Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Pace may favor late-runners
DEL MAR, Calif. – Domestic Spending, a three-time Grade 1 stakes winner, will race at 1 1/2 miles for the first time in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar. At first glance, a new distance against a tough international field would seem a daunting task.
The very recent history of the BC Turf suggests otherwise.
In 2019, Chad Brown, who trains Domestic Spending, won the BC Turf at Santa Anita with Bricks and Mortar, who was the even-money favorite and raced at 1 1/2 miles for the first time. Bricks and Mortar was voted that year’s American Horse of the Year.
Domestic Spending will not be favored in Saturday’s $4 million BC Turf – that role will go to the brilliant Irish mare Tarnawa, who won the 2020 Turf at Keeneland – but Brown was bullish on Domestic Spending’s chances earlier this week.
“He’s very, very fast,” Brown said. “He’s got a huge turn of foot.”
Domestic Spending won his Grade 1 debut in the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last year and his first two starts this year, the Grade 1 the Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs at 1 1/8 miles on May 1 and the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park on June 5.
More recently, Domestic Spending was a fast-closing second by a neck at 2-5 in the Grade 1 Mr. D. Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Arlington Park on Aug. 14, nearly catching pacesetting upsetter Two Emmys.
Bricks and Mortar had a similar schedule in 2019, winning the Grade 1 Arlington Million at 1 1/4 miles at Arlington Park in his final start before the BC Turf.
Domestic Spending tends to race as a closer and that could be an ideal style in a full field of 14 in the BC Turf. Runners such as Acclimate, the Browntrained Tribhuvan, and Broome are expected to set an honest pace.
Flavien Prat, the leading rider in California, has the mount on Domestic Spending, who races for Klaravich Stables. Domestic Spending has won 6 of 8 starts and earned $1,432,100.
Tarnawa has a style similar to Domestic Spending. A 5-yearold Irish-bred mare, Tarnawa closed from eighth of 10 to win the 2020 BC Turf on firm ground. Trained by Dermot Weld, Tarnawa has had only three starts this year. She won the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Leopardstown on Aug. 5, but the next two races did not go as well. Tarnawa was second in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 11. She was carried out in the stretch, but a lengthy inquiry resulted in no change in the order of finish.
In the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 3, Tarnawa had a less-than-ideal trip on the inside and finished second to the outsider Torquator Tasso on heavy turf she did not appear to fancy.
Conditions will be firm at Del Mar, a slight issue for Weld.
“The main concern I have is the ground,” Weld said. “I am well aware of what we face will be a lot quicker.”
However, Weld rates Tarnawa as the sort of mare who can overcame a change in surface from the Arc.
“I think that is what makes a really true champion, if they can defend their crown on different surfaces a year apart,” Weld said. “This will be a bigger challenge for her than last year, mostly because of the ground.”
Brown also starts Rockemperor, the winner of the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park on Oct. 9. A closer, Rockemperor is a threat from off the pace.
“The way he won impressively surprised me,” Brown said. “He’s a horse that’s coming along well. I think he can get a piece.”
Half of the main body of the field has raced overseas this year. The European-based runners Broome, Sisfahan, Teona, Walton Street, and Yibir have run appealing races.
Teona won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp on Sept. 12. Sisfahan won the Group 1 German Derby in July, and was second and third in two Group 1 races against older horses in
Germany in September.
Broome, who won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in Paris in July, and Japan, who has made two trips to the United States this year without a win, are trained by Aidan O’Brien of Ireland. O’Brien has two horses on the also-eligible list in Bolshoi Ballet and Mogul.
O’Brien has won the BC Turf a record six times, most recently in 2016.
Walton Street and Yibir are trained in England by Charlie Appleby, and each won a stakes in North America in his last start.
Walton Street gave the best performance of his 19-race career in the Grade 1 Canadian International at 1 1/2 miles at Woodbine on Sept. 18. Walton Street closed from second to win by 5 3/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite.
“Everyone can say what they’d like about the actual race and what he beat, but you couldn’t be any more impressed about the way he did it,” Appleby said. “He’s in the peak of his condition and he won’t look out of place in the lineup. One thing is he brings tons of experience.”
Yibir was gelded in the summer, and has since won 3 of 4 starts including the Jockey Club Derby at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park on Sept. 18. Yibir was last under Jamie Spencer and rallied wide to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
“Halfway through the race, you wouldn’t have been sitting quite so comfortable with your winning ticket,” Appleby said. “He had the acceleration.”
Tarnawa is the runner Appleby fears.
“We have to respect Tarnawa,” Appleby said. “She’s got to falter for us to beat her at the end of the day. If she turns up anywhere close to her ‘A’ game, we’re all running for second.”
Aside from the Brown-trained runners, the other domestic hopes include Gufo, winner of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga; United and Acclimate, who were first and second in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita on Oct. 2; and Astronaut, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles here on Aug. 21.
Astronaut was a maiden race winner on March 26 and will be a longshot in the BC Turf. But trainer John Shirreffs said course experience could be invaluable for the improving 4-year-old colt.
“Because he has the ability to close at the end, if he gets a good trip, it would be possible for him to hit the board,” Shirreffs said. “The one thing California horses do have is experience around tight turns.”