The unpredictability of life shows itself in Thoroughbred racing on a regular basis. But even the most optimistic of bettors probably wouldn't have predicted the longshot journey of jockey Christophe Soumillon, who won his first Breeders' Cup race in 20 years Oct. 31 at Del Mar.
That two-decade absence from the World Championships' winner's circle was like trying to perfect a recipe; the same chemistry that produced a winner Friday was never quite right before.
Not since Shirocco won the 2005 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Belmont Park had Soumillon had the opportunity to celebrate on the sport's biggest stage. He had almost snapped his streak earlier Friday when Brussels finished three-quarters of a length short in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T). Seven years ago, Thunder Snow was third in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
"I heard it asked why I hadn't won a Breeders' Cup in 20 years, but it's like winning a British classic, you've got to have a proper horse," Soumillon said.
That proper horse is the Aidan O'Brien-trained Gstaad, victorious in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).
It wasn't supposed to play out like this. Originally, O'Brien had tabbed Ryan Moore, arguably the world's top jockey, to handle riding his top horses this weekend. But a broken leg has Moore on the shelf and the trainer, who set the record for most Breeders' Cup wins Friday, needing someone else in the irons.
Soumillon figured if his drought was to end, it would have happened two races earlier in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) aboard favored Precise. But she was scratched.
"This morning my breakfast was really light but a bit tough because when I knew Precise would not run, I knew she was probably my biggest chance today," he said.
But even with a bad jump from the gate, Soumillon orchestrated a fantastic rallying trip aboard Gstaad. He blazed down the four path coming down the stretch, seemingly out of nowhere, overpowering the field with an impressive turn of foot when it mattered most.
"I'm really happy," the 44-year-old jockey said. "I wish Aidan would have asked me before that to ride for him."
Soumillon may not be done celebrating. He has three more rides Nov. 1, including Minnie Hauk, runner-up in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
He said riding for a trainer like O'Brien, whose stable presents multiple opportunities to win, is a dream come true for any jockey.
"It's coming late for me, but I still am enjoying it like if I was 20," Soumillon said. "And I think I couldn't dream of it a few weeks and months ago."
Breeders' Cup Friday Handle Again Exceeds $60 Million
All-sources handle for Friday's 10-race Breeders' Cup World Championships program at Del Mar was $62,008,354. It was the fourth-highest Breeders' Cup Friday handle since the event expanded to its two-day format in 2007. It was also the fifth straight year that Friday handle exceeded $60 million.
Breeders' Cup converted the Friday program to the current Future Stars Friday format, which features 2-year-old racing, in 2018. Friday's on-track attendance was 30,059. On-track handle was $6,216,798.
Into Mischief Sires Ninth Breeders' Cup Winner
While North America's second-leading sire Not This Time sired his first Breeders' Cup winner Oct. 31, Into Mischief , well on his way to a seventh consecutive leading sire title, notched his ninth winner at the World Championships, breaking a four-way tie as the winningest Breeders' Cup sire.
Ted Noffey's victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) pushed Into Mischief into the lead, ahead of Curlin , Dubawi, and More Than Ready, who each have eight Breeders' Cup winners. All but More Than Ready have a chance to add to their tallies on the second day of the World Championships.
Into Mischief was set to have the favorite for the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, but his dual classic-winning son Sovereignty was scratched from the race Oct. 29. The Spendthrift Farm stallion still has five runners on the Saturday card with Imagination and American Stage in the Sprint (G1), Bring Theband Home in the Turf Sprint (G1T), Citizen Bull in the Dirt Mile (G1), and longshot Contrary Thinking in the Classic.
Curlin has two entries on the card, including Zeitlos in the Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) and Journalism in the Classic, and Dubawi is represented by three in Notable Speech in the Mile (G1T) and Silawi and Rebel's Romance in the Turf. Rebel's Romance is already responsible for two of his sire's eight winners, having won the Turf in 2022 and 2024.
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- "Well, we're getting used to making trips over there. She looks fast enough. So I think we will be considering it. We'll see how she comes out of this and probably give her a little break and map out a plan for next year. But she seems like she's good enough to do it if we want to." — Trainer George Weaver, on whether he would run Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair overseas next year, in particular at Ascot Racecourse.
- "I want to say a word about (bloodstock agent) David Ingordo. He does all of our work. He does a lot of work for John (Sadler). And, overall, he's been one of the best, or the best thing to happen to West Point Thoroughbreds." — West Point Thoroughbreds president and CEO Terry Finley, after Super Corredora won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
- "I think it's a blessing that we can come back and talk about (the race). And when he's mad at me, he doesn't say anything." — Jockey John Velazquez, on his relationship with trainer Todd Pletcher.
