City Of Troy attempts to add elusive Breeders’ Cup Classic victory Aidan O’Brien Remarkable CV Saturday. Here we look back at the Ballydoyle horses who have tried and failed to win the world-famous race since the turn of the century. . .

2000-2003: the roadway closes on the first try

The Giant’s Causeway was one of O’Brien’s first runners in the Classic at Churchill Downs in 2000 and came out on the wrong end of an epic face-off with Tiznow down the stretch.

Mick Kinane’s mount arrived on the back of a brilliant three-year campaign in which he racked up five Group 1s, but was never able to get in front of Tiznow in his first and only gravel start. He was hit right in the neck.

Giant’s Causeway (left) is refused by Tiznow during the Classic at Churchill Downs in 2000

He never raced again and Tiznow followed up the following year by beating Sakhee by a nose at Belmont, a race in which O’Brien saddled two runners including Derby, Irish Derby and the winner of King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth. Galileo. He was sent off the 10-3 second favorite, but never featured in a well-beaten sixth.

Second in the 2,000 Guineas and Derby and winner of the Eclipse Falcon Wing is O’Brien’s highest-rated flat horse on Racing Post Ratings and tried his luck in 2002 but missed the break at Arlington and made no impression in seventh behind Volponi.

Peruvian jockey Edgar Prado rode Hold this tiger during the 2003 race at Santa Anita. He had failed to win at three, but was sent off 5-1 after his second in the Woodward Stakes at Belmont under Prado the previous month. He was only able to place fifth in the Classic.

2005-2009: Washington’s heartbreak and favorite fail to fire

Oratorio was Kieren Fallon’s only mount for O’Brien in the Classic, but the Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes scorer only beat two rivals at Belmont in 2005.

George Washington proved to be a low point in the history of the O’Brien Classic. The 2,000 Guineas winner was a 4-1 prospect as a three-year-old at Churchill Downs in 2006 and traveled particularly well down the stretch before weakening after picking up a bump when transferred to meet his challenge.

This was expected to be his last start, but he returned the following summer after having fertility problems at stud. He was beaten in three out of four starts before contesting a second event at the Classic at Monmouth Park – but the race was marred by his death after fracturing the cannon bone of the right front fetlock joint as well as the two sesamoids.

Henrylenavigator was O’Brien’s last horse to finish second in the Classic. John Velazquez’s mount was beaten a length and three quarters by Raven’s Pass, ridden by Frankie Dettori and trained by John Gosden, at Santa Anita in 2008. He was the last European winner of the race. Duke of Marmaladea five-time Group 1 winner that year, received a lower price than his stablemate Henrythenavigator, but weakened to ninth.

Rip Van Winkle was the sole favorite among O’Brien’s 17 runners in the Classic when he was sent off 2-1 to the market leader at Santa Anita in 2009. The Sussex Stakes and QEII winner suffered a foot problem which resurfaced before the race, with his participation coming into doubt during the week, and he did not perform at his peak, finishing 17 lengths behind Zenyatta in tenth.

2011-2018: War narrowly refused in a thrilling trio

So you thinkdouble Cox Plate winner and Melbourne Cup third for Bart Cummings in Australia, joined O’Brien in 2011 and added three European Group 1s to his CV before starting the Classic that year as co-favorite 4 -1 in three at Churchill Downs. .

The market leaders fell short of expectations, however, finishing fourth, fifth and, in the case of So You Think, sixth behind 20-1 scorer Drosselmeyer.

Declaration of war (center): was narrowly refused at Santa Anita in 2013Credit: Harry Comment

Declaration of war came closest to providing O’Brien with a breakthrough in the Classic at Santa Anita in 2013 – although he didn’t even finish second.

The Queen Anne and Juddmonte International winner was ridden by Aidan’s son Joseph and was beaten by just a nose and a head in a rousing finale and thrilling spectacle. Mucho Macho Man was the narrow winner.

O’Brien’s next four runners failed to trouble the leaders. Gleneagles never competed at Keeneland in 2015 and finished last of the eight behind American Pharoah, Churchill And War decree were only seventh and ninth in the 2017 Del Mar race won by Gun Runner, and Mendelssohnthe trainer’s newest Classic runner in 2018, was heading over a yard while fifth for Accelerate at Churchill Downs.

It’s now in City Of Troy.

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City Of Troy: big favorite of the ClassicCredit: Edward Whitaker

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