Peachtree Stable’s Tawny Port will not participate in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia despite earning a spot through his victory in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup this past June. Trainer Miguel Clement revealed that the horse’s travel and quarantine restrictions led to the decision to forego the November 3 race.
Clement shared on X, “His next race will be the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine on Saturday, October 3. We were honored to earn a golden ticket to the Melbourne Cup after his G2 Belmont Gold Cup win and hope to have a contender in that prestigious event in the future!”
The 7-year-old Pioneerof the Nile colt is among seven likely runners for the 1½-mile Canadian International. The post position draw will be live-streamed at noon Eastern on Wednesday. Notable contenders include G1-placed Ancient Egypt, multiple graded stakes winner Arabian Crown, graded stakes-placed Dancin in Da’Nile, Il Siciliano, graded stakes victor Purview, and Tomasello.
This year, Tawny Port has won two long-distance turf races. Besides the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup, he captured the black-type Bowling Green Invitational over 2 1/16 miles at Kentucky Downs by three-quarters of a length in his most recent start.
Tawny Port boasts a record of seven wins, six seconds, and five thirds from 34 starts, amassing more than $2.8 million in earnings. Initially trained by Brad Cox for his first 12 outings, he captured the 2022 G3 Lexington Stakes and G3 Ohio Derby on dirt and finished seventh in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Following a seventh-place finish in the 2023 G3 Ben Ali Stakes, he transferred to Christophe Clement, who has focused his campaign on long-distance turf races.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Tawny Port was purchased by John P. Fort for $430,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Fan Take: Tawny Port’s withdrawal from the Melbourne Cup highlights the growing complexity of international racing campaigns, emphasizing the impact of global health protocols on the sport. His focus on North American turf marathons could elevate the profile of long-distance racing at home and inspire more top horses to pursue similar paths.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
