By Kelsey Riley
DEL MAR, CA–Team Coolmore's Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) got the first win on the board for team Europe at this year's Breeders' Cup when taking Friday's G1 Juvenile Turf. The bay, who is a half-brother to one of the Breeders' Cup's more recent queens in Beholder (Henny Hughes) as well as accomplished sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), went some way toward justifying his $3-million Keeneland September pricetag here after finishing second to stablemate US Navy Flag (War Front)–who lines up in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile–in the G1 Dewhurst S. on Oct. 14. Riding the rail from his inside draw and sitting just off the heels of Richard Fahey's pacesetter Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis), Ryan Moore switched Mendelssohn to the outside at the top of the lane and the bay powered clear, hitting the wire a length the better as Graham Motion's Untamed Domain (Animal Kingdom) tried in vain to cut him down late.
The Juvenile Turf was choc full of European chances, and the diminutive Beckford (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) checked in fifth, one spot ahead of Godolphin's Masar (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).
The Juvenile Turf win provided some consolation for trainer Aidan O'Brien and team Coolmore after September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) had run a bang-up third earlier on the card in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf, where the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Happily (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) trailed in a shocking last. The plucky Listed Chesham S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' September, who had missed by a nose in the Oct. 13 G1 Fillies' Mile, had put on a display for the railbirds while training on Thursday, kicking up her heels a handful of times on her way home, and the filly used the same tactics during her warmup on Friday. After a nightmare break, where she came out a good four lengths last, September swung wide into the lane and came with a late kick under Seamie Heffernan to chase home Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) and Best Performance (Broken Vow). Happily traveled on the rail near the back of the field throughout and after meeting traffic trouble at the top of the lane, was wrapped up by Ryan Moore.
See TDN America for complete Breeders' Cup results and reports.
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