by Jeff Lowe
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has referred to Rip Van Winkle as “the most brilliant horse” ever to grace his powerful stable.
The superlative, shared in between Rip Van Winkle’s victories in the BGC Sussex Stakes (Eng-G1) on July 29 and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-G1) on September 26 at Ascot, will carry even more weight as the Galileo (Ire) colt prepares for a switch to Santa Anita Park’s synthetic surface for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
O’Brien has tried some of his best horses in the Classic this decade, including Rip Van Winkle’s sire, Galileo (Ire), who finished sixth in the 2001 edition. The best results were second-place finishes with Giant’s Causeway in 2000 and Henrythenavigator in ’09.
Giant’s Causeway and Henrythenavigator followed the same path, each finishing second as the favorite in the Queen Elizabeth II in their final prep.
Rip Van Winkle, continuing to overcome foot issues, delivered as the odds-on choice in the Queen Elizabeth II, scoring by 1 ¼ lengths.
“Rip Van Winkle is not just a good horse, he’s a great horse,” O’Brien said. “We’ll really look forward to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with him because he’s a horse that cruises and stays.”
O’Brien also can look forward to a potential surface advantage. Raven’s Pass, last year’s Queen Elizabeth II winner, led home Henrythenavigator in a one-two European sweep in the first Classic contested on a synthetic surface, while two-time Horse of the Year Curlin finished fourth.
The Santa Anita redux could help lure several more European candidates for the Classic. O’Brien may send a second multiple Group 1 winner, Mastercraftsman, into the Diamond Stakes (Ire-G3) on the Polytrack at Dundalk on Friday as a Classic test.
Sea The Stars’ status for the Breeders’ Cup will be more clear following the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) on Sunday. Trainer John Oxx has described the Classic as a backup option if he were to withdraw the half brother to Galileo from the Arc because of soft ground. Forecasts call for mostly dry weather at Longchamp this week.
The Classic gained an American contender on September 26 when Furthest Land registered a neck victory in the Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (G2) on the Polytrack at Turfway Park.
Owner Ken Ramsey said the Smart Strike gelding would be considered for the Classic and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
“He likes the synthetic tracks,” Ramsey said on September 27. “We’ll keep our options open whether we put him in the Mile or the mile-and-a-quarter [Classic]. We might just cross-enter him and see where the heavy heads go and who wants to run on the synthetic surface out there.”
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer