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| Staff Writer |
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European superstar City Of Troy took his first steps on Del Mar's dirt surface on Tuesday morning as master trainer Aidan O'Brien edges closer to realising a long-held ambition in Saturday's Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Previous Classic winners include Authentic (2020), who went on to earn US Horse of the Year honours, while Accelerate's 2018 victory capped a remarkable season that saw him land five Grade One races.
The son of Triple Crown hero Justify has dominated Europe's premier races this term, with his sole blemish coming in the 2000 Guineas. Commanding victories in the Derby at Epsom, Eclipse at Sandown and Juddmonte International at York have established him as the continent's leading light.
Following quarantine, all eyes were on City Of Troy under regular work rider Rachel Richardson, positioned second in a string of 11 Ballydoyle workers alongside Donnacha O'Brien's charge Porta Fortuna. The colt tracked Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Turf contender Luxembourg in a steady morning canter, showing slight signs of warmth around his neck.
"City just did a gentle canter round. Everyone was very happy and I'm happy that the dream is alive," said O'Brien.
"The boss (John Magnier) went and got Justify, which hatched the dream that we might get a horse that can do it on grass and dirt. He was an incredible Triple Crown winner and I feel City has a lot of his qualities."
Drawing gate three for Saturday's US$6 million contest, O'Brien indicated a change in tactics for his star 3YO.
"City will go forward and Ryan (Moore) will decide there and then," he noted. "We've looked under every stone and we've done everything we can. When he went to York he went forward and then he was even more forward at Southwell. So we will see what happens, but it's left to Ryan to make his own mind up."
The Ballydoyle maestro added: "We know when the race happens it will be the fiercest that any thoroughbred can be tested in, and he's a 3YO.
"The Classics are the ultimate test of a 3YO racing against his own age group, but this is the ultimate test at the end of the year after being trained very hard for Classics and then against older horses in a race run on a different surface and on a different continent.
"He will literally canter for four days out here and I suppose what gives us hope is we think he's the best we've ever had and we have had horses that have run very well in the Breeders' Cup Classic before.
"Obviously it's a dream and one for which we must wait and see if it comes true."