City Of Troy’s Del Mar date with destiny has finally arrived and on Saturday he will attempt to etch his name into the history books when lining up for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
It is a race courted by all associated with the son of Justify since he proved unstoppable at two and the momentum has continued to build and build throughout his three-year-old season, now reaching a crescendo in California ahead of the final start of the colt’s somewhat brilliant career.
The Classic has proven something of a holy grail for trainer Aidan O’Brien and his quest to get his hands on the dirt feature has seen him saddle some of Ballydoyle’s best in the $7million contest.
Giant’s Causeway has come closest to breaking O’Brien’s Classic curse when agonisingly denied by Tiznow in 2000, while the likes of Galileo, Hawk Wing and George Washington have all tried and failed when tasked with conquering America’s richest purse.
O’Brien now prepares to saddle the horse he regards as the best to have ever graced his hallowed Tipperary training grounds, as the imperious Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International winner tackles the dirt surface on which his Triple Crown-winning sire made his name.
He said: "There’s so many things that are going to be new and different to him. Obviously, we prepared him in Europe and he has an awful lot to overcome.
"Ryan (Moore, jockey) is vastly experienced now. Dreams don’t always come true, but we’re very happy with where we are and at the moment, we don’t think we could have done any more.
"Winning the Classic is more difficult than any other achievement in sport."
In a truly international contest, Yoshito Yahagi will attempt to add the Classic to his decorated CV with leading Japanese contender Forever Young, the Saudi and UAE Derby scorer who went oh so close to plundering the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs earlier in the year.
Yahagi saddled a memorable Breeders’ Cup double the last time the festival was held at Del Mar, and his hopeful arrives on the back of a confidence-boosting win in the Japan Dirt Classic in early October.
"Everything has gone well since he has arrived at Del Mar, he settled in well and we’re very happy with how he has been training," said Hiroshi Ando, racing manager to owner Susumu Fujita.
"Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result in the Kentucky Derby, we had no luck in that race but we had always planned to come back to the Breeders’ Cup after that run in the Kentucky Derby. We are on plan and he had a great win in his prep race to prepare for this."
Joining Forever Young among a three-strong raiding party from the Far East is last year’s runner-up Derma Sotogake and Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup silver medallist Ushba Tesoro, who was fifth at Santa Anita 12 months ago.
However, it is City Of Troy the Forever Young team fear, as their son of Real Steel bids for Classic glory from an inside draw.
"Obviously, number one is a very tough barrier number, but it is what it is, we have to go through it," continued Ando.
"There are three Japanese runners and they are all very talented, but also from Europe there is City Of Troy, who is an amazing horse.
"We have seen City Of Troy’s performances and he moves fantastically. He is an amazing horse, a champion horse – and we are very honoured to race against him, he is one of the best horses in the world and of course a very dangerous horse to us in this race."
The Classic’s most successful trainer Bob Baffert has called on a familiar name and a rare European jockey to win the race in Frankie Dettori to partner his California Crown Stakes third Newgate.
However, America’s main hope is the Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness, who claimed last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in emphatic style.
Owned by the Repole Stable operation of New York businessman Mike Repole, the colt has established himself as North America’s leading middle-distance performer on dirt thanks to success at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes.
"The time off since the Travers has done him well and we’re all very pleased with how he is heading into the race," said Ed Rosen, general manager of Repole Stable.
"To use a cliche, you want to keep them happy and healthy once they have hit top form and Todd seems to be very happy with Fierceness since his most recent workouts.
"It’s very exciting and it’s been a build-up over time and now we are getting closer, you begin to get a little bit more nervous. When you compete in the Classic here, you need to be at your very best to win."
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