Pride won't be coming for Breeders' Cup

After carefully considering the benefits and drawbacks of running his superb mare Pride, winner of Saturday's Champion Stakes at Newmarket, in the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs, trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre decided on Tuesday evening against the idea.

The Chantilly-based Royer-Dupre had looked into a possible start in either the BC Filly and Mare Turf or the BC Turf on Nov. 4 for Pride, a 6-year-old daughter of Peintre Celebre, after consulting with the mare's owner, Sven Hanson of NP Bloodstock Ltd., but is instead more likely to send her to Sha Tin for the 1 1/4-mile Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 10.

Citing Pride's two recent races in a short time span - the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 1 and the Champion on Oct. 14 - Royer-Dupre said, "the Breeders' Cup comes up in just another three weeks. She is a very nice mare, and we will think about the Japan Cup [on Nov. 26], but I am leaning toward the mile-and-a-quarter race in Hong Kong."

Hanson would have had to put up a supplementary fee to get the un-nominated Pride into the Breeders' Cup - $180,000 for the Filly and Mare Turf, $270,000 for the Turf.

Pride, who was a fast-closing second in the Arc before her Champion victory, finished second in the Hong Kong Cup last year. At 127, she is Timeform's highest rated filly or mare in the world.