Emphatic sits a perfect trip in the Juvenile Fillies, Courtney Snow/ Past The Wire
Breeders’ Cup Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It took a while, maybe too long, but trainer Brendan Walsh finally got himself a win in a Breeders’ Cup race.
His 2-year-old filly Emphatic looked home free in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but then had to survive a furious rally by race favorite Miss Monica to win the 1 1/16-mile race by 1 ½ lengths.
The daughter of Nyquist, who is owned by Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen, stayed undefeated in four starts.
“I’m really ecstatic,” Walsh said. “She went great … everybody on my team – hats off to them.”
Walsh has had plenty of frustration in his trips to the Breeders’ Cup. This was the 14th start in the World Championships for the 53-year-old Irish trainer.
In his first 13 tries, the best finish he had was a third with the first horse he saddled, Wordly, in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Marathon. Ever since, it has been nothing but frustration and disappointment for Walsh.
A year ago, he saddled two horses – Clicquot was fourth in the Distaff and Imaginationlady had the same finish in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Heading into the Juvenile Fillies Friday, Walsh liked his chances with Emphatic, who had won her first three starts by 13 ¼ lengths. In her last start, she was a front-running winner in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 2.
Emphatic, who was bred in Pennsylvania by Jon A. Marshall, looked to be home free as she and jockey Tyler Gaffalione turned for home in the 1 1/16-mile race. They had disposed of the front-runner Lexi’s Charm, who had set the early pace under jockey Umberto Rispoli.
Rispoli replaced Jose Ortiz, who had ridden Lexi’s Charm in her first three starts for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. However, Ortiz was injured when unseated in the fifth race Friday and Casse had to call an audible.
At the break, Miss Monica, the 2-1 favorite trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, broke in, bumped Rum Twist and was shuffled back. She was 10th of 12 down the backside before starting a rally.
“It’s a shame,” Baffert said. “That’s the thing with young horses. You need everything to go your way to win these big races.”
Meanwhile, Lexi’s Charm set the early pace, carving out fractions of :22 3/5 and :45 4/5 while Emphatic and Gaffalione tracked in second.
When Gaffalione gave Emphatic her cue on the far turn, she took off and put the rest of the field in her rear-view window. She widened her lead into the short Keeneland stretch and looked like she would be a runaway winner.
“I felt like a winner the entire race,” Gaffalione said. “She broke alertly, put herself in the game early and when I pushed the button, she really responded.”
Miss Monica, incredibly, overcame her bad start and made a race of it. She and jockey Flavien Prat rallied down the inside and gave Walsh and company maybe some anxious moments, but Emphatic proved much the best.
“When she opened up, I thought she was going to tire a little bit, but then she didn’t,” Walsh said. “Bob’s filly was running at her but she was in front far enough and finished well.”
Miss Monica finished 8 1/4 lengths in front of Manuka Honey and jockey Luis Saez. Domain Expansion and 39-year-old jockey Adrian Escobedo, who was making his first-ever appearance in a Breeders’ Cup race, were fourth.
Emphatic paid $7.32, $4.30 and $2.76; Miss Monica returned $4.28 and $3.20 and Domain Expansion paid $3.04. The final time was 1:42 2/5.
Race Quotes
Winning trainer Brendan Walsh (Emphatic): “I’m really ecstatic. She went great and Tyler did a fantastic job. Everybody on my team—hats off to them. They do such a good job with this filly. Thanks to the Antony and Andrew, super people—we’re just blessed. It was setting up perfectly. They were rolling. When she opened up, I thought she was going to tire a little bit, then she didn’t, but Bob’s filly was running at her. But she was in front far enough and finished well. She’s a super filly.”
Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Emphatic): “I felt like a winner the entire race. She broke alertly, put herself in the game early and when I pushed the button, she really responded.
“We figured coming out of (Lexi’s Charm’s) last race, she thought she would be out front again but the only surprise was Miss Monica was not up there early. As far as my filly, I just let her run her race, acted like we were the only ones in there and she gave me confidence the entire race.”
Second-place trainer Bob Baffert (Miss Monica, beaten favorite): “That’s a shame. That’s the thing with young horses. You need everything to go your way to win these big races. The start was just….. I’m surprised she ran second. It’s an incredible race she ran. I think Prat did the right thing. He didn’t panic. But, the winner, you can’t give her a head start.”
Second-place jockey Flavien Prat (Miss Monica, beaten favorite): “She broke awkwardly and I found myself further back than I wanted to be. The winner just ran away from us.”
Third-place jockey Luis Saez (Manuka Honey): “Tough trip. Lot of horses going everywhere. It was tough to find a really good spot. She ran her race. She tried. She ran big.”
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