Lenny Collects Another Breeders’ Bowl Win with Wrecking Crew (IRE)

It certainly was an exciting day of racing here in California with the historic Breeders’ Bowl series of races on the line this past Saturday. Trainer lenny3 of The Evil Empire stable group, astounded the crowd gathered to watch the richest day in American racing, as his horses swept five of the Breeders’ Bowl races this year. The Breeders’ Bowl Turf was no different, with the lenny3 trained Wrecking Crew (IRE) dazzling the spectators, whom many thought as perhaps as “just another runner in the Breeders’ Cup.” But on Saturday it was a surprise lifetime best finish by the three-year-old Sadler’s Wells colt that left the grandstands in awe. In an interview with lenny3 late Wednesday night before the Breeders’ Bowl, he himself said that the colt had never been able to put it all together in a graded race and that he thought the colts best distance might be between ten or eleven furlongs. Despite this, Wrecking Crew (IRE) stormed home to an impressive win this weekend in the pinnacle of turf excellence.

Looking back on the running of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) this past Saturday, the full field of horses loaded easily into the gate the seasoned veterans by now well experienced with the noise in the starting gates, knowing what was coming in the pending seconds. When the horses crashed out of the gate in the mile and a half long turf race, it was simsters8 trained Rosenthal (IRE) who took out an early lead by two and a half lengths of the field. Rosenthal (IRE) was the second entry in the Breeders’ Bowl Turf (G1) field for the Evil Empire stable group. Showing his versatility in running style, Rosenthal (IRE) quickly went out to the lead when no other speed developed in the early stages of the race. Trailing the two and a half lengths behind him was layeguada owned and trained Holdo, one of the pre-race co-favorites who lost some ground to buffy5’s Max California in the betting department, surrendering his co-favorite status for second-choice status. Rounding out the top three out of the gate was Kirby’s Best Yet, trained by kingkirby. Running just off the pace in fourth and fifth early on over the turf was post-time favorite Max California in fourth with Silencers, owned by super1, running right with Max California neck and neck. Silencers was perhaps running a little more forward in this race than was expected, running just four and three-fourth lengths off the early pace, his trainer super1 watching the colt anxiously to try to determine how the four-year-old colt was fairing. Out of the gate last and trailing the field early on by twelve lengths was Christchurch, trained by kevoman3. Christchurch was the perhaps the dark horse entry in this years’ Breeders’ Bowl, with trainer kevoman3 surprised the three-year-old son of Dynaformer even drew into the prestigious race with only six lifetime career starts before his run in the Breeders’ Bowl Turf (G1).

We continued to see Rosenthal (IRE) increase his lead to three and three-fourth lengths at the second call of the Breeders’ Bowl Turf (G1). Still right behind him to his outside in second was second betting choice Holdo. Running a further back four and three-fourth lengths was Kirby’s Best Yet who was still holding on for third in the race. Max California was now clearly in front of Silencers after the brief dual between the two out of the gates, with Max California leading Silencers to the inside by about a length. Eventual winner Wrecking Crew (IRE) was hanging back in the middle of the field and tucked behind nicely eight lengths off stablemate Rosenthal (IRE). Expected to be far off the pace towards the rear of the pack, the Irish-bred Wrecking Crew (IRE) was also running a bit of an uncharacteristic race here in the Breeders Bowl Turf (G1). A length behind him to the inside was Questing Beast (ENG), owned and trained by catspaw. Still trailing the field at the midway point of the race was Christchurch.

As the field began the turn into the stretch Rosenthal (IRE) continued to lead the field, but it was a quickly shortening lead as they made their way into the turn with Rosenthal (IRE) leading stablemate Wrecking Crew (IRE) by only half a length. Wrecking Crew (IRE) was looking strong and making an early move on the outside with his older stablemate Rosenthal (IRE) showing some fatigue and starting to fade as they made their way through the turn. Running right up alongside Rosenthal (IRE) to challenge was jockey H. Harzheim with the race favorite Max California to his inside. Second-choice Holdo was fading and looked to be out of the race now as he was dropping quickly into fourth on the outside. Also dropping back with Holdo was Kirby’s Best Yet, also towards the outside edge of the track. Maintaining sixth position throughout the race so far was Jazztown, proudly trained by mintjulip. Also beginning to fade back now towards the middle of the track was super1’s Silencers. Layeguada’s second entry in the field, El Kursaal was beginning to kick up his pace now back in eighth. Despite the lack of pace in the race, jockey R. Foster still decided to keep El Kursaal off the pace here in the Breeders’ Bowl Turf (G1). To his inside, falling back in ninth was Questing Beast (ENG) Trying to stay clear of traffic in the race Delpenn Gold (IRE), owned by sdmf2, had been rated towards the outside of horses at the rear of the field and was now moving up and weaving through horses at the turn. Just a length behind him, slightly to his inside was Christchurch who was also making a move now to challenge. Goldsmith’s Galiesis (IRE) was struggling back in twelfth and still dropping back, obviously that spark still not there since his race in the Irish Derby (G1). Getting relatively nowhere in the race so far was robroe’s Footsteps On Grass (GB), who was running back in thirteenth position. Now, trailing the field and fourteen horses came to the stretch and on towards home was the Australian colt Muggsy (AUS), owned and trained by mav1761

The fourteen colts were stampeding now over the turf towards the wire. With Rosenthal (IRE) having the slightest of a half length lead over the field, he quickly surrendered the lead down the stretch to stablemate Wrecking Crew (IRE) and began dropping back quickly out of the race in the middle of the track. Wrecking Crew IRE) was flying down the outside of the track now, blazing towards the wire. Behind him was the race favorite Max California trying to run him down at the stretch but there was absolutely no catching Wrecking Crew (IRE) at all on Breeders’ Bowl day and the colt ran away with the race to win impressively by three lengths under jockey W. McClendon in 2:28 2/5, leaving the stakes record set by Horseshoe Bay, trained by texasace in 2006 intact by mere fractions of seconds. Coming in for second was the favorite Max California, with another unexpected board finisher in Jazztown, rounding out the top three finishers.

Also Rans: Christchurch, Silencers, Delpenn Gold (IRE), El Kursaal, Kirby’s Best Yet, Holdo, Footsteps On Grass (GB), Rosenthal (IRE), Questing Beast (ENG), Galiesis (IRE) and Muggsy (AUS).

Congratulations to lenny3 for your win with Wrecking Crew (IRE) in the Breeders’ Bowl Turf (G1). This is tellnotale signing off.