Anneau d’Or headed to Breeders’ Cup

Anneau d’Or, who won his debut by 8 lengths going 1 mile on grass Sept. 29 at Golden Gate Fields, will try the dirt and the big time when he runs in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Friday at Santa Anita.

Trainer Blaine Wright confirmed that he and owner Peter Redekop decided to send Anneau d’Or south after the colt worked a halfmile from the starting gate in 48.80 seconds Saturday morning at GGF.

Anneau d’Or will be the first Bay Areabased horse to participate in the Breeders’ Cup since Bold Chieftain finished eighth in the $2 million Mile in 2008. Juan Hernandez, who rode Anneau d’Or in his debut, will be aboard Friday, too.

“Peter told me if the horse is doing well, we’re going to run,” Wright said. “He’s doing really well, and he had a super work last week (5 furlongs in 59.60 seconds). He galloped out 7 furlongs in 1:25 and a mile in 1:41.”

Anneau d’Or also was preentered for the Juvenile Turf, and that’s where Wright and Redekop preferred to run. But 21 horses were preentered, and the field is limited to 14 starters, so Anneau d’Or wouldn’t have made the cut.

He will be entered officially Monday for the 11⁄16mile Juvenile and will face what is expected to be 10 opponents.

Three are coming off of impressive stakes victories: Eight Rings by 8 lengths in the American Pharaoh at Santa Anita; Dennis’ Moment by 13⁄4 lengths geared down in the Iroquois at Churchill Downs, and Maxfield by 51⁄2 lengths at Keeneland.

“I glanced at the other horses, but I can’t be too concerned with them,” Wright said. “Peter

bought him to be a good horse, so we’re going to represent Golden Gate Fields and Northern California and give it a good run at them.” Redekop bought Anneau d’Or for $480,000 in April at the Ocala, Fla., sale of 2yearolds in training.

“I didn’t expect him to win his first start like he did, but he put himself in another category,” Wright said.

Although the victory was decisive, Hernandez said he had to urge Anneau d’Or to get him to move from sixth place into contention on the second turn. It was in the stretch where the colt took off.

“I started to ask him at the threeeighths pole, and I was pushing on him, but he responded like a good horse,”

Hernandez said. “I’m really happy for the opportunity; hopefully, it will work out well.”

Briefly: Wise Rachel closed from last place and won the $75,600 Pike Place Dancer Stakes by a halflength over 95 favorite The Adrie Factor at Golden Gate Fields. The 1mile race was Wise Rachel’s first on grass and first past 6 furlongs; she had won one of three sprints on dirt. … Golden Gate Fieldsbased Keeper Ofthe Stars ($12.20) changed tactics to rally from off the pace and won the Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.