Breeders’ Cup 2022 Invaders: Sizing Up International Competitors

One of the biggest challenges for horse players in the Breeders’ Cup is the international nature of the event. Sizing up how form from across the world stacks up against the American runners is no easy feat. Here’s a look at the 2022 foreign invaders.

Notable Breeders’ Cup Themes

Japanese Presence Diminishes

In the 2021 Breeders’ Cup one of the story lines was the superstars that Japan sent over. The emerging racing super power sent 7 starters to the gate. Those 7 starters produced the 1st and 2nd wins for the nation in the year-end horse racing championships.

Loves Only You was a likely winner of the Filly and Mare Turf while Marche Lorraine pulled off a massive upset in the Distaff.

In 2022 Japan has just one horse entered as Chain of Love is crossed entered in the Sprint and the Filly & Mare Sprint. Her first preference is the latter.

Appleby Looks Loaded Again

Charlie Appleby is blessed with a talented barn. Any time you train for the famed Godolphin Stables, there is likely to be no shortage of talent in your shed row. Appleby who saddled 3 winners at Del Mar in 2021 has 7 entries in the 2022 running of the Breeders’ Cup.

In 2021 he most infamously won with Modern Games who was the favorite at post time, accidently scratched at the gate, re-entered as a non-betting interest, and then romped home easily leaving many bettors with losing tickets on the betting favorite Dakota Gold who finished well back.

Dirt Belongs to the Americans in the Breeders’ Cup

In past runnings of the Breeders’ Cup the Americans have faired well on dirt while the turf has been much more balanced. However, any dent the world was hoping to put on American dirt dominance will have to wait until next year.

Only 1 international horse is entered in the dirt races and that is Japan’s runner Chain of Love. All other horses entered in Juvenile and Championship dirt races are based in the U.S.A.

BREEDERS’ CUP FRIDAY

For the Breeders’ Cup many horses are cross entered. If a horse is cross entered in a race their name will be followed by a * if the race is their 2nd preference and a ^ if the race is their first preference.

JUVENILE TURF SPRINT

• Distance: 5 ½ furlongs
• Surface: Turf

International Runners

• Dramatised (IRE) was 2 for 2 in the career including an impressive debut and grade 2 stakes victory at Ascot. In august she returned and finished 5th at York in the grade 2 Sky Bet Lowther.
• Lady Hollywood (GB) is 4 for 7 on the career. She is coming in off a grade 3 victory at Longchamp, but was 11th in the same stake as Dramatised prior to that.
• Mischief Magic (IRE) is trained by Charlie Appleby and is 3 for 5. She won two back in a grade 3 at Kempton Park before finishing 4th in a grade 1 at Newmarket to end last month.
• Persian Force (IRE) has never finished out of the money in 7 starts including 5 graded stakes. This one finished just ahead of Mischief Magic in the last race.
• The Platinum Queen (IRE) is 3 for 3 in the exacta in graded stakes including an impressive win at Longchamp in a grade 1 on October 2.
• Manhattan Jungle (IRE) * see first preference race.
• Wadao (FR) is 2 for 8 lifetime and has only 1 graded stakes try where she finished 7th in a grade 3 at Newmarket.

JUVENILE FILLIES

• Distance: 1 1/16 miles
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• None

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

• Distance: 1 mile
• Surface: Turf

International Runners

• Basil Martini (IRE) is trained by Joseph O’Brien and is 4 for 5 in the money. She was 0 for 4 until September 25, when she won a grade 3 stake at the Curragh.
• Meditate (IRE) is trained by Joseph’s father Aiden O’Brien who is one of Europe’s most dominant trainers. This runner is 4 for 6 lifetime including a group 2 win and 2 grade 1 2nd place finishes in the past three races.
• Midnight Mile (IRE) is undefeated in 2 starts. The last race was a grade 3 stake at Newmarket.
• Spirit Gal (FR) is 2 for 4 in the career. The Breeders’ Cup will be this one’s first attempt in a graded stake. That’s a pretty big ask.

JUVENILE

• Distance: 1 1/16 miles
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• None

JUVENILE TURF

• Distance: 1 mile
• Surface: Turf

International Runners

• Silver Knott (GB) is a Godolphin in the care of Charlie Appleby. The trainer was pointing a different runner to this spot and changed course after this one’s last performance at Newmarket which was a grade 3 victory.
• Victoria Road (IRE) goes out for Aiden O’Brien with 3 wins in 7 starts. The graded stakes debut in the last start produced a grade 3 victory.

BREEDERS’ CUP SATURDAY

FILLY AND MARE SPRINT

• Distance: 7 furlongs
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• Chain of Love (JPN) ^ has just 3 wins in 22 starts. The one attempt at a grade 1 was at Meydan in the Golden Shaheen back in March where she finished 4th.

TURF SPRINT

• Distance: 5 1/2 furlongs
• Surface: Turf

International Runners

• Creative Force (IRE) comes from the Appleby barn and has 6 wins in 14 starts. This one is a grade 1 stakes winner but that was in 2021. In 2022 the horse has taken 4 grade 1 shots and never gotten closer than 2nd.
• Emaraaty Ana (GB) is 5 for 26 lifetime. The horse is still seeking the first win of 2022, but has put up back to back runner up finishes in a pair of grade 1 races.
• Flotus (IRE) is 3 for 13 in the career. That career includes 5 grade 1 attempts with a 2nd place finish. Her best this year is a grade 3 victory in the William Hill Summer at York back in July.
• Go Bears Go (IRE) is 4 for 14 with over $400,000 in career earnings. This runner has a pair of grade 3 wins in the 2022 campaign but has struggled mightily in the 3 grade 1 tries this year. The last race was a 9th place finish at Ascot.
• Highfield Princess (FR) has 12 career wins in 30 starts with an additional 10 in the money finishes. The last 5 races have all been grade 1 or 2 stakes and have included 4 wins. This one is fresh off a grade 1 victory at the Curragh.
• Naval Crown (GB) is 4 for 19 lifetime with a grade 1 and grade 2 victory in 2022. This runner captured the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Ascot in June, but has fallen off form finishing 2nd, 5th, 11th, and 12th in each subsequent start.

