Rhetorical repeats in Coolmore Turf Mile; Classic Q nips Lips in First Lady

Owner Gary Barber celebrated a Grade 1 double on the Keeneland turf Saturday with different partnerships and trainers.

Barber, Cheyenne Stable, and Wachtel Stable’s Rhetorical successfully defended his title in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) over this same course on Oct. 31. 

Earlier in the $758,750 First Lady (G1), Classic Q rallied furiously to deny favored Lush Lips at the wire for Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. 

Coolmore Turf Mile (G1)

Sent off as the 1.86-1 favorite, Rhetorical ($5.72) got away with cozy splits on the front end to join a select group of two-time winners. The New York-bred, who gave young trainer Will Walden his first Grade 1 here last year, emulated Dumaani (1995-96), Gio Ponti (2010-11), and Hall of Famer Wise Dan (2012 and 2014). Wise Dan might have turned a three-peat if the 2013 edition hadn’t been transferred to the old synthetic track, where he finished a troubled second.

Rhetorical was rebounding from a pair of losses to Deterministic at Saratoga, where he finished fourth in both the Manhattan (G1) and the Fourstardave (G1). The son of Not This Time has thrived since returning to Kentucky, and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was sure to make use of his early speed.

As Rhetorical strolled in :24.73, :49.76, and 1:14.07 on the firm course, Zulu Kingdom tracked with varying degrees of impatience. The roles had been reversed in Keeneland’s signature turf race of the spring meet, the April 10 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1), when Zulu Kingdom wired the field, and Rhetorical was an unhappy third.

Now in his comfort zone on the lead, Rhetorical gained revenge by reeling off devastating final sectionals. The dark bay quickened his penultimate furlong in :10.95 to pull away from Zulu Kingdom, and he widened his margin to 2 1/4 lengths through a final furlong in :11.33.

“Honestly, I didn’t see too much speed in the race,” Ortiz said. “I was a little concerned about being on the lead because last time (in the Fourstardave), Zulu Kingdom was in front of me, but they went a little slow, too, so we decided to take the jump and go for the lead and try to slow him down, and it worked out beautiful.

“Will (Walden) did a great job. The horse switched off pretty nice before the race today in the post parade. He behaved really nice, so that was the key. They did a great job.”

British shipper Lake Forest did very well to close for second, especially after a problematic trip. The William Haggas runner missed the start, recovered to improve position on the backstretch, and got strung up in a tight spot between foes down the lane. Lake Forest could have grown hesitant, but instead he stuck to his guns and prevailed as best of the rest in a blanket finish.

“We got squeezed a bit,” jockey Cieren Fallon said, “but we wouldn’t have been the winner today off the pace we went. But I think the Breeders’ Cup, there will be more runners, a stronger gallop. 

“He takes a while to get going, which can be his downfall. He can put himself a bit too far back and (has to) do it the hard way when they get going a gallop like that. It’s always an uphill task from there on. But we answered a lot of questions today, with the two turns, the mile, the track and the travel. I just think it’s all positives going to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Title Role was another neck astern in third. Hall of Famer John Velazquez felt that the three-year-old lapsed into self-preservation mode when things tightened up.

“Good trip. It went slow enough and he got close enough, but at the same time he was a bit shy in there,” Velazquez revealed. “I was like ‘Come on, don’t do that to me,’ but he ran and put in a good effort.”

Brilliant Berti and Zulu Kingdom, the respective fourth and fifth, were also in the thick of the battle. There was a three-length gap back to Pass the Hat, trailed by Plensa and Mercante. Kupuna was scratched.

Rhetorical boosted his bankroll to $2,508,480 from his 12-7-0-2 line. The idiosyncratic gelding was fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar, but the combination of maturity and home-court advantage here could produce a different result this year. He’d reached a new career high in the May 2 Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, a favorite base of operations.

“He seems to have come out of Saratoga and back to Churchill in really good form,” Walden said. “I don’t know if it has anything to do with the track switch or the time of year, but I know he came into a real zone last year this time of year and he’s done it again. 

“The real answer (to having him in top form) is my team: my assistant Carina Cortez, who rides him out; Edgar, who breezes him; Francisco, who grooms him, all these guys. This horse takes a lot of effort but, man, he sure pays off.

“It’s going to be a huge advantage,” the trainer added regarding Keeneland’s hosting the Breeders’ Cup. “We’re going to face probably a stiffer crowd. He’s going to have to show up and do what he did today, but there’s no reason for us to think he won’t do it.”

First Lady (G1)

Classic Q has often presented herself as a need-the-lead performer, a stereotype reinforced in her signature win in this summer’s Just a Game (G1) at Saratoga. But the Mark Casse filly proved that she could strike from just off the pace in the First Lady, springing the 9-1 upset ($20.08) with Velazquez.

Lush Lips, the 2.35-1 favorite, appeared to have made the decisive move in the stretch. Bursting through to the inside of early leaders And One More Time and Segesta, the Grade 1 veteran shot clear in a few strides.

Meanwhile, Classic Q was boxing on one-paced on the outside. The daughter of Classic Empire had settled in third early, a position influenced by her drawing outside the other speed in post 8. 

After stalking stablemate And One More Time through fractions of :23.37, :47.89, and 1:12.05, Classic Q didn’t make much headway at the top of the lane. She was totally outkicked by the slashing Lush Lips and relegated to contending for a minor award. Or so it seemed.

Classic Q stuck on resolutely in the final sixteenth, Lush Lips lost her focus, and the gap between them vanished. As the favorite idled, Classic Q’s professionalism paid off. The two flashed past the post in unison, but the gray nose of Classic Q got there first in 1:35.89.

“I told John (Velazquez) I’d leave (the tactics) to him,” Casse said. “Johnny got her to relax, and when he asked her to go, he said he could see Lush Lips get through on the inside, and Johnny maybe said a bad word or something, but he was able to run her down, thank goodness.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione wished that Lush Lips could have seen Classic Q’s threat coming.

“(The seam) just opened up a little too soon, and we got there too quick today,” Gaffalione recapped. “The issue was the filly on the outside (Classic Q) was so far away. There was probably about four or five paths between us. It just took me a little bit to let me get my filly over there to go see her. She did everything we were expecting her to do. She fired a big one for us.” 

Bless the Broken and Vina Arana rallied from farther back for third and fourth, respectively. French shipper Mandanaba, who was rank behind horses early, checked in fifth. Next came Expensive Queen, who had not raced since her Jenny Wiley (G1) score in April; Deep Satin; And One More Time; Segesta; and Love You Anyway.

Classic Q’s scorecard now stands at 17-6-3-2, $1,962,615. Twice placed to Lush Lips in last fall’s Mrs. Revere (G2) and the Feb. 28 Honey Fox (G3), she has raised her game in the interim. Classic Q earned her first graded stakes victory in the May 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2), followed by her Just a Game coup. She was coming off a third in the Ladies Turf (G2) over the unique course at Kentucky Downs.

“She amazes me,” Casse said. “What’s interesting is the last time she ran here at Keeneland (in last October’s Valley View [G2]), she got left (at the start). She was last going into the first turn, and I didn’t think she’d run any good, but she ended up running well, finishing second.”

Classic Q’s resume also includes a tally in last year’s Wild Applause S. at the Spa and a near-miss in the Lake George (G3).

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