The Future Starsday of the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar on Friday always looked as though it could put the spotlight on Australian bred sire Starspangledbanner, who had key runners in both the Group I Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile Colts (1m) and Juvenile Fillies (1m) and he duly delivered with exciting colt Gstaad.
Both Gstaad and the filly Precise are trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners and while the filly was scratched on race morning due to a cough and suspected infection, the colt Gstaad took his place despite drawing an outside gate.
A brilliant winner of the Group II Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot this year, Gstaad finished second at his next three starts all in G1 races and was overdue to get back to winning form.
A touch slow away, Gstaad was allowed to work across quietly by Christophe Soumillon to settled midfield and then gradually worked forward albeit covering ground all the way.
He got to the front with a furlong to run and kept up a good gallop to the line to win by three-quarters of a length taking his overall record to three wins and three seconds from six starts.
Gstaad was a miestone winner at this meeting for Aidan O'Brien , who became the most successful trainer in Breeders' Cup history.
He had previosuly been tied on 20 victories apiece with the late D. Wayne Lukas, but Gstaad's victory has put him at the top of the list.
"It's special," said Aidan O'Brien.
"Wayne was such a special man and I can't tell you how helpful he was to us throughout my whole career. He used to ring all the time and he was an unbelievably special man.
"I'm so delighted for all the lads. They put in so much, day in, day out. They let the horses run, they don't protect them. They let them run for everyone to enjoy and there's so many people involved. The lads breed the horses, they buy the horses, and they turn up and they want to see them race."
Gstaad was bought for 450,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale by MV Magnier from his breeder Maywood Stud.
Gstaad is a half-brother to 2023 Champion 2YO Colt Vandeek, who is at Arrowfield Stud this spring.
He is the second stakes-winner among six winners from Mosa Mine, a placed Exceed and Excel mare from the family of Group I winner and Group I sire Anabaa.
Gstaad is the tenth Group I for Starspangledbanner, who was a G1 winner at Royal Ascot back in 2010 as was his grand-sire Choisir in 2003.
Starspangledbanner also added a new stakes-winner to his tally in the UK overnight with the two year-old filly Spicy Marg taking out the Listed Bosra Sham Stakes (6f) at Newmarket.
She is the 59th stakes-winner for Starspangledbanner, who has an outstanding crop of NH bred juveniles this year.
