Ethical Diamond, ridden by Dylan McMonagle, pulls ahead of the field to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf during the 42nd running of the Breeders’ Cup Championships at Del Mar, Calif., on Saturday. Photo by Mark Abraham/UPI | License Photo
DEL MAR, Calif., Nov. 1 (UPI) — Saturday’s $5 million Grade I Longines Turf, highlight of the grass portion of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, played out as the expected battle among European horses, but the winner, Ethical Diamond, was never a part of the early calculations — even by his trainer.
The expected stars were 7-year-old gelding Rebel’s Romance, already a two-time winner of the race, and Minnie Hauk, a 3-year-old filly last seen finishing second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Rebel’s Romance played his role Saturday, always close. Minnie Hauk, too, was a factor, taking the lead at the top of the stretch in the 1 1/2-mile race.
But Ethical Diamond, coming from near the rear of the field, swept by outside all of them to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Rebel’s Romance held well to finish second, but Minnie Hauk faded to finish sixth.
Ethical Diamond, trained by William Mullins and ridden by Dylan McMonagle, was clocked in 2:25.43.
Mullins said the original plan was to take Ethical Diamond to Australia for Tuesday’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup, but he was excluded on the basis of earlier medical issues.
“So we came up with an alternate plan,” he said.
“We’re not going to try to win it,” Mullins said of what was the original thought. “We’ll come over here to finish fifth or sixth, hopefully.
“When I saw the entries and our draw at 14, I said maybe sixth or seventh or eighth. Then when Aidan’s horse won from 14 yesterday, that gave me a little bit more confidence that it can be done.”
Aidan O’Brien-trained Gstaad won the Juvenile Turf on Friday’s program from the No. 14 gate.
Mullins said his colt’s recent success — it was his third straight win — had to do with a change in tactics to let Ethical Diamond relax for one big, late move. That paid off, he said, when the 5-year-old son of Awtaad drew the outside gate for the Turf.
William Buick, aboard Rebel’s Romance, reported he had “the trip we wanted and the trip we worked out beforehand. But [stuff] happened.
“Look, I’m so proud of this horse. You’d love to have seen him win, of course, but he ran his heart out. He’s so consistent. He had a beautiful trip and he laid it down today. I did think for a second we had it, but he’s run a good race and it’d be lovely to see him carry on.”
Minnie Hauk’s trainer, Adian O’Brien, who suffered through a series of disappointments on Breeders’ Cup weekend save Gstaad’s win,