Aidan O’Brien has just landed in California and received disappointing news as two of his top horses have been assigned unfavorable starting positions at the upcoming Breeders’ Cup event.
O’Brien’s exceptional season has positioned him near the brink of setting more racing records. He requires three additional Group 1 wins to match his own world record of 28 top-level victories in a single year and one more triumph to become the most successful Breeders’ Cup trainer in history.
The master from Ballydoyle has eight opportunities to enhance his tally of 20 Cup wins over the course of Friday and Saturday. Leading the charge is Minnie Hauk, the runner-up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, who will be competing in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Among his other top contenders are the two-year-olds Precise, winner of the Fillies’ Mile and set to race in the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf, and Gstaad, runner-up in the Dewhurst Stakes, who will tackle the Juvenile Turf.
At the compact turf oval of Del Mar, trainers aim to avoid wide starting positions, but both Precise, drawing stall 13 of 13, and Henri Matisse, drawing stall 14, faced this setback.
Following the news, bookmakers quickly adjusted their odds, with Precise now at 11-10 from Evens and Gstaad at 11-10 from 4-5.
Lee Phelps, a spokesperson, commented, “The draw for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup races has just taken place, and it appears that two prominent European contenders, Aidan O’Brien’s Precise and Gstaad, have been handed challenging starting positions in 13 and 14 respectively. Consequently, we believe their chances have diminished around the tight Del Mar track.”
Although faced with unfavorable draws, O’Brien can draw some encouragement from Henri Matisse’s victory from stall 12 in the Juvenile Turf at the same venue a year ago.
After observing his horses on the track on Tuesday, O’Brien shared during the Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup show on FanDuelTV, “They seemed content. Everyone appeared satisfied. It was their first day out, just for familiarity. They moved along calmly, exploring their surroundings.”
He added, “They will head to the start on Wednesday, visit the paddocks on Thursday, and return to the track on Friday.”
When asked about the starting draws, O’Brien remarked, “That’s how it goes. We will see what Christophe [Soumillon] thinks. The draws are what they are.”
