Auguste Rodin Victorious in Breeders' Cup Turf

Deep Impact-sired Auguste Rodin triumphed in the Breeders' Cup Turf on Saturday, November 4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcada, California.

Ridden by British jockey Ryan Moore, who has competed in Japan Racing Association events for more than a decade, race favorite Auguste Rodin won by three-quarters of a length over Up to the Mark. The winning time: 2 minutes, 24.30 seconds.

Contested over 2.41 kilometers (1½ miles), the 11-horse race took place on the second day of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, a prestigious showcase for thoroughbreds from around the world. A total of 14 Grade 1 races were held on Friday and Saturday capped by the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Saturday night.

Auguste Rodin made a pivotal move to the front of the pack down the final stretch, utilizing his speed on the inside along the rail. (Watch the race on YouTube.)

Japanese entrant Shahryar, another progeny of the late Deep Impact, finished third, a half-length behind the runner-up, with Cristian Demuro aboard the 5-year-old stallion. Hideaki Fujiwara is the trainer.

Breeders' Cup Turf: A Test of Patience and Experience

"He started well, but I got squeezed a little bit and it was very messy crossing the main track," Moore said of Auguste Rodin, according to Paulick Report, a racing website. "The horses were kind of all over the place, and there was no rhythm to the race. I was caught back further than ideal. I knew I was going to have to do something a bit different because it's going to be hard to come around them."

Legendary Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, a seven-time winner of the race, gushed afterward about Auguste Rodin's performance.

"He's a super horse and it was a great ride," O'Brien was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

Auguste Rodine has six wins in nine career starts.

Japan's Derma Sotogake, Ushba Tesoro Finish 2nd, 5th in Breeders' Cup Classic

In the Breeders' Cup Classic, White Abarrio, Irad Ortiz Jr's ride, built a comfortable lead and held off Derma Sotogake's spirited rally to win by 1¼ lengths.

Christophe Lemaire, the Japan Racing Association's leading jockey in 2023, reunited with Derma Sotogake after riding the Mind Your Biscuits-sired 3-year-old to a sixth-place finish in May's Kentucky Derby.

Jockey Yuga Kawada and Orfevre-sired Ushba Tesoro, the 2023 Dubai World Cup winner in March, also representing the JRA in the marquee 12-horse race. Ushba Tesoro was fifth.

Also Saturday, Songline (Keita Tosaki), trainer Toru Hayashi's entrant, finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Masters of the Seas (William Buick) placed first. Win Carnelian (Kosei Miura) was 11th.

In an earlier race, trainer Takahisa Tezuka earned a fifth-place finish with Win Marilyn (Demuro) in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Frankie Dettori rode Inspiral to victory.

Also Saturday, Ortiz guided Goodnight Olive to a 2¾-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Sprint.

American-born thoroughbred Yuugiri was the runner-up. Yuugiri is owned by Japanese breeders Sekie and Tsunebumi Yoshihara.

Finishing last in the nine-horse field was Meikei Yell, piloted by Kenichi Ikezoe.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven.