Breeders’ Bowl Epilogue

By ITCH

Having never been there since 2001, Claudio (aka Newmarket) was overjoyed just to have a runner in Breeders’ Bowl 2014.

His 2yo bay son of the British sire Acclamation, J.G. BALLARD, had qualified for the Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Turf via two solid showings while sprinting in Grade 1 company. The horse had been second in consecutive G1s going six furlongs. In both races, he showed strong speed before settling for close-up place finishes.

Ever the optimist, Claudio still had reservations about his horse’s chances.

“Probably I will be stretching his stamina too much,” he said in a PM leading up the big week.

But, with Nijinsky II as the DS and Red Ransom the DDS, Claudio’s mates at URC encouraged him. They said the horse had the bloodlines to carry his speed the flat mile which would be required on Breeders’ Bowl day.

“I was hoping for a soft lead for J.G. Ballard, and my partners at URC made me see that his dosage gave good signals on his potential at 8f,” Claudio said. “I was fairly optimistic beforehand (I always am, in this year’s Equinics, I had 10 horses, and I was expecting 4-5 medals … so foolish.)”

There would be no easy trip in the BB for J.G. Ballard.

“JG got the lead, but SET DA SIM ON FIRE was pressing him,” Claudio said. “I was happy that the rest of the field was at a distance. Halfway, I was sure of victory, because Set Da Sim was weakening. And, the most dangerous closer, HYSTERICAL DANCER, stayed on, but he did not progress fast enough.”

In a courageous run, J.G. Ballard became a Breeders’ Bowl champion. He wired the Juvenile Turf in gut-wrenching fashion, fighting to hold his slim edge all the way around, refusing to budge. It was a thoroughbred’s will to win that carried him home.

“Now, JG is ranked No. 2 in the 2yo turf division,” Claudio said. “Like my two stars this season, DALHAM HALL and LONDON GUILDHALL. Last year, my greatest achievement was a pair of Grade 3 victories. This year, Equinics, a Breeders’ Bowl and three horses in the Top 3 in their divisions.”

Wow!

Congrats Claudio on an amazing breakout year.

Maybe when the going gets tough, and it does get tough in the Sim, some of us may recall the story of Claudio. He is a trainer who kept his enthusiasm for the game through a long dry spell as far as the Breeders’ Bowl goes, and was rewarded 13 years later with a champion.

Perhaps it is fate that the game has held such a lovely reward for a player who has loved it for so long.