NEWS
Donativum wins Juvenile Turf thriller - WITH VIDEO
Posted: Saturday, October 25, 2008 5:16 PM
DONATIVUM
Photo by Z/Matt Barton
by Ed DeRosa
Donativum (GB) and Westphalia (Ire) dueled inside the eighth pole in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Donativum surged past that foe in the final strides to win the $1,035,080 race for two-year-old males on Saturday at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park.
John Gosden trains Donativum for Princess Haya of Jordan. Gosden was beaming following the victory, basking in the glow of winning his second Breeders’ Cup race.
Gosden, who won the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) with Royal Heroine (GB) on the inaugural Breeders’ Cup program 25 years ago, added a second win later on Saturday when Raven’s Pass won the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
“It’s great to come back and win a Breeders’ Cup race,” Gosden said. “The Breeders’ Cup has progressed really well and developed over the last 25 years. The Friday program was great. It’s racing of the highest quality.”
Orthodox set quick fractions of :22.54, :46.53, and 1:10.34 through six furlongs but had no response in the stretch when Westphalia challenged from off the rail and Donativum charged down the center of the track.
Princess Haya leases Donativum from Darley, who also owns Juvenile Turf third-place finished Coronet of a Baron and fourth-place finisher City Style. Darley also won the preceding race with Midshipman. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum owns Darley and is married to Princess Haya.
Aidan O’Brien trains Westphalia for Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier, and Westphalia’s narrow loss was reminiscent of Heart Shaped’s defeat loss to Maram in Friday’s Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“They really were close races, weren’t they,” O’Brien said. “We had a good pace to run at, but we needed to get out sooner.”
Stratford Place Stud bred Donativum in England. He is by Cadeaux Genereux out of the Group 3-placed Warning (GB) mare Miss Universe. Both European-based horses will now be pointed toward three-year-old campaigns.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
For a video replay of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, click here.
Ed DeRosa is news editor for Thoroughbred Times
