Longchamp: Make Believe may be headed to Breeders' Cup Mile

The 2-year-old Ultra and 3-year-old Make Believe gave leading French trainer Andre Fabre important wins in Group 1 stakes on the undercard of Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe program at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.

Make Believe’s win in the $336,000 Prix de la Foret at seven furlongs may lead to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Make Believe returned from a layoff of more than three months to win the Prix de la Foret, his second major stakes win of the year at Longchamp. Make Believe won the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp in May, but was last of five in the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 16.

In the Prix de la Foret, Make Believe (7-2) took the lead in the final furlong under jockey Olivier Peslier, and won by 1 1/4 lengths over 6-5 favorite Limato. Make Believe, by Makfi, is owned by Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

Ultra won the $392,000 Prix Jean-Luc Lagerdere at a mile, a victory that will resonate through the winter. Ultra is unbeaten in three starts and is considered a candidate for the major European derbies of 2016.

Ridden by Mickael Barzalona for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, Ultra held off another Godolphin runner in Cymric to win by a short neck. Ultra, Cymric, and Herald the Dawn, who finished seventh, were coupled in parimutuel betting. Ultra paid $5.80 to win.

By Manduro, Ultra is unbeaten in three starts. The Lagardere was his first stakes win and provided the colt with a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 30, if that path for a next start is chosen. The Lagardere is part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In series.

Covert Love earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31 with her win in the $448,000 Prix de l’Opera for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf, but trainer Hugo Palmer said after the race the 2016 running of the Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita was more likely.

A 3-year-old, Covert Love won her second Group 1 race of the year in the Prix de l’Opera, two starts after winning the Irish Oaks at The Curragh in July. Owned by the Fomo Syndicate, Covert Love was second in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks at York Racecourse in England in August.

In the Prix de l’Opera, Covert Love (7-2) took the lead shortly after the start and was fully extended to finish a head in front of 5-1 Jazzi Top. John Gosden trains Jazzi Top and Cymric. He later won the Arc de Triomphe with Golden Horn.

In other Group 1 races on the Arc undercard, Ballydoyle (6-4) won the $336,000 Prix Marcel Boussac for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf. Ballydoyle was ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien, and won by 1 1/4 lengths over 12-1 Turret Rocks. Antonoe, the even-money favorite, finished seventh, her first defeat in her third start.

The win gave Ballydoyle an automatic berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 30 through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program. While it was not immediately clear if Ballydoyle would be sent to Kentucky, she did earn support with British bookmakers in future-book betting for the 2016 English 1000 Guineas and English Oaks. Ballydoyle races for Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier.

Goldream won his second Group 1 race and third stakes of 2015 in the $392,000 Prix de l’Abbaye at five furlongs. Goldream (9-1) finished a neck in front of 43-1 Rangali, who was second in the 2014 Prix de l’Abbaye.

Trained by Robert Cowell, Goldream won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Royal Ascot in June, but was only fifth of 19 in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August.

Mille Et Mille won his first Group 1 race in the $336,000 Prix du Cadran, leading throughout the race at 2 1/2 miles. Ridden by Thierry Thulliez, his only mount on the program, Mille Et Mille (11-1) finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 57-1 Kicky Blue.

Mille Et Mille, a 5-year-old gelding, was a minor stakes winner at Maisons-Laffitte in July.