, with Ioritz Mendizabal riding for trainer Aidan O’Brien, St. Mark’s Basilica easily had the field’s best turn of foot once he hit high gear with about 300 yards to run. Colosseo, an 80-1 shot who is still a maiden, finished second, perhaps calling into some question the strength of the field, as Breizh Eagle, a 13-1 chance exiting a conditions race, finished another head back in third. Poetic Flare, the 5-2 favorite on the strength of his May 1 English 2000 Guineas win, failed to produce a top performance and checked in sixth.
The winner, bred and owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor, ran about one mile over very soft going in 1:40.15 while racing over Longchamp’s Grande Course.
St. Mark’s Basilica is by Siyouni out of Cabaret, by Galileo. O’Brien made mention of the St. James’s Palace over a turning mile at Royal Ascot, but post-race remarks to Scott Burton of the Racing Post suggested the Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby, is the more likely next spot.
In the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, the French 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies, Coeursamba got a sweet ride from Cristian Demuro to post a 38-1 upset, beating favored Mother Earth, the English 1000 Guineas winner, by 1 1/4 lengths. Couersamba and Demuro hugged the fence much of the trip before slipping into contention with a little more than a quarter-mile to race. Mother Earth had rallied to the lead on the outside but Coeursamba battled inside her, took command in the final furlong and pushed on to a decisive score.
Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, Coeursamba, a daughter of The Wow Signal and Marechale, by Anabaa, won for just the second time in eight starts, clocking 1:39.28 for about one mile. Kennella finished third while second favorite Philomene never reached contention finishing sixth.