Rebel's Romance has BC Turf thoughts after Grosser Preis von Europe win

Rebel’s Romance might have punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf with a strong victory over German Derby winner Sammarco in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Europe on Sunday at Cologne Racecourse.

Four-year-old Rebel’s Romance, who gave 3-year-old Sammarco six pounds, closed strongly from the rear of a seven-horse field in the 1 1/2-mile contest, coming through on the inside under William Buick to take the lead in the final furlong. Sammarco had made a good outside run to the furlong grounds and might not have seen Rebel’s Romance emerge until his jockey steered Sammarco right to engage Rebel’s Romance, who towered over his younger, smaller rival. Sammarco briefly gained on the leader when coming alongside him, but Rebel’s Romance had plenty in the tank and was going away at the finish to win by a neck.

A Godolphin homebred trained by Charlie Appleby, Rebel’s Romance made his first seven starts on all-weather surfaces and on dirt, and since being moved to turf this summer, the colt, by Dubawi out of the Street Cry mare, Minidress, has gone 4 for 4. This was his second straight German Group 1 score, Sunday’s success following Rebel’s Romance’s triumph in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, the same double that top-class mare Alpinista pulled in 2021.

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But while Alpinista never has left Europe, Rebel’s Romance might now embark on an international campaign that could bring him to Keeneland, where he’d figure to be a major player in the BC Turf, which Godolphin, Appleby, and Buick won in 2021 with Yibir. The same connections also have Modern Games as a likely favorite for the BC Mile and the sharp 2-year-old Mysterious Night as a player in the BC Juvenile Turf.

***Blackbeard now likely for Breeders’ Cup

After suggesting Blackbeard had raced for the last time at age 2 following the colt’s Saturday win in the Group 1 Middle Park at Newmarket in England, connections changed course Sunday, saying that a trip to the Breeders’ Cup in November now is likely.

Blackbeard already has raced nine times in 2022 but looked as good as ever adding the six-furlong Middle Park to his victory in the Group 1 Prix Morny, another six-furlong dash. Trainer Aidan O’Brien said after the Middle Park that Blackbeard likely was a five- or six-furlong horse, which would make the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint a more appealing option than the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Turf.

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