OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Jorge Abreu will head to the Breeders’ Cup for the second time in his career with graded stakes-placed juveniles Lachaise and Alluring Angel (GB) after their respective efforts in “Win And You’re In” qualifying races at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
Abreu, a 48-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, is in search of his first Breeders’ Cup victory after finishing third with his lone starter, Stellar Agent, in the 2018 Grade 1 Juveniles Fillies Turf behind runaway winner Newspaperofrecord.
Lachaise, owned and bred in New York by Lawrence Goichman, was a game third in the Grade 3 Pilgrim over a yielding Aqueduct outer turf course on October 2. The dark bay Oscar Performance ridgling closed from 10th-of-11 in the 1 1/16-mile route after going very wide throughout and showing an impressive turn of foot down the lane under Jose Ortiz. Seven-wide at the quarter-pole, Lachaise was able to secure show honors 2 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Major Dude and convince Abreu to send him on to the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf on November 4 at Keeneland.
“He’s doing very well,” said Abreu. “I thought he ran a really good race considering we had so much rain and he was so far behind. I wish I would have seen him a bit more forwardly placed, but that’s the way the race played out. I don’t think Jose did anything wrong.”
Lachaise placed third in the Pilgrim (G3) Oct. 2.
Abreu said he is not concerned about a cutback to one mile for Lachaise, who broke his maiden by 1 1/4 lengths on debut going 1 1/16 miles in an August 4 state-bred maiden at Saratoga Race Course.
“I think he’s got some good tactical speed where he doesn’t have to be way out of it back there,” Abreu said. “Now I know that if the turf is a little soft [at Keeneland], it won’t worry me.”
Out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Rumour, Lachaise is a half-brother to stakes winners and fellow Abreu trainees Runaway Rumour and Myhartblongstodady, who were both bred and campaigned by Goichman.
Goichman also owns the British-bred Alluring Angel, who he purchased for just over $67,000 at the 2020 Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The bay Fastnet Rock filly was a closing fourth in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo on October 1 at the Big A, rallying from last-of-6 to be bested out of show honors by just three-quarters of a length in the race won by Pleasant Passage. She will now look to the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 4.
Alluring Angel was second by a nose to Danse Macabre in the Ainsworth Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs September 13, 2022.
The Miss Grillo effort came on the heels of a hard-fought runner-up effort in the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable on September 13 at Kentucky Downs where she battled down the stretch with Danse Macabre and lost the photo by a nose. Her other start was a half-length debut maiden score sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the same card as Lachaise’s maiden win at the Spa.
“I think the Miss Grillo was a lot for her,” said Abreu. “She was stretching out but ran a good race to be fourth. I’m not looking for an excuse because the horse that won went wire-to-wire, but on [18] days’ rest for a baby to make their third start after a 14-hour van ride, I think I threw too much at her. But she handled it pretty well.”
Like Lachaise, Alluring Angel will cut back to one mile in her Breeders’ Cup outing, something Abreu said should suit her after starting her career off sprinting.
“I think she’ll be OK because they’ll probably have more speed and the fractions will be better,” said Abreu. “She needs something to run at because that’s her type of running.”
Abreu added that both horses will stay at Belmont Park to make their final preparations for the Breeders’ Cup and will likely ship to Keeneland about a week before their races.
Abreu’s other runner in the Miss Grillo, Georgees Spirit, tracked along the inside 1 1/2 lengths off the pace through the first three-quarters before angling two-wide at the quarter-pole and fading to last under coaxing from Manny Franco.
Abreu, who co-owns the filly with Robert Photos and Sportsmen Stable, said the daughter of Mor Spirit will skip the Breeders’ Cup.
“I think I should have let her run a little more free. She was on the worst part of the track with all the water sitting on the inside,” said Abreu. “I don’t think she ran a bad race, but she’s not one I will take over there [to the Breeders’ Cup].”
Aside from his Breeders’ Cup hopefuls, Abreu recently sent out Runaway Rumour to a third-place effort in the nine-furlong John Hettinger on September 30 at Belmont at the Big A. There, she stalked the pace in seventh-of-nine under Flavien Prat before swinging seven-wide in the final turn to miss the victory by just three-quarters of a length.
Abreu said the 4-year-old daughter of Flintshire will likely target the 1 1/16-mile $200,000 Ticonderoga on the October 30 Empire Showcase Day at Belmont at the Big A.
“She came out of the race in good shape, and I’ll point her to the race on the New York-bred day,” said Abreu. “Hopefully, we’ll get it done there. She’s been knocking on the door.”
Runaway Rumor won the Wild Applause at Belmont June 26,2021.
Though Runaway Rumour is still in search of her first win since last June’s Wild Applause at Belmont Park, she has consistently given good efforts in stakes company, posting on-the-board finishes last year in the Grade 2 Lake Placid at the Spa and Grade 2 Sands Point at Belmont. This year, her best finishes have come in her last two outings with a close second in the Violet on September 3 at Monmouth Park and in the Hettinger.
“She’s my favorite horse because she always gives you her ‘A’ game,” said Abreu. “She always comes up with a great race. Always.”
Runaway Rumour had her first work back from the Hettinger yesterday, breezing five-eighths in 1:00.67 over Belmont’s dirt training track.
“It went a little quicker than I wanted, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Abreu. “The track had been a little fast and she came back in great shape. She ate up and she looks good.”
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Alluring Angel was second by a nose to Danse Macabre in the Ainsworth Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs September 13, 2022. (Coady Photography)
