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, said the competitors “just went very fast and she just got trapped out a little bit. I think she’ll stay [in training] next year.”
$2 million Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf
Gezora, a French-trained 3-year-old filly last seen finishing 13th in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe a month ago, came with a late run to catch and beat Kentucky-trained She Feels Pretty in the Filly & Mare Turf by 1/2 length. Godolphin’s Diamond Rain, based at Charlie Appleby’s yard in England, finished third.
Gezora, a daughter of Almanzor, posted quite an impressive record earlier in the season for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard with victories in the Group 2 Prix Sasint Alary and Group 1 Prix de Diane or French Oaks and a second in the Group 1 Prix Vermille.
After the Arc disappointment, she was back to form at Del Mar.
She Feels Pretty also had an impressive season, with wins in the Grade I New York Stakes and Grade I E.P. Taylor and, ironically, a second, beaten by just a head, in the Grade I Diana at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Karakontie filly is trained by Cherie DeVaux for Lael Stable.
$2 million FanDuel Mile
Notable Speech, a close third in last year’s Mile, got the job done this year. With regular rider William Buick in the irons, the Godolphin homebred son of Dubawi tracked the early speed, ducked to the rail in the final sixteenth and spurted clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Locally based Formidable Man was second, holding off another European, The Lion in Winter, by a head. Rhetorical, winner five of his previous six starts, finished fourth.
Notable Speech won the Group 1 2,000 Guineas and Group 1 St James’s Palace in 2024, but had disappointed trainer Charlie Appleby since then.
He showed marked improvement with a second in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Marois in France in August, and then prepped for the Breeders’ Cup with a win in the Grade I Woodbine Mile Sept. 13.
$1 million Prevagen Turf Sprint
Shisospicy shot right to the lead in the Turf Sprint and wasn’t for catching. The 3-year-old Mitole filly, whose only defeat in four previous 2025 starts came at Royal Ascot in England, won by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths over 5-year-old Ag Bullet, with 9-year-old warrior Khaadem finishing third.
Shisospicy, with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons, ran 5 furlongs on firm turf in 55.24 seconds, backing up as last-race in in the Grade II Music City Stakes over the tough Kentucky Down turf layout.
The favorite, Motorious, finished fifth after a bad start from the No. 1 gate, which seemed to be a troublesome slot throughout the weekend.
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