Elate set for War Front mating after swansong in Breeders' Cup Classic

Elate has been in California since last week, and after the five-year-old mare landed post six for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday, Claiborne Farm president Walker Hancock was as pleased as ever about the decision to take on males in the richest race of all at the World Championships.

"She's in the middle of the field and that's what you want. I don't think she could draw bad with a long run to the first turn, but she'll be well placed, I think," he said of the homebred daughter of Medaglia D'Oro, owned by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

"They say she's doing great here. She had a nice little three-eighths blowout [on Sunday in 36.8 seconds) with a strong gallop out, which is what they were looking for.

"She's fit and she doesn't need much. She's skipping over the track. If she gets over it well in the morning, we're hopeful she'll get over it well in the afternoon Saturday."

Hancock said the ten-furlong distance of the Classic was the deciding factor in straying out of the filly and mare division with the Bill Mott trainee, who is out of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Cheery.

"It's a wide-open race. We know she can get the distance and I'm not sure of who else can," he said. "Obviously Code Of Honor and Vino Rosso can off the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but for the others it's a question mark and for us we know we can do it."

Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the Classic will mark the 19th and final start for the multiple Grade 1 winner, who is likely to be bred to War Front next year.

The Claiborne sire will stand the 2020 season for a $250,000 fee and is represented by five Breeders' Cup runners, including Dirt Mile contender Omaha Beach and Classic hope War Of Will.

"She's ready for the next chapter in her life and we're thinking about breeding her to War Front," Hancock said.

"He suits her well. He'll give her some speed and size-wise it's perfect because she's a big mare and he's one of the more medium-sized horses."

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