Gleneagles pointed to BC Classic
Gleneagles, one of the best horses in Europe, is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, trainer Aidan O’Brien announced Tuesday.
The 3-year-old colt, winner of the English 2000 Guineas in May, has been a miler during his excellent overseas career, but will try to stretch his stamina over the Classic’s 1 1/4 miles at Keeneland this fall if his connections’ plan holds.
Gleneagles, by Galileo out of the Storm Cat mare You’resothrilling, has crossed the line first in seven of his nine starts but was disqualified to third last fall for a bumping incident in the Group 1 Jean-Luc Lagardere. His other Group 1 successes have come in the Irish National Stakes, the Irish 2000 Guineas, and in the St. James’s Palace Stakes on June 16. That’s the last time Gleneagles raced, his connections twice having pulled him from intended starts because of wet course conditions. Gleneagles is a fast-ground horse with speed, characteristics that surely motivated the intended trip to the United States.
Gleneagles, third choice behind American Pharoah and Beholder when introduced into antepost Classic wagering by English bookmakers Tuesday, could race once more before the Classic, either in the Irish Champion Stakes on Sept. 12 or the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Oct. 17.
Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Derrick Smith – principals in the Coolmore group – own Gleneagles and also have a controlling interest in the post-racing career of American Pharoah, who is scheduled to become a stallion at their Ashford Stud in 2016. It’s somewhat surprising that Coolmore would pit Gleneagles against American Pharoah in what could be the career finale for both horses.
O’Brien has won eight Breeders’ Cup races but never the Classic, in which he has started a horse 12 times. O’Brien’s best finishes in the race came with Giant’s Causeway, who was second in 2000; with Henrythenavigator, who was second on a synthetic surface in 2008; and with Declaration of War, who finished third in 2013 as O’Brien’s most recent Classic starter.