Excelebration Gains Automatic Berth into Breeders' Cup Mile following Sunday's Win in Prix Jacques Le Marois

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE (August 12, 2012) - The 4-year-old Excelebration, owned by Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith, and trained by Aidan O’Brien, won Sunday’s one mile Prix Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville and became the fourth horse this year to qualify for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 3 through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is a global series of 73 stakes races whose winners earn automatic starting positions into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Breeders’ Cup will pay the US$60,000 entry fee and provide the winning connections a US$20,000 travel allowance for Excelebration to start in the Championships.

Excelebration, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, held off Cityscape and Elusive Kate to capture his seventh career race in a field that included nine Group One winners. Soumillon replaced Ryan Moore on Excelebration after Moore suffered a fall on Havana Gold in an earlier race on the card.

Excelebration joins Gimmethegreenlight (AUS), More Joyous (NZ) and Jeranimo as the first three automatic qualifiers for the Mile this year.

On five previous occasions, the winner of the Prix Jacques Le Marois has won the Breeders’ Cup Mile: Miesque (1987, 1988) Spinning World (1997) Six Perfections (2003) and Goldikova (IRE) (2009).