Ethical Diamond jumps up in $57.40 Turf surprise

International dominance continued in Saturday’s $4.6 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), although from an unlikely quarter in the Willie Mullins-trained sometime hurdler, Ethical Diamond. 

Dispatched at 27-1 in his first ever graded race on the Flat, the Irish invader rolled past such established stars as 3-2 favorite Minnie Hauk and two-time Turf winner Rebel’s Romance in course-record time at Del Mar.

While Godolphin globetrotter Rebel’s Romance delivered his characteristic effort in second, Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk faded to sixth. Minnie Hauk’s near-miss in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) last time out might have told here, but her trip, in these race dynamics, didn’t give her an optimal chance.

The pace figured to be genuine, thanks to the confirmed frontrunner Silawi, who went straight to the lead through fractions of :23.22, :47.53, 1:11.99, and 1:37.04. Rebel’s Romance was tucked into a stalking spot from his rail draw.

When Goliath advanced into second, passing the stands for the first time, Minnie Hauk also began to take closer order wider out. On the final turn, Silawi came up empty, and Minnie Hauk was traveling better than Goliath as she struck the front, swinging into the stretch. 

But Minnie Hauk did not kick away with her usual verve, and the closers were mobilizing. Rebel’s Romance, who had to wait to steer off the fence and come around, was the immediate danger. 

Widest of all, however, Ethical Diamond was hitting top gear from near the tail of the field. Under a perfectly-timed ride by newly-crowned Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, the Awtaad gelding stormed past the favorites.

Ethical Diamond prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths in 2:25.45, breaking the 1 1/2-mile mark of 2:25.90 set by Yibir in the 2021 Turf.

Rebel’s Romance had three-quarters of a length to spare over his Godolphin stablemate, El Cordobes. Fellow British shipper Amiloc fought his way into fourth, just a half-length off third. 

Next came Gold Phoenix, Minnie Hauk, Redistricting, Rebel Red, Tawny Port, Hill Road, Goliath, Wimbledon Hawkeye, Silawi, and the tailed-off Rashabar.

H O S Syndicate’s Ethical Diamond sparked a $57.40 win payout while boosting his bankroll to $3.1 million from a 15-5-5-1 line. After spending the past two winters hurdling and winning a Feb. 3 maiden in that discipline at Punchestown, he’s thrived back on the Flat this summer. Ethical Diamond captured the Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot and the Ebor H. during York’s eponymous festival in August. Normally, that would have put him on the Melbourne Cup (G1) trajectory, only he wouldn’t have passed the ultra-strict veterinary protocols in Australia. 

That’s when the Turf emerged as a possibility for Mullins, a legend in the National Hunt sphere who’d yet to attempt the Breeders’ Cup. 

“My assistant trainer, David Casey, came up with this plan,” Mullins revealed. “He said, let's go for the Breeders' Cup. 

“I thought, why not? We're not going to try to win it. We'll come over here to finish five or six, hopefully.

“My only pressure was that we wouldn't be tailed off and make a holy show of ourselves,” Mullins added. “Certainly the first furlong or two, I said, holy geez, is this going to happen?”

In fact, McMonagle was executing the hold-up tactics with precision. 

“We decided to get back (in the field) and get him to relax, waiting for a bit of luck,” McMonagle said. “Thankfully, halfways, the gallop was strong, and it give me a good chance to finish, but once I was able to angle out off the turn, I was just pushing the button, and the way he went, and he bolted up to the line.

“Always, you've always got a chance,” he added, regarding riding for the ever-dangerous Mullins. “One hundred percent. He's a different class: jumps, flat, anywhere around the world. He turns up every time, and he had the horse in good order. A massive thanks to the team, and well done, the connections as well.  

“This is an extra. It's great to top off a year that we've had,” Ireland’s champion jockey said. “It is unbelievable, so I must thanks to everyone who deserves it.” 

Trainer Charlie Appleby was happy with the placed efforts by Rebel’s Romance and El Cordobes.

“Both ran well. Delighted with them,” Appleby said. “I’m just glad Willie Mullins doesn’t train too many Flat horses. A little bit of (traffic) for Rebel’s Romance, but in fairness, I don’t think it made that much difference, really, as the winner's picked up well, hasn't he. 

“They’ve gone hard fractions. You couldn’t fault him around there, really. Will’s (jockey Buick) had to take back and come around a little bit, probably at the business end where I’d say I would have liked to have kicked, but the winner’s picked up, there was no beating him.

“El Cordobes always puts forth a good effort and again really ran well. He’ll be a really nice going forward, old El Cordobes, won’t he?” 

Minnie Hauk’s rider, Christophe Soumillon, felt that she didn’t want to relax as the race unfolded.

“She never really settled, and when I asked her to take some blows, she never took it. So I think she just over-raced today,” Soumillon reported.

“The tempo was on, we got good pace. And for sure, with that start, I was hoping not staying three deep the whole way. I was happy behind Mickael (Barzalona on Goliath), and when we made our moves in the first straight, he goes beside the leaders, and I stayed there. 

“She was trying to go a bit early. 

“I don't know if you could say this race today was too much,” Soumillon continued, “but she wasn't like she was last time in Longchamp. She was a little bit more nervous today, and the race didn't suit us. 

“When Silawi starts to get tired before the last corner, it makes myself and Mickael have to come on the bridle a little bit early. But she never responded like she used to do; I think she overraced – the main problem. She didn't have the nice blow like she could have sometimes.” 

O’Brien noted that the scenario didn’t pan out for Minnie Hauk, but offered hope that we’ll likely see more of her in 2026.

“They just went very fast,” O’Brien said, “and she just got trapped out a little bit. I think she’ll stay (in training) next year.” 

Ethical Diamond, as a five-year-old gelding, is just coming into his own. Bred by W.J. Kennedy in the Emerald Isle, the dark bay is out of the Areion mare Pearl Diamond, a half-sister to German classic-winning miler Precious Boy. 

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