Henri Matisse Entered at Leopardstown for 2025 Debut
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) winner Henri Matisse is entered for his 3-year-old debut March 30 in the Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes (G3), a seven-furlong turf target which trainer Aidan O’Brien nominated earlier this week as a means to getting the freshness out of the son of Wootton Bassett .
In last year’s Juvenile Turf, Henri Matisse broke a step slow under Ryan Moore but then rallied from 11th to edge Iron Man Cal by a neck. Henri Matisse completed the one-mile test in 1:34.48 to secure the first group 1 or grade 1 victory of his career.
That effort also marked the United States debut for Henri Matisse, who was sent off the 7-2 favorite in the Juvenile Turf off a pair of group 2 wins in Ireland—the Railway Stakes and the Irish E.B.F. Futurity Stakes—both at the Curragh.
For Sunday’s test, Henri Matisse has drawn the inside gate and Moore is scheduled to ride.
Awaiting Henri Matisse Sunday will be another Breeders’ Cup competitor. Adrian Murray-trained Arizona Blaze also was in action at Del Mar last November, finishing second to Magnum Force in the five-furlong Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), and steps up to seven furlongs Sunday.
Last year Arizona Blaze won the Marble Hill Stakes (G3) at the Curragh and placed in three other group stakes, including a third in the Phoenix Stakes (G1), before his Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint run.
