Spanish Mission to sit out Breeders' Cup, point for Dubai

ELMONT, N.Y. – Spanish Mission, winner of Saturday’s $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park, won’t run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf or any other race this year and will be pointed to a 4-year-old campaign that likely will begin in Dubai, co-owner Barry Irwin said Sunday morning.

Though Spanish Mission earned an expenses-paid berth into the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf by virtue of his nose victory in the Jockey Club Derby, Irwin said it would be too much, too soon for this 3-year-old son of Noble Mission whom Irwin’s Team Valor syndicate owns in partnership with Earle Mack.

“We’re not going to run in the Breeders’ Cup,” Irwin said Sunday morning. “The horse is still young, he’s still immature, he’s not ready for a test like that.”

Spanish Mission left New York on Sunday and was flown back to trainer David Simcock’s stable in Newmarket. Irwin said that Spanish Mission would be prepared for a race in Dubai in February and, if he runs well there, could run back in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic on March 28, the day of the Dubai World Cup.

Spanish Mission, an Irish-bred son of Noble Mission, rallied from last under Jamie Spencer to nail Pedro Cara on the line and win the Jockey Club Derby by a nose. He won despite Spencer dropping his right rein around the sixteenth pole. Spanish Mission ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:27.58 and earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It’s good when you have a plan and it comes together,” Irwin said. “I was happy for Mack, I know it meant a lot to him. He thanked me yesterday.”

Pedro Cara as well as third-place finisher San Huberto also returned to Europe on Sunday.

While Irwin won’t be pointing Spanish Mission to the Breeders’ Cup, he mentioned two other horses of Team Valor’s that could possibly earn their way to Santa Anita on Nov. 1-2.

Last Opportunity, a 2-year-old Irish-bred son of Dandy Man, won a maiden race at Leopardstown in August. He is scheduled to run in a stakes at The Curragh on Sunday and a good performance there could earn him a trip to New York and the Futurity at Belmont on Oct. 6. The Futurity is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Gouverneur Morris, a nine-length maiden winner going 5 1/2 furlongs on closing day at Saratoga, will likely get a chance in a 2-year-old stakes such as the Champagne at Belmont or Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland as a way to get to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Last week, trainer Todd Pletcher noted that in 2014 Carpe Diem won the same 5 1/2-furlong race at Saratoga on closing-day and successfully stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in his next start to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Carpe Diem finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Team Valor owns Gouverneur Morris in partnership with WinStar Stable.