The Breeders’ Cup World Championships returns to the internationally renowned Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky for the 39th renewal of the esteemed year-end meeting in November. With $28 million worth of prize money up for grabs across the two-day festival, it is no surprise horses from all over the world head to the United States each year.
Some fantastic British-trained horses have enjoyed success on the other side of the Atlantic in recent years — with the great Enable winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori in 2018, while Charlie Appleby and Godolphin enjoyed a famous treble last year, winning the Juvenile Turf with Modern Games, the Mile with Space Blues and the Turf with Yibir.
There will likely be a British invasion on Keeneland again this year, with several UK-trained horses tipped for success in the early racing betting odds. So, without further ado, read on as we take a look at three horses who could make the lengthy trip and analyse their chances stateside.
Nashwa
Nashwa has progressed sensationally since her third-place finish in the Oaks back in June, winning the Prix de Diane (the French equivalent of the Epsom Classic) just a couple of weeks later, and her second Group 1 success in Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood only reinstated her status as one of the best fillies around.
The three-year-old’s owner/breeder Imad Alsagar has confirmed that the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf is on the agenda for Nashwa, and she’s the unsurprising favourite in the race’s ante-post market. Her Gosden stablemates Inspiral and Emily Upjohn are next in line, followed by Saffron Beach and Aidan O’Brien’s Tuesday.
Modern Games
Winner of last year’s Juvenile Turf, Modern Games could make the trip back across the pond for a crack at the $2m Breeders’ Cup Mile. The three-year-old hasn’t performed as well as one might have expected this season, winning the Poule d’Essai des Poulains on his reappearance, but failing to win over various distances since.
He appears to be at his best over a mile, as proven by his second-place finish to Baaeed in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time out. This race could suit his skillset and Appleby has confirmed that the plan is to now get Modern Games ready for the Breeders’ Cup.
Yibir
In an attempt to become just the third horse to win successive Breeders’ Cup turfs, following in the footsteps of Conduit (2008, 2009) and High Chaparral (2002, 2003), Yibir is expected to head back to the United States in November in a bid to retain his crown.
The four-year-old’s season started back in March, finishing second by a neck in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan before suffering further defeats in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket (2nd) and the Man o’War Stakes at Belmont Park (3rd). Finally back to winning ways at Newmarket in July, winning the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes, Yibir is primed for an Autumn campaign.
