To beat a top European miler, trainer Will Walden figured he’d seek advice from a top European trainer.
Shortly after his high-class Rhetorical finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Walden messaged the great Aidan O’Brien. Walden wanted details: How did O’Brien winter horses who had major early-spring goals?
Walden, following O’Brien’s guidance, let Rhetorical put on extra weight while jogging and doing light work in draw reins early this year. He varied Rhetorical’s training regime as much as possible, often taking him to the relatively bucolic, lesser-used “L” gallop at the Palm Meadows training center. He’d text O’Brien videos; O’Brien sent corrections.
“When we got the ‘Atta boy’ we knew we were good to go,” Walden said.
Is it enough to turn the tables on Notable Speech, a close third in the 2024 BC Mile and definitely best in last year’s Mile? Probably not, but Rhetorical and 10 others line up against Notable Speech on Friday at Keeneland in the Grade 1, $650,000 Maker’s Mark Mile.
Rhetorical breaks from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. trying to duplicate his Grade 1 breakthrough last fall at Keeneland in the Coolmore Turf Mile. At Del Mar, Rhetorical made an early move to take the BC Mile lead but had no answer when Notable Speech came running in the stretch, beaten two lengths.
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Call this a trial run for the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, the major seasonal goal for 5-year-old Notable Speech, who spent his winter at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket with trainer Charlie Appleby, who surely has Notable Speech more than ready for his first start in more than five months.
Appleby and Godolphin ran two BC Mile winners the next spring in the Maker’s Mark: Modern Games finished second as the odds-on favorite in 2023, while odds-on Master of The Seas easily won the 2024 renewal over stablemate Naval Power. Appleby has a second runner Friday, Aomori City, who assistant trainer Chris Connett said will ensure a fair pace. With the likes of stretch-out sprinter Bear River entered, Aomori City’s services – beyond serving as a travel companion – might not be needed.
William Buick takes his regular seat on Notable Speech, and it was when Buick wrangled the horse well off the pace last August in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, a tactical change, that Notable Speech’s blah season turned around. While trouble narrowly kept him from winning the Marois, no one could touch Notable Speech in the Woodbine Mile and the BC Mile.
Five-year-old Rhetorical has made only seven starts, winning five, emerging as a leading American turf miler last summer and fall through a four-race winning streak capped with his Coolmore Turf Mile score. Connections planned all winter to bring Rhetorical back in this race.
“The thinking behind it was he puts a ton into his work in the morning. He’s a very good work horse, and we felt we could get him tight enough off works,” Walden said.
Two more Grade 1 turf winners, Deterministic and Zulu Kingdom, start for the first time since August; 4-year-old Zulu Kingdom never has faced older horses.
Zulu Kingdom didn’t show his best when seventh two falls ago in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf but crossed the finish first in his other seven starts. He took a terrible disqualification in the Hall of Fame Stakes on Aug. 1 at Saratoga, placed fourth for an incident early in the race, worked back four times after that start, and then didn’t post a breeze for the better part of five months.
But Zulu Kingdom returned to the work tab Jan. 29, and trainer Chad Brown has kept the colt – whose capability almost certainly exceeds his modest Beyer Speed Figures – on a steady pattern ever since. Zulu Kingdom can get overly aggressive working in company, Brown said, and has been prepared through a series of strong solo drills.
“He trains very, very well, and we’ve been focused on this race,” Brown said. “That said, it’s like a Breeders’ Cup race.”
Five-year-old Deterministic won the Grade 2 Fort Marcy and the Grade 1 Manhattan last spring and summer, and after his Aug. 2 tally in the Grade 1 Fourstardave looked like North America’s leading turf miler. Deterministic didn’t post a timed workout last year after the Fourstardave, finally breezed on Feb. 7, then had another three-week gap in official works. He comes into the Maker’s Mark with only five serious drills – though with emphasis on “serious,” according to trainer Miguel Clement.
“He’s a top-class horse, and the work he’s done this winter at Payson has really been breathtaking,” Clement said. “It’s not ideal to run off a long layoff in such a hard race, but he’s such a tough, fast horse he tends to overcome any kind of adversity.”
Third behind Rhetorical in the Coolmore Turf Mile, Brilliant Berti has been aimed all winter toward this spot. His tame fourth Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds should be viewed in that context, but Brilliant Berti drew poorly in post 12 and would need a career best to reach contention. One Stripe, Tiz Dashing, and Wolfie’s Dynaghost – all might look competitive in a typical North American Grade 1 turf mile. The Maker’s Mark is not one of those.
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