Rebel's Romance Seeks Historic Third Win in BC Turf

The Breeders' Cup arrived on the scene too late for the great American geldings Kelso and Forego. But at the upcoming 42nd edition of the World Championships, a brilliant European gelding will attempt to join some highly exclusive company. While the event's spotlight will rightfully shine on the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), one race earlier Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (IRE) will try to enhance his already lofty spot in racing lore as the $14.4 million earner attempts to win the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) for a record third time Nov. 1 at Del Mar. "It would be a huge achievement for the horse if he could win the Turf for a third time," trainer Charlie Appleby said, "and so fantastic for him to do something so historic." A homebred son of Dubawi, the 7-year-old gelding is already in select company, as one might expect from a horse with 20 wins from 29 starts around the world, including 9 grade or group 1 victories. At the moment, Rebel's Romance is also one of 21 horses who have captured two or more Breeders' Cup races. But should he serve up an encore of his 2022 and 2024 BC Turf wins, he will become the first horse to rack up three Turf wins as well as one of only 3 in the four-decade history of the series with a trio of Breeders' Cup wins, and one of just two runners with three victories in the same race. To date, only Goldikova has achieved that rare feat, taking the BC Mile (G1T) in 2008-10. Beholder's trio of Breeders' Cup wins featured two victories in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and one in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). "I have to thank (Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) for letting us continue to race him and let our team and fans all over the world enjoy all the great moments he's given us," Appleby said. As he bids for a historic win at the World Championships in his sixth year of racing, the gelding is heading to Del Mar seemingly as sharp as he was a year ago when he beat Rousham Park (JPN) by a neck in the 2024 event at the track where "The Turf Meets The Surf." He's made seven starts this year and has won five of them, capped by his easy 3 1/2-length victory in the Sept. 27 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack for his second straight grade/group 1 score of the year. In his return to American sod as the reigning Eclipse Award-winning older turf male champion, he was bet down to minuscule 3-5 odds and defeated stablemate El Cordobes (IRE), a Frankel (GB) gelding who had captured the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course in his previous try and finished third. Sent off as the 9-5 favorite a year ago when he joined High Chapparal and Conduit as two-time Turf winners, after the way he toyed with his rivals in the Joe Hirsch, he figures to be a shorter price as he seeks a hat trick. "All the plaudits go to the horse for his constitution, which has allowed him to be successful for so long," Appleby said. "This horse has raced in so many different countries, and for a flat horse to be able to campaign that long and not drop off is so remarkable and is a credit to the horse's talent." Few horses have compiled as many frequent-flyer points as Rebel's Romance. Since he began racing in the Fall of 2020, the son of the Street Cry mare Minidress has raced in at least 7 different countries and 16 different racetracks. He has circled the globe from Saratoga to Hong Kong in becoming one of Godolphin's biggest stars. "He has to be right up there among the best horses I have been around in terms of longevity and competing at a high level," said Chris Connett, an assistant for Appleby who often travels with the gelding to foreign venues. "I am so lucky to be around him. It takes a special type of horse to travel all over the world and turn in special races against the best competition like he does. He's pretty special all right." Adding to the gelding's appeal and star power is that, aside from his ability to win in any surroundings, he can run on any surface. Even clockwise or counter-clockwise. He is so amazingly versatile that he has triumphed on all-weather and dirt surfaces. At 3, he prevailed in the UAE Derby (G2) on dirt and was shipped to the United States for the Belmont Stakes (G1) but did not run due to a leg infection. His American debut later occurred Nov. 5, 2022, at Keeneland when the gelding captured the BC Turf for the first time. Three years later, he'll be back at Del Mar, looking to do something historic, just like Kelso and Forego in racing's good 'ol days. "What more can we say about Rebel's Romance? He writes his own story," Appleby said. "I'm not sure when his career will be over, but at the moment, we just want to enjoy this."