Grosser Preis von Baden 2013
1st September 2013 - 2,400 metres (1½ miles), three years or older thoroughbreds, Iffezheim, Germany| Pl. | dist. | Kg | Trainer | Jockey | Odds | |
| 1. | Novellist | 60 | A. Wöhler | E. Pedroza | 1.3 | |
| 2. | 3/4 | Seismos | 60 | A. Wöhler | A. Atzeni | 8.3 |
| 3. | 3/4 | Meandre | 60 | A. Shavuev | M. Demuro | 8.1 |
| 4. | 1/2 | Empoli | 56 | P. Schiergen | A. Starke | 6.4 |
| 5. | 4 | Quinzieme Monarque | 56 | J. Hirschberger | A. de Vries | 7.9 |
Preview from 30th August 2013
The 143rd Grosse Preis von Baden has such a clear favorite on Sunday that because of his alleged strength most of his potential opponents did not make an appearance. The son of Monsun Novellist won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in a course record time in Ascot at the end of July and is currently the best rated horse of the world besides Wise Dan. Andreas Wöhler’s colt will use the Group 1 race in Iffezheim as the last test ahead of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He won’t be ridden by Johnny Murtagh like usually, Eduardo Pedroza will have the ride on Sunday.As a horse like Pastorius, who has beaten Novellist twice, won’t start due to an injury, German Derby winner Lucky Speed declined because of a cold and strong horses like Libertarian, Masterstroke, Haya Landa or Hunters Light disappeared from the entry list on Monday, it’s not easy to imagine who should stop Novellist to become the successor of Danedream in the Grosse Preis von Baden.
Meandre had been among the Arc de Triomphe favorites in 2011, won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud ahead of Danedream last year and became 6th in the Dubai World Cup in March, but his recent form is anything else than fine, he just finished only third in the Grosse Preis von Berlin at the end of July.
Besides Novellist Andreas Wöhler entered Seismos who won the Grosse Preis von Bayern (Group 1) four length ahead of Empoli three weeks ago. Empoli is the only horse that German top trainer Peter Schiergen will have in the race. The three-year-old had become runner-up in the prestigious Oppenheimer-Union-Rennen earlier this year.
Quinzieme Monarque, 4th in the German Derby, had made some decent runs in Group 3 races in the United States last winter, but he will be only outsider on Sunday.
The Grosse Preis von Baden is run since 1858, it is the highest classified horse race in Germany. The winner gets automatically invited to the Breeders Cup and the Japan Cup.
