BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 30, 2026

George Boughey

Billy Loughnane

Rob Speers

Libertango

Keeneland Race Course

Juvenile Turf Sprint

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Our first Breeders' Cup race, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint in the books and what an exciting performance from Libertango. George, I'll start with you first. This filly has been nothing more than spectacular. Coming over here, I know there were some -- this morning when Billy was going to be able to ride. Kind of take us through the lead-up to the race and possibly what's next as well.

GEORGE BOUGHEY: I think fundamentally Flavien was meant to ride the horse, and it was a very late decision. Billy has ridden the horse all year and texted me as we got onto the track and said he weighed in a helluva lot lighter than he thought he was going to be.

Fundamentally I just want to apologize to Flavien because he'd been on the horse a long time. It was probably one of the better mounts of the day.

Yeah, she's a filly who's progressed all year. The race looked mapped out for her. Even from Royal Ascot that was the plan to come here. And for her to train as well as she did through the last few races, it wasn't a huge surprise she was able to put in a performance like that today.

First time round the bend, it was pretty different for her, and I thought Billy gave her a beautiful ride.

THE MODERATOR: That leads me to you, Billy. So excited for you. Your first wins for everybody here in Breeders' Cup. But being able to ride this filly that you've had such a relationship with, tell us a little bit about that. Also, during the race, it looked like in the middle of the turn or coming out of the turn, there was a little bit of trouble for her.

BILLY LOUGHNANE: Obviously I didn't realize I was going to be riding her until literally an hour ago. I've been sitting on her in all her work since her last run as well, and it's been a tough couple of weeks knowing that she was coming here as a very good chance. Thankfully managed to do the weight.

Like you said in the race, we had a fantastic gate, which was amazing. She broke good. I planned to get on the back of Moonrise. I thought then the filly would carry me into the race very well. On the turn in front of me, Oisin got a little bit tighter room. I'd have to watch it back to see exactly happened and comment on it.

But it sort of broke the race up a little, I lost a length or two. But she cornered fantastically, which I had every faith she would, and she let down really well at the straight.

THE MODERATOR: And then the racing manager for Mr. Araci. With a filly like this, she's had a pretty solid campaign for a 2-year-old. Coming over here obviously, what made that decision? Then if you can tell us what might be next for her?

ROB SPEERS: I think the important thing -- the first thing I want to say is thank you to these two. George has mapped out her season perfectly. Billy is pretty much the only one who's ever sat on her. She was a breed up filly. We brought her in the breed ups in the UK. With those breed up fillies, sometimes they can be overkeen and overraced. She's a fast filly. They've done a wonderful job of kind of switching her off.

She's a credit to George, his team, and Billy. We've managed to progress as the year's gone by. She obviously won the Group 3 at Royal Ascot. She won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes. And now we've stepped up and won a Grade 1.

She owes nobody anything. She's a superstar. She's the sweetest filly to do anything with, and we're very, very lucky to have her. For now, we won't worry about next year. We'll enjoy this evening and enjoy the next few weeks. Be kind to her, give her a cuddle and a pat, and we'll think about next year after that.

Mr. Araci owns a stud farm in the UK, and it's a pedigree we know. She's out of a known sister to Aktabantay, who Mr. Araci owned and came over to the Breeders' Cup a few years ago for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. She's one for the paddocks. We look forward to a long -- spending a long time with her in the paddocks.

GEORGE BOUGHEY: We wanted her to go on the ridge first, I hope.

ROB SPEERS: You can have her next year, George, anyway.

Q. Can you just talk us through today, how you managed to get the weight off from start to finish?

BILLY LOUGHNANE: Obviously I'm riding 8.10 later on, and I have to be 8.8 to ride that. So I'd already been getting my weight down for the last couple of weeks to get to there. I didn't think I'd had it in me to get down to 8.5. I've never been that weight in my life -- well, for the last three years since I've been riding anyway.

I gave it a real good kick in the gym this morning. I came with George, thought I wouldn't be able to ride her even in the car. I got on the scales here, and I was lighter than expected. Thankfully there's saunas at the races at America. We don't have that in England, which was a massive advantage. I did a good hour and a bit in the sauna and made the weight, and the rest is history.

Q. Did you feel hesitant about sending a text to George or not really?

BILLY LOUGHNANE: Not really. I wanted to ride her, and I have a fantastic relationship with George. I was hoping, when the message went through, that I'd get the answer back I wanted. Thankfully, I got that.

ROB SPEERS: I think it's important to say that the minute the opportunity came around, Mr. Araci didn't think twice about it. Billy has been such an important part of this filly's journey. Once we knew Billy was available -- obviously Flavien is one of the best in the world. Like George says, it's awful to leave him without a mount, but Billy's key to the filly. He was always going to ride her if he could.

Q. What did you think when you read the text, George?

GEORGE BOUGHEY: I said out loud -- I probably shouldn't say it on TV. It's one of these things where I kind of put the ball into Mr. Araci's court, and it was a surprise, as Billy said. We travel to the races together, I think he was actively working incredibly hard to do the weight for later in the day.

I would say there might have been a discrepancy between the hotel scales and here. He texted me saying he's 8.6 now and planned to lose a couple of pounds anyway. As much as it was a massive struggle for Billy through the last -- not a massive struggle, but he was able to do it.

Look, it's a huge thrill to have Billy ride her. Another Grade 1 winner for me. Breeders' Cup, for me, it's as good as it gets as a trainer. It's all well and good training horses at home, but to have a horse on the go, she's probably breezing in January to be able to space her races out and been ridden by Billy so beautifully all year.

I don't think he's ever -- I think you've ridden around here once or twice before, but within 55 minutes to be able to map the race out and work out what's going on, he's just an extraordinary talent.

ROB SPEERS: I think he has complete faith in the filly. In all her work, he felt what she's got underneath her. He knows her. He rides her like she can't be beaten.

Q. Billy, at 20 years old, you've been riding great in England. You come in here to Keeneland and win a Breeders' Cup race. Just talk about that feeling.

BILLY LOUGHNANE: It's a fantastic feeling. I have a very good ride tomorrow as well on Comanche Brave. He was coming over thinking he was going to be my ride of the meeting. It's a unique fixture, as George has said. Fantastic to be able to win here.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations to all of you and Libertango, first for everyone. Billy, you haven't stopped smiling since you got in here. Very excited for all of you. Congratulations.