Slow Start Costly For September In Del Mar

September fared best of the Europeans to finish third behind Rushing Fall in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

An unlucky loser in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket, Aidan O'Brien's September harmed her chances when completely missing the break.

As a result, Seamie Heffernan had no other option but to take his medicine and drop in at the rear, with stablemate Happily also meeting interference from her draw in stall two.

Rushing Fall, ridden by Javier Castellano, headed into the race unbeaten for Chad Brown and shot clear in the straight, chased by Best Performance.

September was really getting rolling down the middle of the track but unfortunately for her, the line came too soon and she had to settle for third.

Happily never recovered her position after the early interference and finished well beaten.

Unbeaten - Rushing Fall wins the @BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf! #BC17 pic.twitter.com/ziLvpufLWk

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 3, 2017

Castellano said: "I'm very lucky to have had a good trip in the race.

"There were 14 horses and everyone wanted a good position on the first bend but I was very lucky to get it.

"We don't know how good this filly is, in her first two races it has been soft ground but today it was good ground and she's beaten the best horses in the world."

Brown, winning the race for a fourth time, said: "She's a nice filly to work with, she was broken in at Stonestreet and she came in so far ahead of the others. From there my great staff just worked with her.

"I didn't see her for three weeks, that's how much trust I put in my staff."

Heffernan said of September: "She ran very well but I think I was a bit unlucky."

O'Brien said: "Seamus' filly ran well but Ryan (Moore) just looked after Happily as very early in the race her chance had gone. Seamie hit trouble on September, it was a very rough race, I think Happily will stay and could be an Oaks filly next year."

Frankie Dettori said of the unplaced Juliet Capulet: "I got a very good break and was in the right spot but she's a sprinter and didn't get home."

Battle Of Midway showed tremendous guts to come out on top in an thrilling duel with Sharp Azteca to win the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Sharp Azteca was always on the front end under Paco Lopez and had the rail to help him in the home stretch.

Flavien Prat must have thought he was going to go cruising on by on Battle Of Midway as he joined the leader but Sharp Azteca proved a tough nut to crack.

Third in the Kentucky Derby back in May, Battle Of Midway was always going to stay the mile well and he proved mature enough to beat his elders at 14-1.

Prat said: "We put a lot of work into it and I'm a lucky man to be riding at the Breeders' Cup. I must thank all the connections, he was training so well before the race.

"He had a hard race in the Derby and he wasn't the same horse after that. When we put the blinkers on, he was training so much better."

Winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said: "It's horses for courses, he likes Del Mar and the blinkers helped him focus a little bit. We were confident he would run well coming into the race.

"He's very talented so we're pleased he's at where he's at right now."