Haffner sits the trip to take over in the Juvenile Turf, Courtney Snow/Past The Wire
Breeders’ Cup Press
LEXINGTON, Ky – Haffner cashed in on an absolutely perfect trip to notch an authoritative 1 3/4 length victory in the $1 Million Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) to close out Future Stars Friday at Keeneland.
“He’s improving and still growing,” winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said. He added, “With time and as he covers more distance, he’ll get even better. He had a great draw and a good position, so that was a big help.”
It was a sweet finish to another scintillating day at the Breeders’ Cup for trainer Aidan O’Brien — who won Juvenile Fillies Turf earlier on the card with Sun Goddess (IRE). Haffner’s victory was the legendary conditioner’s 2nd Breeders’ Cup score of the day, and the 23rd of his career — making him once again the event’s all-time leader less than an hour after Bob Baffert had equaled his mark.
Going off as the public’s third-choice ($9.46), Haffner — a Kentucky bred son of Justify out of the Zoffany (IRE) mare Earth Strike (IRE) — notched his second straight victory after taking the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket in late September.
O’Brien cited that outing as one which was pivotal in Haffner’s development.
“He got a mile at Newmarket and if you get a mile at Newmarket, you have to get nearly a mile and a quarter, really,” O’Brien said.
Haffner traveled smoothly beneath Ryan Moore — settling in a superb spot along the rail sitting just off leader Avec Toi around the first turn. The eventual winner sat off solid fractions of 23.02 seconds for the first quarter-mile, and 46.80 seconds for the opening half-mile. After biding his time, Moore made his move at the top of the stretch — tipping Haffner into the two-path and eventually collaring a game Avec Toi midway through the stretch. Haffner held off second-place finisher Folsom Blues (IRE) to score by 1 3/4 lengths. Avec Toi finished a nose behind in third.
Moore was ecstatic with the trip.
“He was drawn in (four) and the speed horses were inside of me so it was very straightforward,” the winning rider said. “He kept hitting the right spot.”
Haffner was a $375,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was bred by D J Stables and the Justify Syndicate. And after the race, O’Brien called him a “typical Justify” and predicted big things for his young star in 2027.
“I think he’ll be a classic horse next year,” O’Brien said. “He’ll have no problem going 10 (furlongs) and would probably go even farther. He’s very classy, really.”
If there was a low point on what was a banner day for Aidan O’Brien, it was that he denied his son Joseph O’Brien the victory — as the younger O’Brien trained race favorite Folsom Blues (IRE) to a second-place finish.
“That’s the sorry part about competing against each other,” the elder O’Brien said. “But his horse ran great.”
For his part, Joseph O’Brien took the outcome in good spirits.
“We are well used to it at home, me and [my brother] Donnacha,” Joseph O’Brien said. “It happens day in, day out back in Ireland.”
While he didn’t get the win, Joseph O’Brien was more than pleased with Folsom Blues’ second-place finish.
“He ran super,” Joseph O’Brien said. “I’m proud of the horse. He stepped a bit left in the gate and he was out of position, but he came home really good.”
Haffner, Folsom Blues, and Avec Toi were followed in the order of finish by Oscar, How’s Al Today, Sale Shark (IRE), Liam’s Law, Agate, Let Em Know, Pikachu (GB), Florida Bay (IRE) and Popcorn. A field of 12 went to the post — as Great Barrier Reef, Induction and Man’s Best Friend scratched earlier in the week.
Race Quotes:
Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien (Haffner): “He’s improving and still growing. He’s a big horse and a typical Justify. With time and as he covers more distance, he’ll get even better. He had a great draw and a good position, so that was a big help. The pace was going to be honest, so that all worked very well for him. He got a mile at Newmarket and if you get a mile at Newmarket, you have to get nearly a mile and a quarter, really. It was unfortunate that Great Barrier Reef wasn’t able to run, but this worked out, in the end. I think he’ll be a classic horse next year. He’ll have no problem going 10 (furlongs) and would probably go even farther. He’s very classy, really.”
Re: trainer Joseph O’Brien, son, finishing second to him for the second time today:
“That’s the sorry part about competing against each other, but his horse ran great.”
Winning jockey Ryan Moore (Haffner): “He was drawn in (four) and the speed horses were inside of me so it was very straightforward. He kept hitting the right spot.”
“Every time I asked him he kept fending them off.”
On his future:
“He gets the mile well. I’d say he would be a (Epsom) Derby-type horse.”
“I’d say the way he galloped out the mile and a quarter’s not going to be a problem. And the Justifys seems like once they hit that stride they tend to sustain it.”
Second-place trainer Joseph O’Brien (Folsom Blues (IRE)): “Second-place trainer Joseph O’Brien (Folsom Blues): On finishing second to his father for the second time today): “We are well used to it at home. He ran super. I’m proud of the horse. He stepped a bit left in the gate and he was out of position, but he came home really good.
“We are well used to getting beat by Dad, me and Donnacha. It happens day in day out back in Ireland. Folsom Blues was a bit unlucky coming out of the gate but finished off great. I’d rather him beat us than anyone else.”
Second-place jockey Dylan McMonagle (Folsom Blues (IRE)):
Third-place trainer Christopher Head (Avec Toi) – “We’re very happy. (Flavien) knew he had to come to the others because they wanted to go in front but the idea was still to dictate the race and not get into a trap. I’m very happy with what he did. At the end, he’s probably missing a little bit but he’s clearly a seven-furlong and mile horse and he will find his way in the next Group 1 race. Finishing the last bend, he was incredible. He’s a very nice horse.”
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