Meditate impresses with cosy Breeders’ Cup success

Meditate was a dominant winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland.

Settled at the rear of the field under Ryan Moore, the Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old was patiently ridden from a relatively wide draw in stall 10.

After the final bend, Moore asked the filly to go up a gear and she answered readily, sweeping past the leaders to breeze to a facile win.

Meditate’s victory saw her price for next year’s 1000 Guineas contract, with Betfair going 8-1 from 16s while she is a 7-1 shot with Coral.

O’Brien confirmed a Classic campaign is uppermost in his mind after the daughter of No Nay Never successfully stepped up to a mile for the first time.

He said: “The last twice she was beaten at the Curragh and Newmarket, she encountered bad ground in Ireland and then I think the other race came a bit quick for her, so there were genuine excuses.

“After that in her training, I gave her every excuse not to come here but she kept passing all the tests.

“We were thinking of bringing a filly called Never Ending Story over for this race but Michael (Tabor, part-owner) felt this was the right race for Meditate.

“Ryan rode her to get the trip and I will now train her for the Guineas. Ryan said he would rider her more patiently which is exactly what he did and she looked very high class.

“She’s by No Nay Never who is a big influence on speed, but with the No Nay Nevers, we were a little bit worried they all might end up being sprinters, while mindful that they could stay further.

“Looking at this filly today, she’s a good mover has a good mind and relaxes very well.”

Moore was also impressed with Meditate’s performance.

He added: “She was always comfortable having started well. There was bit of speed beside us, but the pace steadied round the bend when I worked her out wide and she went up to them very quickly and I knew I had a lot under me well over furlong out.

“I felt she was a level above them and hopefully there will be more to come.”

Pleasant Passage and Cairo Consort filled the minor placings, with the Richard Fahey-trained Midnight Mile coming home fourth.

Fahey said: “She ran well and came home well, but I was never happy with her in the preliminaries. She didn’t look happy.

“She looked in bad form with herself and I am worried that she may be in season.

“If I could have scratched her before the start, I would have, because she just didn’t look happy at all – but, look, she’s run her race, so not too bad.”

Wonder Wheel was a convincing winner of the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Mark Casse, the two-year-old hugged the rail and rounded the final bend behind the leading duo.

Angled out by her rider on the home straight, the filly then quickened away from her rivals and strode on to an easy victory from Leave No Trace.

Gaffalione said: “She didn’t get away too well, there was a lot of traffic and she kind of got pushed back. But then she settled into a good rhythm and things opened up for us coming into the stretch.

“Approaching the quarter pole, I was really close to the fence but she didn’t flinch in taking the gap.

“I’ve been high on her since I first got on her and it was a joy to be in the saddle today.”

Casse said: “I thought she was impressive and I knew that she would be better than she was for her last race.

“I told Tyler that this was the best I’d ever seen her and that she had gone forward since a month ago.

“I think we will go back to the training centre in Ocala (Florida) and get ready to go for our Eclipse Award.

“If 10 is absolute class, she is a 10.”