Dramatised back firing at right time for Breeders’ Cup bid

Queen Mary heroine doing battle with The Platinum Queen at Keeneland.

Karl Burke feels Dramatised is returning to the boil at just the right time ahead of her bid for Breeders’ Cup glory at Keeneland on Friday.

The Showcasing filly justified her trainer’s confidence with a sparkling debut at Newmarket in the spring and doubled her tally in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in June.

The wheels came off slightly at York in August when seemingly failing to see out the six furlongs of the Lowther Stakes – and Burke admits she subsequently went backwards in her home work.

But having touched down in Kentucky late on Wednesday and had chance to assess his star juvenile’s well-being on Thursday morning, the Spigot Lodge handler is quietly confident she is back to her best ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“I’m very pleased with her, she seems to have travelled and taken it as well as we could have hoped really,” said Burke.

“We know she’s a bit of an edgy filly, but she’s really enjoyed it and is being very sensible at the same time. She’s in good form.

“She’s had a light campaign and is coming in nice and fresh. If anything she looks to have grown a little bit since the Lowther. We’re very happy with her.

“I’ll be honest, it’s only in the last month really that she’s started to come back to herself and shown us the right signs. She worked very well round Southwell when we took her to gallop round a bend there – Danny Tudhope was delighted with her.

“Unfortunately Danny can’t do the weight on Friday, but we have a good deputy in Ryan Moore.”

The Platinum Queen getting used to her surroundings
The Platinum Queen getting used to her surroundings (PA)

Having travelled halfway across the globe, one of Dramatised’s chief rivals is actually a fellow North Yorkshire raider in Richard Fahey’s The Platinum Queen.

The Musley Bank handler is pleased with his Prix de l’Abbaye heroine’s condition, but his enthusiasm is tempered by the fact she is drawn widest of all in stall 12.

He said: “I’m comfortable with her and she’s where she wants to be except the draw is far from ideal.

“It makes it difficult to tell Hollie (Doyle) what to do and I will leave it with her to see how she breaks. It’s a race where I won’t be giving instructions.”

British hopes are also carried by Richard Hannon’s Persian Force, the mount of Frankie Dettori, the Alice Haynes-trained Lady Hollywood and Charlie Appleby’s Middle Park Stakes fourth Mischief Magic.

Mischief Magic in action at Goodwood
Mischief Magic in action at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

“Mischief Magic ran a solid enough race in the Middle Park. I wasn’t expecting too much from him, but it was enough to book himself a slot here and I won’t mind it if he misses a beat at the start because with him I think the rougher the race is the more he will enjoy it,” said Appleby.

The chief contender for the home team is trained by Wesley Ward, who has claimed this prize in each of the past three years with Four Wheel Drive, Golden Pal and Twilight Gleaming respectively.

He is represented by Love Reigns, who has won at Keeneland and Saratoga either side of finishing fourth behind Dramatised in the Queen Mary.

Ward said: “She has a lot of natural speed. Irad (Ortiz Jr) was able to take her back a little bit in her last run, so it shows that she can be tactical as well.

“I’d prefer it if she wasn’t drawn on the inside (stall two), but she comes into the race very, very fresh, having not run since Saratoga (in August), so we’re looking for a big effort.”

The likely favourite for the Juvenile Fillies Turf is Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Meditate, who trainer Aidan O’Brien has nominated as one of his best chances at this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

“Meditate is one I really like stepping up in trip and I think that, coupled with going round a bend, will help her,” he said.

“She’s never lost a kilo since her last run, we’ve given her the chance to back out in her work but there are no negative signs. She’s also got a good mind and is a hardy filly whose constitution will also help her with the distance.”

Fahey is looking forward to saddling Midnight Mile, who supplemented Doncaster debut success with a Group Three victory in Newmarket’s Oh So Sharp Stakes.

“Midnight Mile is a completely different filly to The Platinum Queen with more scope and is learning as her races come along,” he said.

“She put in a good performance at Newmarket where she would have been a very unlucky loser. She’s progressing quickly and has been a lot more professional.”

O’Brien also has a leading hope for the Juvenile Turf in Victoria Road, but the betting is headed by Appleby’s Autumn Stakes winner Silver Knott.

“The soft ground was to blame for his disappointing run in the Champagne Stakes, but on a sounder surface he put in a good effort in the Autumn Stakes and has come out of that well,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“He could be a French Derby horse and follow the same route as Modern Games (last year’s winner).”

The opening night of Breeders’ Cup action is completed by the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies, both run on dirt.

Bob Baffert’s Cave Rock is all the rage for the colts’ race after three wins from as many starts, while Todd Pletcher is looking forward to running Forte, who won a Grade One at Keeneland four weeks ago.

He said: “I certainly don’t think it (track experience) hurts anything. Getting a two-turn experience and being over the over the same surface and track you’re gonna run the Breeders’ Cup on I think could be an advantage.

“He’s had a good experience since he ran in the Breeders’ Futurity.”

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