Champion Horse Arrives At Boynton Beach For Race Training

Shadwell Stable’s Invasor became the third consecutive Breeders’ Cup Classic champion to be stabled at Palm Meadows when he arrived at the Boynton Beach training facility at noon Wednesday. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Invasor was the only passenger in a van that arrived ahead of two trucks containing trainer Todd Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup performers. McLaughlin’s brother Neal and sister-in-law, Trish, are minding the Palm Meadows string while Kiaran remains up north. Ghostzapper and Saint Liam, the two previous Classic winners to occupy stalls at Palm Meadows, were named Horses of the Year of 2004 and 2005, respectively. Invasor became the leading candidate for that title with his one-length victory over Bernardini in Saturday’s $5 million renewal at Churchill Downs. His Classic victory all-but wrapped up the title as North America’s champion older horse. Earlier in the campaign he took the Pimlico Special and

Suburban and Whitney handicaps. All three are Grade 1 events. The Argentine-bred Invasor, who turned 4 in August, was undefeated in four North American starts since his arrival from Dubai this spring. Invasor has won nine of 10 career starts and $3.9 million. His only loss came March 25 when he was fourth in the UAE Derby in Dubai, a race won by the highly regarded Discreet Cat. Although he hadn’t been in a race in three months, Invasor was the third choice in the Classic behind heavily favored Bernardini and Lava Man. “Michael Matz showed us we could bring a fresh horse to Churchill Downs and win,” Neal McLaughlin said, referring to the Kentucky Derby victory of the Matz-trained Barbaro. That colt came into the classic off a five-week freshening after his score in Gulfstream Park’s Florida Derby.

Long-range plans put Invasor in Dubai’s World Cup March 31, the same day as the 2007 Florida Derby. Sheikh Hamdan, the deputy ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry for the United Arab Emirates, owns Shadwell Stable. Neal McLaughlin said he expects Invasor’s 3-year-old stablemate, Belmont Stakes winner Jazil, to arrive at Palm Meadows in December. Pletcher’s contingent included Wait a While, English Channel, Honey Ryder, Lawyer Ron, Go Deputy, Scat Daddy, Icy Atlantic and Octave. Combined, those eight horses have earned nearly $10 million.