Minnie Hauk (York Racecourse)
3-Year-Old Filly Gains Automatic Berth into $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf through Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In
Breeders’ Cup Release
YORK, Yorkshire, England – Minnie Hauk (IRE) showed her class Thursday, getting the better of Cheveley Park Stud’s Estrange (IRE) while storming home to win the Yorkshire Oaks (G1). The 1 1/2-mile test for 3-year-old and up fillies and mares, at York Racecourse provided an automatic berth into the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael B. Tabor, the daughter of Frankel (GB) broke well from the stalls under stable jockey Ryan Moore and was relaxed throughout the race before showing an excellent turn of foot to power home and win by 3 1/2 lengths.
O’Brien, who won the Yorkshire Oaks for a ninth time, said: “She’s beautiful, she does everything right, she cruises, a lovely mover. Obviously, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, all those races are there for her.”
When asked about Minnie Hauk and Whirl (IRE) – Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier’s filly who earned an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with her victory in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) – and whether one goes to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and the other Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), O’Brien said: “Ryan (Moore) was talking to the lads and I was just earwigging and Ryan mentioned Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for Whirl and maybe the Breeders’ Cup for this filly.”
Part-owner Michael Tabor backed this up when asked whether she would go for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf or the Breeders’ Cup Turf to emulate what Enable (GB) achieved by saying: “I think she will go for the Turf.”
Estrange ran a solid race in second but was no match for Minnie Hauk – who went off favored at odds of 6-4. Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith’s other runner Garden of Eden (IRE) set a strong pace for her stablemate and held on for third place. Qilin Queen (IRE) completed the order of finish.
Minnie Hauk completed the distance in 2:26:67 ahead of her three rivals on a surface listed as good to firm.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for Minnie Haukto start in the $2 million Makers Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), which will be run at 1 3/8 miles. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.
