To view the Breeders' Cup Turf, click here.

by Frank Angst

After handling the final turn superbly, Conduit (Ire) fought past game pacesetter Presious Passion to win the $2,727,000 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) for a second straight year at Santa Anita Park.

Conduit joins High Chaparral (Ire) as the only horses to win two editions of the Turf.

“I think under the circumstances it may have been more impressive this year,” said winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute. “We circled this race after he won it last year.”

A homebred for Ireland’s Ballymacoll Stud Farm, Conduit faced a tougher task this year as Presious Passion delivered a memorable run by opening an eight-length lead before the crossover to the main turf and then finding more when looked in the eye by Conduit.

“He laid it all on the line and he just got caught,” said Presious Passion’s trainer, Mary Hartmann. “He fought back. He just doesn’t like to let them go by.”

But Conduit proved to have just enough to secure a half-length victory as the 9-to-10 favorite. He completed 1½ miles in 2:23.75 on firm turf, nearly matching his final time of 2:23.42 last year at Santa Anita.

Winning jockey Ryan Moore said he wanted to make sure he had enough room to make his run as Dar Re Mi (GB) and Spanish Moon also attempted to rally off the turn.

“I was stuck behind a lot of horses early, but that didn’t worry me,” Moore said. “I got a nice spot down the backstretch and I went inside to move up.”

Presious Passion outfinished Dar Re Mi by 1¼ lengths for third in the seven-horse field.

Stoute secured his fifth Breeders’ Cup victory. Besides Conduit’s two Turf wins, Stoute also won the Turf in 2000 with Kalanisi (Ire) and in 1996 with Pilsudski (Ire). He won the 2003 Filly and Mare Turf (G1) with Islington (Ire). Pilsudski and Islington also were bred by Ballymacoll.

“It’s a wonderful tribute to Peter Reynolds,” said Stoute, noting that the 300-acre Ballymacoll operation managed by Reynolds has enjoyed so much success in the Breeders’ Cup.

By Dalakhani out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Well Head, Conduit won last year’s Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-G1) before taking the Turf by 1½ lengths. He improved to seven wins in 14 career starts and earnings of $5,376,913

For an Equibase chart, click here.

For video of winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute, click here.

For video of winning jockey Ryan Moore, click here.

For quotes, click here.

Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times