Glorious Empire punches Breeders' Cup Turf ticket

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last month in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, Channel Maker rallied from a few lengths off the pace to get up for a dead-heat victory with front-running Glorious Empire. Things worked out a little differently Saturday in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga, as Glorious Empire and Channel Maker ran first and second the entire 1 1/2-mile race with Glorious Empire having plenty in reserve to score a 1 3/4-length victory.

Glorious Empire was a little keen during the opening quarter-mile, which went in 23.16 seconds. But jockey Julien Leparoux got him to settle into a smooth, even tempo through splits of 48.18, 1:13.88, and 1:38.82, seemingly lulling his followers to sleep.

Nobody closed any substantial ground during the stretch run, with Spring Qualty closing from fifth to finish third, two lengths behind Channel Maker.

“He broke very sharp, he took me there and I tried to slow him down, which he did,” Leparoux said. “He traveled very good for me and he has that kick at the end. He really just exploded.”

Glorious Empire paid $33.40 as the seventh wagering choice in the 10-horse field. He completed the course in 2:24.41, getting his final quarter-mile in 22.55.

The Sword Dancer is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, so Glorious Empire earned a guaranteed, fees-paid berth in the $4 million BC Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3

The Sword Dancer was the first Grade 1 wins for both owner Matthew Schera and trainer James “Chuck” Lawrence II. Schera had previously won four Grade 2 stakes.

Schera claimed Glorious Empire for $62,500 in May 2017 at Belmont Park. With Carlos Martin as the trainer, they won a $50,000 claiming race at Saratoga last summer. In his third start for Schera, Glorious Empire bled in the Grade 2 Baltimore-Washington Turf Cup at Laurel Park and was eased.

“This horse had never had a break,” Schera said. “He had won races in Great Britain, in Hong Kong, and here, but he needed a break. When he was ready to come back, I sent him to Chuck.”

Lawrence, a former Steeplechase rider, is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. Before he began training on his own, he worked with the acclaimed jump trainers Burling Cocks and Michael Smithwick.

“[When] he came to me he had a reputation of being bad in the paddock and some other things, and we did everything to just try and quiet him down,” Lawrence said. “I work him a lot farther than most people work a horse and do things like turn him out and take him cross-country. He probably sees the racetrack three or four times a week.”

Lawrence galloped Glorious Empire a mile the morning of the Sword Dancer.

“We did that so he thought he was done for the day,” Lawrence said. “We try to not only educate him but learn how to deal with him, to get into his head.”