Shadwell Farm's homebred Lahudood held off the hard-charging duo of Honey Ryder and Passage of Time to take the $2-million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) over a rain-soaked course Oct. 27 at Monmouth Park.
A 4-year-old daughter of Singspiel, Lahudood covered 1 3/8 miles under jockey Alan Garcia in 2:22.75, defeating Honey Ryder by three-quarters of a length. The favorite, Passage of Time, was a neck farther back in third, one length in front of fourth-place Nashoba's Key, the second betting choice, who lost for the first time in eight career races.
Going off at odds of more than 11-1, Lahudood paid $25.40, $11.40, $6.40.
“It's exciting for me to win my first Breeders' Cup,” Garcia said. “The first part, my filly, I wanted (her) to be close to the base and inside and I (didn’t) want to lose too much ground.
“I had confidence. I had a good feeling running the straights. But I'm happy and (owner) Sheikh Hamdan, he's done a good job with this filly."
In a race filled with troubled trips, Simply Perfect bolted and went wide on the clubhouse turn after setting the pace in 25:99, carrying Precious Kitten and Arravale with her and costing both of them a chance to win. Simply Perfect drifted all the way to the outside rail before jockey John Murtagh pulled her up. Precious Kitten and Arravale wound up out of contention.
Argentina led after a 1:18.95 three-quarters, with Timarwa racing in close contention and Nashoba’s Key third. But Garcia, who had held Lahudood in tight during the backstretch, began to steadily move the filly around the final turn and took charge in the upper stretch. Under John Velazquez, Honey Ryder began a four-wide move and challenged in the final sixteenth as did English-bred Passage of Time, who was ridden by Ramon Dominguez. But with steady right-hand urging from Garcia, Lahudood gamely held on for victory.
Out of the Azari mare Rahayeb, English-bred Lahudood won for the third time this year and has four victories in 12 lifetime starts. Most recently, the bay filly took the Sept. 29 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) at Belmont Park by three-quarters of a length. She is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, who earned his second Breeders’ Cup triumph. Last year McLaughlin saddled Classic winner Invasor.
The exacta (6-2) with 6-1 Honey Ryder paid $167.60. The $1 trifecta (6-2-4) was worth $384.90.
All My Loving came in fifth, followed by Timarwa, Arravale, Precious Kitten, Argentina, Danzon, and Simply Perfect. Champion Wait a While was scratched in the morning of the race because of a knee injury.
Lahudood, who raced in France as a 3-year-old, has been on the board in 10 of 12 career starts.
(Chart, Equibase)