Modern Games shrugs off stumble at start, takes French 2000 Guineas
Modern Games ended his 2-year-old season by winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar and began his 3-year-old campaign by winning the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, on Sunday at Longhamp.
Modern Games is the first horse to win both those races, but not the first guineas winner this year for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, who captured the English 2000 Guineas earlier this month with Coroebus. James Doyle rode that winner to a mild upset as William Buick piloted guineas favorite Native Trail to a runner-up finish at Newmarket, but it was Buick aboard Modern Games on Sunday.
After a stumbling start, Modern Games raced prominently throughout this one-turn mile, taking the lead inside the final quarter-mile and pushing clear to a 1 1/4-length win. Texas, a huge longshot, held second after racing on the lead, with another Godolphin horse, the Andre Fabre-trained Tribalist, narrowly for third. Fabre also sent out fourth-place finisher Ancient Rome in a race dominated by horses racing in the lead pack.
Modern Games now has won four races in a row dating to last September. He didn’t contest any of the major 2-year-old races in Europe, but was much the best at Del Mar, where he ran for purse money only after mistakenly being scratched behind the starting gate. Appleby and Buick expressed hope Modern Games could handle longer distances, with the 1 5/16-mile French Derby on June 5 mentioned as a specific goal. Modern Games, who clocked 1:34.98 on a course rated good to soft, paid $6 on the North American tote. The homebred colt is by Dubawi out of Modern Ideals, by New Approach.
In the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, the French 1000 Guineas, Mangoustine was up by a head over a tough-as-nails Cachet, who was attempting to add the French version of the Guineas to her front-running score in the English 1000 Guineas earlier this month at Newmarket.
Gerald Mosse, the 55-year-old veteran jockey, rode Mangoustine to victory for trainer Mikel Delzangles, who won this race in 2013 with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf-winner Flotilla.
Mangoustine is owned by Infinity Nine Horses, Ecurie des Monceaux and others. Infinity Nine, formed less than one year ago, is a partnership fronted by former National Basketball Association star Tony Parker.
Mangoustine ($23.80) took up a forward position from the start and wore down Cachet despite being caught three-wide with no cover for part of the race’s one turn. Cachet fought back after being collared with Times Square just a nose farther back in third and Rosacea a close fourth after rallying up the rail. Mangoustine, who is bound for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, was timed in 1:35.72 while winning for the fourth time in five starts. The filly is by Dark Angel out of Zotilla, by Zamindar.
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