Breeders’ Cup excitement aplenty with Diktaean going back-to-back in the Korea Cup, and it’s a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on October 31.
Returning to defend his title in the Korea Cup, an international Group 2, it was G1 Racing’s Diktaean as the horse to beat for trainer Katsunori Arayama, having jumped last in the nine-horse field.
In making it a heads-up ride, jockey Takayuki Yano made an early move down the backstretch to get himself into contention, passing rivals and entering the far turn in third position.
Shifting to the inside when passing a tiring Clean One, he had fellow Japanese rival Sunday Funday to catch, who was continuing to move strongly as the pair distanced themselves from their rivals.
In the stretch, Diktaean had his rival’s measure and, taking over at the 250 metres, he drew away to win by six lengths, stopping the clock at 1:51.70 for the 1800m, with Amazing Khan in third.
Crowned the NAR Grand Prix Horse of 2025, the eight-year-old Diktaean has won 12 races, including the Group 1 Tokyo Daishoten, and is by King Kamehameha out of the multiple graded stakes winner Medeia.
Japanese raiders Dragon Welds and American Stage shared the spotlight in the Korea Sprint (Gr 3), and with both pulling away in the straight, victory went to Yoshiro Kubota’s Dragon Welds.
Now eligible for the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the four-year-old was coming off a three-race winning streak and, showing progression for trainer Hideaki Fujiwara, was a last-start Listed winner.
Bred in Kentucky by Willow Oaks Stable and a son of Met Mile winner Frosted, Dragon Welds was given a prime position by jockey Keita Tosaki, stalking the pace outside American Stage, who had many solid efforts.
The two raced in tandem around the far turn and, putting their rivals away at the 200 metres, Dragon Welds took the advantage on the outside to win by 2½ lengths, with Vincero Cavallo in third.
With a spot in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on the line at Kentucky Downs, it was Britain who claimed victory in the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational (Gr 2) with the race’s only mare, Tiffany.
Homebred for Elite Racing Club, their Ryan Bliss said ‘that they had hoped for a top-four finish from their six-year-old mare to justify another trip to America to compete in the Breeders’ Cup.’
Trained at Newmarket by Sir Mark Prescott, and given the quality of the field, it was true quality with Ethical Diamond being the Longines Turf winner and Burnham Square a dual Group 1 winner.
However, the daughter of Farhh seems to be only getting better as she gets older, having scored a Group 1 victory in Germany, ‘so we are immensely proud of the mare who is very tough.’
After sitting a perfect stalking trip third on the inside, jockey Luke Morris had to take hold as frontrunning Layabout baulked her before a hole opened on Layabout’s inside.
Then it was all Tiffany. With Ethical Diamond unable to catch her in the final furlong, she crossed the line 1¾ lengths ahead in a time of 2:26.37 for the 1½ miles, with Fort George in third.
Kentucky Downs also offered a berth to the $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with eight-year-old journeyman Possiblemente taking out the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes (Grade 2).
Claimed for $50,000, trainer Joe Sharp said: “I told the owners after winning the Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine that for the Breeders’ there had to be races that hit right – and it did.”
Across at Saratoga, it was the two-year-old filly Summer Starlet who earned a berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a 4¾-length victory in 1:22.72 to claim the Spinaway Stakes over seven furlongs.
“I’m unbelievably comfortable with who she is, and I don’t think her window is small,” Steve Asmussen said. “We are hoping to come out of it in good shape and proceed to the Breeders’ Cup.”