DIRT MILE

• Distance: 1 mile
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• None

FILLY AND MARE TURF

• Distance: 1 3/16 miles
• Surface: Turf

International Runners

• Above the Curve (IRE) is trained by Joseph O’Brien and is 50% in the winner’s circle on 6 career starts. Five of those starts came this year and include a grade 1 win at Longchamp and a grade 2 win at the Curragh. Most recently she finished 3rd in the Prix De L’Opera Longines.
• Dreamloper (IRE) * see first preference race.
• Nashwa (GB) is trained by John Gosden and has 4 wins in 7 starts. She has never finished off the board. She posted back to back grade 1 wins earlier this year at Goodwood and Chantilly before finishing 2nd last out at Longchamp just ahead of Above the Curve.
• Toy (IRE) is 2 for 8 lifetime with 5 total races in the money for Aiden O’Brien. She comes off a victory in an ungraded stakes race. She has struggled when facing grade 1 company. She has failed to crack the top 10 in 3 of 4 grade 1 tries this year.
• Tuesday (IRE) is 2 for 9 for Aiden O’Brien. She has hit the board in over half of her starts. She took down a grade 1 at Epsom in June, but could not find that form again in the last 4 starts at the same level. Most recently she finished 6th behind both Nashwa and Above the Curve.
• Mise En Scene (GB) ^ has just 1 graded stakes win. That win comes back in 2021 at Goodwood where she took the Tote Prestige Stakes. She is 0 for 3 this year with a 2nd in her last race. She is 2 for 7 lifetime.

SPRINT

• Distance: 6 furlongs
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• Chain of Love (JPN) * see first preference race.

MILE

• Distance: 1 mile
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• Dreamloper (IRE) ^ is 6 for 17 and has 2 grade 1 stakes wins in 2022. Most recently this one took down the Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp at Longchamp in early September.
• Kinross (GB) is 8 for 21 with $1.2 million in earnings. He has won his last 4 starts including grade 1 races at Ascot and Longchamp.
• Malavath (IRE) has 3 wins from 10 starts and finishes in the top 3 at a 70% clip. He is a grade 2 winner, but is still looking for the illusive first grade 1 victory. In his 4 tries this year he has progressed from 10th to 5th to 4th to 2nd last out at Longchamp.
• Modern Games (IRE) is probably the most recognizable name from last year’s Breeders’ Cup. He is 6 for 12 lifetime and only missed the trifecta twice. Along with winning the Juvenile Turf to end 2021, this one has 2 grade 1 wins in 2022.
• Order of Australia (IRE) is no stranger to the Breeders’ Cup. In 2020 he shocked the world in this race winning at odds of 73-1. Thanks largely to that win he has over $1.9 million in career earnings with a career win percentage of 24%. In 2022 his lone win is a grade 2 effort at the Curragh back in July.
• Pogo (IRE) is 8 for 37 lifetime and has hit the board 20 times. In 2022 the horse has 2 grade 3 victories and a grade 2 win. The latter came at Newmarket in the last start on October 7.

DISTAFF

• Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• None

TURF

• Distance: 1 1/2 miles
• Surface: Turf

International Runners

• Broome (IRE) is trained by Aiden O’Brien and is 8 for 28 lifetime. In June he won the Hardwicke Stakes (grade 2) at Ascot. Since then he’s been in grade 1 races with limited success. Most recently he finished 8th in the Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp.
• Mishriff (IRE) goes out for John Gosden and has 7 wins on 20 starts. He was 13th in the Arc De Triomphe and 2nd in the Juddmonte at York. His last victory was in the grade 1 Juddmonte in August of 2021 at York.
• Nations Pride (IRE) an Appleby, Godolphin horse with 6 wins in 9 starts. After finishing 8th at Epsom in the grade 1 Cazoo, he came over to America where he’s run three graded stakes on the New York Circuit. In those starts he is 2 for 3 with 1 second.
• Nautilus (BRZ) is the lone entrant from Brazil in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup. He has 6 wins on 17 starts. His last race was a grade 1 victory in June at Gavea.
• Rebel’s Romance (IRE) is yet another Godolphin horse trained by Appleby with 8 wins in 11 starts. After a pair of disappointing performances at Meydan this one returned to the European circuit and has gone 4 for 4 including a grade 3 win and back to back victories in grade 1 races in Germany.
• Stone Age (IRE) for Aiden O’Brien is 2 for 12 on the career. The highlight of the year came back in May at Leopardstown with a grade 3 win. Since then it’s been a string of 5 losses with 1 in the money finish. This one does have 2 American starts on the New York Circuit in 2022.
• Mise En Scene (GB) * see first preference race.

CLASSIC

• Distance: 1 1/4 miles
• Surface: Dirt

International Runners

• None

Breeders’ Cup Coverage

Betting News will continue to provide full coverage of the Breeders’ Cup. Check in throughout the week to see the winners and losers of the post position draw, analysis, selections, and recaps from Keeneland.