Talismanic bids for repeat win

Since his upset victory in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar, Talismanic has won twice in six starts in three countries.

He was second in the Hong Kong Vase last December, won stakes in France in spring and summer, and ran ninth in the Dubai World Cup on dirt in March and 13th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 7.

The recent loss has not deterred Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing and trainer Andre Fabre from another attempt at the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3. The BC Turf will be Talismanic’s first start in the United States since his career-defining win in the BC Turf.

The well-traveled 5-year-old is one of seven European-based runners pre-entered for the richest turf race in the United States. The greatest threat to Talismanic will be one of his fellow travelers – the 4-yearold filly Enable, who won the Arc for the second consecutive year this month. As of Wednesday, Enable, trained by John Gosden for Juddmonte Farms, was about 3-5 in the future book for the BC Turf with European bookmakers. Talismanic was 16-1.

There were 15 horses preentered in the BC Turf, which will have a maximum of 14 starters. Roaring Lion, the star 3-year-old in Europe who has won four consecutive Group 1 races for Gosden, was also preentered in the BC Classic at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. The BC Classic was listed as Roaring Lion’s first preference.

If Roaring Lion runs in the BC Classic, Liam the Charmer, who won the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita on Sept. 30, would gain a berth in the BC Turf.

Overall, eight horses preentered in the BC Turf are based with American stables. Aside from Liam the Charmer, the group includes Arklow, Channel Maker, Glorious Empire, Hi Happy, Quarteto de Cordas, Robert Bruce, and Sadler’s Joy.

Channel Maker and Robert Bruce were first and second in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park on Sept. 29. Glorious Empire has not raced since a win in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25.

Quarteto de Cordas, based with Ian Wilkes in Kentucky, won a Group 1 race at 1 1/2 miles on turf in Brazil in June. A 4-year-old, Quarteto de Cordas has not started in the United States.

Aside from Enable, Talismanic, and Roaring Lion, there are four Europeanbased contenders among the pre-entries – Crystal Ocean, Hunting Horn, Magical, and Waldgeist.

Hunting Horn and Magical are trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has won the BC Turf a record six times, most recently with Highland Reel in 2016. Hunting Horn, 3, has run twice in the United States this year, finishing third in the Belmont Derby in July and eighth in the Secretariat Stakes. Hunting Horn was 16th in the Arc.

Magical was 10th in the Arc and won the Group 1 British Champions Filly and Mare Turf Stakes at Ascot last Saturday.