Chez Pierre gets jump on Modern Games, wins Maker's Mark Mile

So much for the invincibility of Modern Games. At least on this continent.

Three times he had raced in North America. Three times he was a winner. Four if you count the time he captured an Eclipse Award this past winter.

The closest he came to losing on this side of the Atlantic was when a rogue official in California misinterpreted a gate incident and tried to scratch him out of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, a race that he won after all the bets on him at Del Mar were canceled.

This time they were canceled the old-fashioned way. With a loss.

Chez Pierre (9-1), himself a Europe foal, got his third U.S. win, racing near the front around the two turns of firm Keeneland turf Friday on the way to a convincing, 3 1/2-length upset in the Grade 1, $600,000 Maker's Mark Mile.

The 5-year-old Mehmas gelding, owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Barbaro fame, was clocked on a sunny, 75-degree afternoon at 1:33.46, a record for the race that has been run 35 times.

Modern Games (2-5), who raced along in mid-pack before making a strong, late rally, settled for second place in his 2023 debut and in his first start since he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile over the same course in November.

“He’s run a very solid race, and he showed his heart,” said Charlie Appleby, the England-based trainer who made the trip to Kentucky to see Modern Games lose for first time in three starts as an odds-on favorite. “Obviously, it’s a bit disappointing when you get beat, but he’s run a good, solid race, and he just had a lot of ground to make up there.”

Modern Games, North America’s 2022 champion turf male, was as far back as 7 1/2 lengths midway through the race. Jockey William Buick, who also made the trip from Europe, had him fourth in the eight-horse field. Chez Pierre, who had the lead coming out of the first turn, was two lengths back in second with a half-mile to go.

“From that point I had a target,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat, who was racing for the first time on Chez Pierre. “Then he was traveling much better and got a good breather around the turn, and he really kicked on well.”

A two-wide turn into the stretch took Chez Pierre past pacesetter Dr Zempf (14-1), who by the eighth pole was in the process of fading to sixth. At that point Modern Games was still six lengths back in fourth. Chez Pierre would not relent, going the last furlong in 11.55 seconds to complete the upset of a champion who has earned $3,272,966, according to Equibase.

“He’s considered to be one of the best milers in the world, let’s face it,” winning trainer Arnaud Delacour said of Modern Games. “So to be able to deliver a performance like that today is very exciting and makes us wish that he can perform more than that kind of race.”

It could be argued Chez Pierre already has, at least when he has been fit. He was bought by the Jacksons for $114,164 in an Arqana sale that was pushed back a month because of COVID in the summer of 2020. He went 3-for-3 to start his career, racing in France for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

Then came 10 months off before Chez Pierre returned with a narrow allowance win last March at Tampa Bay Downs and then a more impressive victory nearly a year ago in a $100,000 stakes race at Laurel Park.

“Unfortunately he had a setback shortly after that race at Laurel Park,” Delacour said. “It took us a while to bring him back.”Making his return Feb. 4, Chez Pierre took a 5-for-5 record into the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3). After stalking the early lead, he had nothing left in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race and finished sixth, the first and still only loss of his career.

“He had the race under his belt at Tampa Bay Downs, which was probably not what we expected,” Delacour said. “We moved forward from there, and he was able to perform very well today.”

Up to the Mark (5-1) finished third, a neck shy of Modern Games. Cabo Spirit (52-1) was fourth followed in order by Speaking Scout (20-1), Dr Zempf, Emmanuel (8-1) and In Love (46-1).Chez Pierre paid $20.84, $6.66 and $3.80; Modern Games $2.42 and $2.10; and Up to the Mark $3.40. The stakes-record time was preceded by fractions of 23.67 and 47.66 seconds and 1:10.80.

While Modern Games was suffering his fourth defeat in eight starts as a post-time favorite, Chez Pierre was racing for the first time as an underdog in North America.

Was he underrated Friday?

“I thought he was,” said Delacour, who did not specify a next race but declared the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga as a summertime goal for Chez Pierre. “If you look at the number, whatever number you believe, it looked like he belonged with that bunch.”

That bunch is bound to include Modern Games, who will be expected to try for his third Breeders’ Cup victory this fall in California.

“We’ll probably go back to Europe now for the summer,” Appleby said. “Then we’ll work back from Santa Anita again.”

Modern Games will return then to what has become a most cosmopolitan division of turf milers in America. He alone was sired by Dubawi, a stallion from Ireland, and bred by a multinational Godolphin operation based in Dubai.

Chez Pierre’s sire is also from Ireland, his dam Hortensia is from Italy, his trainer is from France and his owners from Pennsylvania. For at least one spring day, he fit right in with the international elite.

Asked how good Chez Pierre is, Delacour told a group of reporters in the Keeneland winner’s circle, “You guys tell me. Time will tell, but definitely today, that was a step up in class. We thought he could be competitive. You never go into a race like today thinking you’re going to win but at least run a competitive race and move forward from there.”

And back to that whole question of whether Chez Pierre was taken too lightly, Delacour said, “He performed over expectations, I would say.”