Novellist, Rizeena win Breeders' Cup qualifying races

Novellist won his third consecutive Group 1 race in Sunday’s $330,000 Grosser Preis Von Baden but had to work a little harder than expected to win Germany’s top race for older horses.

Novellist now has won three consecutive races with fees-paid berths to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, although there is no guarantee that the 4-year-old will be sent to California. Earlier this summer, Novellist won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France and the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Trainer Andreas Wohler has said that the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 6 is the main goal this fall for Novellist, who is by Monsun.

Sent off at 3-10 in the Grosser Preis Von Baden, Novellist took the lead under jockey Eddie Pedroza and tracked stablemate Seismos halfway through the race over 1 1/2 miles. Novellist regained the lead with a furlong to go and won by three-quarters of a length over Seismos. Wohler trains the first two finishers.

Meandre was third in the field of five.

Novellist, owned by Christoph Berglar, is at 5-1 in the future book to win the Arc.

Rizeena wins Moyglare Stud Stakes

Rizeena, a group stakes winner at Royal Ascot in June, won her first Group 1 race in Sunday’s $275,000 Moyglare Stud Stakes for 2-year-old fillies over seven furlongs at The Curragh in Ireland.

With the win, Rizeena earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Rizeena (9-2) closed from fifth in a field of seven to win by three-quarters of a length over Kiyoshi, the 13-8 favorite. After a stewards’ inquiry, Kiyoshi was disqualified and placed third behind Tapestry for causing interference in the final sixteenth.

Rizeena, an Irish-bred by Iffraaj, races for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook al-Maktoum and is trained by Clive Brittain. Rizeena won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot in June.