Kip Deville lands the Mile

Garrett Gomez and Cornelio Velasquez completed doubles at the Breeders’ Cup when they partnered Midnight Lute and Kip Deville to victory respectively.

Gomez, a pillar-to-post winner on Indian Blessing in the Juvenile Fillies, this time came from a mile back to land the Sprint on the 11-4 favourite Midnight Lute.

Trainer Bob Baffert, also completing a double, was full of praise for the four-year-old who emerged from the pack with a blistering stretch run to beat Idiot Proof and Talent Search.

“It was incredible the run he made, I thought he was out of the race,” he said.

“He’s had three surgeries. He is so great and great horses can overcome that. He showed that today. “He’s definitely (in the) top five of my all-time good ones.”

“If he had some breathing he would be a Classic horse. Ever since those surgeries he’s been a totally different. He’s been training like a bear.”

Rick Dutrow’s Kip Deville (8/1) proved too smart for Aidan O’Brien’s Excellent Art in the Mile, surging past long-time leader Cosmonaut in the straight under Velasquez, who was earlier successful on War Pass.

Johnny Murtagh had a dream run through on Excellent Art, but was unable to make up the deficit once in the clear and had to settle for second for the third race in succession.

“We were drawn badly and Johnny gave him a great ride,” reflected O’Brien.

“The horse has run a great race, especially when you consider he’s a good ground horse.

“We’ll have a look at the Hong Kong Mile. As to the future, I imagine he will not stay in training but I don’t know for sure.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Jeremy could not extricate himself from the rails when the pace quickened and Frankie Dettori’s mount failed to make an impression.

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Posted on October 28th, 2007 by Klaus Roe
Filed under: Horse Racing