BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 31, 2026

Aidan OBrien

M.V Magnier

Peter Brant

Benvenuto Cellini

Keeneland Race Course

Turf

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: The winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf, we have Benvenuto Cellini.

AIDAN O'BRIEN: Difficult for me because my hearing's not great these days. That's what happens when you get older.

THE MODERATOR: Another successful day. We have Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Peter Brant, M.V., and Aidan O'Brien.

I think we've got everybody accounted for. What a wonderful performance for this 3-year-old.

Aidan, again, I'll start with you. Coming out of the Arc and a race that didn't go necessarily as planned, and then over here, was it always to come to this race from maybe the ground over here?

AIDAN O'BRIEN: Yeah, that was the plan. He was a little slow in the Arc and down low, but he got trapped in and didn't go any gallop. He came home very well. Ryan was over the moon with him after the race. You look at the bare thing, you would say maybe not. When you looked into it, he was only beaten by 2 1/2 lengths by the filly, and we felt the filly, maybe 1 1/2 mile was far enough for her, but we weren't going to be sure. And she did the same thing, so she's probably back to a 1 1/4 mile.

The lads were anxious for her to come here. The plan was to come here and then maybe go to Hong Kong if everything was right. He's always showed enough class even as a 2-year-old, but he's such a beautiful mover. He loves fast ground. Ryan had him in a lovely position. He wanted to go, but obviously he got a little bit tapped early. He was very calm on him and very relaxed. He let it happen.

I think he felt that when he did ask him he was going to have it, but it looked like he gave him a brilliant ride. So delighted for the lads really.

So, listen, these are special days, believe me. For us, it's such a privilege to be a little part of the team. It's a special day.

THE MODERATOR: These are special days at the Breeders' Cup. Being a 3-year-old, do we see him coming back next year? Aidan just mentioned Hong Kong. What are the possibilities?

M.V. MAGNIER: I think the plan is, if Peter and the lads are happy, we'll keep him in training next year I'd say. I have to say thank you very much to Peter Brant because only for him we wouldn't have bought the mare. He was very adamant that we bought her. Remember?

In fairness, this man can see around corners. Listen, we're very blessed to have the lads and everyone to buy a mare like that, like Chad did a great job with her and everything. Now she's a Breeders' Cup Turf winner. So it's a great result.

AIDAN O'BRIEN: It's just so special to have Derrick, Michael, Peter all here. It's so special that everyone is here, and that's what it's all about.

Peter always says to me, he says, I don't ever mind your horses running bad because they often turn around. It gives us confidence, when they do disappoint, he doesn't ever say. Listen, thanks, everybody. Derrick, Michael, Peter.

THE MODERATOR: Peter and this ownership group again, with this horse, and now you've had two Breeders' Cup wins both in your silks.

Just listening to Aidan, taking the group along for the ride with these kinds of horses, stallion-type horses, what it means to you and your program.

PETER BRANT: I'd like to say first of all that Aidan was telling me this was a Breeders' Cup horse for a long time, from the very beginning when he started running in stakes. I was always saying, well, yeah, that might be. That might come to pass one day.

But the mare was a Breeders' Cup winner in the mile on the turf, and she won it very impressively. She's a great mare, and we're very fortunate to be breeding to her. She has some very nice foals on the ground. Her first foal was a very nice filly that won a stake as well. We're very, very pleased.

I couldn't be happier. I couldn't believe, when I was looking at the 16th pole, I could just say he had no chance whatsoever, and all of a sudden, this quick burst of speed, and boom, he was in front. It's an amazing thing. I'm very proud to have never won this race before. 1 1/2 mile on the turf, it's a big race, an important race. I'm just honored to be with my partners in this.

Q. Ryan's done it a million times. And I remember Auguste Rodin, but that was something spectacular today, wasn't it? How did he get him out from there? What were your views of it watching?

AIDAN O'BRIEN: Yeah, no. He was super brilliant on him, really. What Auguste did around the inside, you'd say he couldn't do it again. He did it again. It was a little trickier this time. He had to go around and out. What can I say? Time after time he produces on the big day.

We were just talking about myself and Paul and Derrick on the way in there, I suppose where he was brilliant today, he accepted very early and he changed his mind. He didn't use any gas. He let them go, and he knew that he was going to have one bullet to fire when he got an opportunity, and that's exactly what he did.

He was brilliant on him.

Q. Peter, what did you think when he burst through?

PETER BRANT: A lot of horses find one move to go but they can't make it. To be able to make it was really exceptional for me. I was shocked when I saw him in the lead because I didn't think he had any breath of a chance to do that once he was back so far on this course.

He has shown us some very positive things throughout the year, and certainly he ran a great race in the King George and his race in the Irish Derby was phenomenal. We're very high on him right now.

M.V. MAGNIER: And the other thing, it's a great result for the Irish Derby. A lot of great horses have won it in the past, and it's good to see that the horse has come through after winning it again. A couple years ago, it was the highest rated 3-year-old race in the world.

No, it's an important result for the Irish Derby too.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations to all of you, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Peter Brant, Aidan, the entire team.