John Oxx, trainer of the legendary Sea The Stars, believes that this might be Aidan O’Brien’s best chance to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic with City Of Troy.
After victories in the Derby, Eclipse, and Juddmonte International—where he broke Sea The Stars' track record—City Of Troy is seen by O’Brien and the Coolmore team as an ideal candidate to take on the top American dirt horses. His sire, American Triple Crown winner Justify, raises hopes that City Of Troy will adapt well to the dirt surface.
Oxx notes that there is no standout horse in the U.S. this year, making it a promising opportunity for City Of Troy. Sea The Stars retired after winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2009, rather than heading to the Breeders’ Cup, which was hosted on a Polytrack surface that year—a surface similar to Europe’s all-weather tracks.
Justify is proving to be a versatile sire, producing top horses on both dirt and turf. City Of Troy’s dam, Together Forever, was a turf horse, but City Of Troy has shown he can handle different surfaces.
Currently, City Of Troy is a 7-2 favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar. He leads the market ahead of Todd Pletcher’s Fierceness, who has rebounded from a Kentucky Derby setback with two recent wins, including the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Japan’s Forever Young, who has not raced since finishing third to Mystik Dan at Churchill Downs, is also among the favourites.
Oxx pointed out that while City Of Troy has some dirt breeding through Justify, Giant’s Causeway and Johannesburg had dirt pedigree on both sides. Coolmore is eager to demonstrate that their stallions can produce champions on both surfaces.
"This year, there’s no standout three-year-old, and the four-year-old division is weak, so it might be the right time to make a bid," Oxx said. "City Of Troy has been an interesting horse to watch, and it will be intriguing to see how he performs."