ILuvTurfRacing

O'Brien has already told the Racing Post that his 3YO colt Mogul, winner last time out of the G1 Grand Prix de Paris over 12F, will not run on British Champions Day on Saturday to be held in reserve for the Breeders Cup Turf. Magical is definitely contesting the G1 Champion Stakes again and it won't be know for certain if Japan goes in the race too until Thursday. If Japan comes to Keeneland he'll likely run with Mogul in the Breeders Cup Turf. If Magical comes O'Brien has said she'll probably go over the shorter trip this time in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

And if the ground at Keeneland is good or good to firm he'll be a tough beat too. Especially with the 3YO weight for age break. Horse has got a pretty wicked turn of foot.

From the Racing Post web-site: Irish trainer John Oxx, who will forever be remembered for guiding the brilliant Sea The Stars through an unbeaten 3YO campaign in 2009 that included six straight major G1 wins in the English 2000 Guineas, Investec Derby, Coral Eclipse Stakes, Juddmonte International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes, & Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe, and only one loss for his entire racing career when finishing 4th of 18 on his first career start in a Curragh maiden as a 2YO in July, 2008 announced earlier today that he will retire from training after 41 years next month. Champion jockey turned trainer, Johnny Murtagh, who was Oxx's stable jockey for a time said, "John Oxx never once lost his temper with me during our time together, describing the legendary trainer as a real professional and a real gentleman. Murtagh went on to say he owed Oxx a huge oath of gratitude for taking a 15 year old apprentice under his wing and turning him into a world class jockey.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien announced to the Racing Post today that his champion mare, Magical, will run this Saturday at Ascot in the G1 Champion Stakes. No word yet on whether she'll be coming to Keeneland for the Breeders Cup? O'Brien said G1 Epsom Derby winner, Serpentine, is likely to drop back in trip to 10F and run in the Champion Stakes also. O'Brien said G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner, Mogul, will likely be held in reserve for the Breeders Cup Turf, as O'Brien announced his star 3YO filly Love is definitely finished for the season.

With Enable on her way to the breeding shed now, I suppose Stradivarius becomes John Gosden's new stable star for the moment. I feel certain he'll likely contest the British Champions Long Distance Cup again at Ascot on Saturday, but I wonder if that will be his swan song too, win or lose? Or will Gosden and his owner, Bjorn Nielsen, stay sporting at least long enough to try and equal the mighty Yeat's record of 4 wins in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup at Royal-Ascot next June? And if he does, and then retires, will they build a gold statue for Stradivarius too at Ascot?

She took on the best filly & mares and the best of the boys club too, and held her own against the best of her generation, both male and female in spades. One tough, bad a$$ mare for sure!

Too close to Galileo too. Enable is the daughter of Nathaniel, who is the son of Galileo. Actually closer direct bloodlines to Galileo than to Frankel.

Frankly, it should've already happened at the end of last season, but since they decided to bring her back a retirement at Ascot after her third King George win would've certainly been a retirement befitting a champion of her stature. It was always gonna be a roll of the dice to run her in another Arc. Too much time elapsed between when she won the King George in July until she ran again in the G3 September Stakes at Kempton again in September, against a really weak field on polytrack that helped prepare her for nothing that would be coming her way at Longchamp a month later. But no question, not just one of the greatest middle distance turf race-mares ever, but one of the greatest middle distance turf horses ever, period, and her record clearly supports that statement. 3-King George wins, 2-Arc wins, 2-Yorkshire Oaks wins, 1-Breeders Cup Turf win, 1-Coral-Eclipse win, 1-Irish Oaks win, 1-Investec Oaks win..............and a partridge in a pear tree! Best wishes. You've truly been great for the sport. It would've been awesome to have seen the great Aga Khan filly Zarkava campaigned for another season or two this way after finishing still unbeaten for her career at the end of her 3YO season by winning the Arc in 2008, IMO.

2 of the top 3 finishers in this year's Arc have now been retired to stud. The connections of the winner, Sottsass, announced his retirement almost immediately after winning the race Sunday past, and now trainer Andre Fabre has announced that Arc 3rd, Persian King, will be retired to stud to stand at Haras D'Etreham in 2021. Fabre said he thought the G1 Champion Stakes coming up at Ascot on October 17th is coming too quickly on the back of Persian King's exertions suffered on very testing ground in his only career start at 12F in this year's Arc, which he contested on very deep, heavy ground. Fabre also said he didn't really want to travel to America with the colt for the Breeders Cup either, so the decision was made to retire him to stud.

I'd actually say Mogul is who O'Brien will send now having won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in September and given he was supposed to have run in the Arc too but didn't get to. I think Magical is an almost certainty to run in the G1 Champion Stakes again, but she's also used to the quick turnaround without it being an issue for her. But O'Brien has already said if Magical comes to Keeneland that she'll almost certainly contest the G1 Breeders Cup F&M Turf over the shorter trip this time. If they send Serpentine i'll guarantee you it's purely to keep Ghaiyyath honest on the front end if he runs, because Serpentine hasn't looked much like the same Epsom Derby winner in his races since. I don't think Serpentine is good enough to win the Breeders Cup Turf personally, but I think Mogul may be coming into his own at just the right time for a race like the BC Turf factoring in the 3YO weight for age break he'll get. He's won 2 of his last 3 starts all at 12F. He won a tough renewal of the G3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, then sandwiched a 3rd of 8 finish in the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in between his win at Goodwood and his win at Longchamp in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris.