French Spot Plays: Saint-Cloud for Oct. 26

The last significant day of the 2025 French flat season occurs Sunday at Saint-Cloud, when it hosts six Group stakes for Thoroughbreds, including a trio of Group 1s. However, the two top-level events for two-year-olds, the Criterium International (G1) and Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1), might be dominated at short odds by Coolmore and trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Puerto Rico, once under consideration for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), is a short-priced favorite for the one-mile Criterium International. The highly promising Pierre Bonnard, meanwhile, looks well suited to dominate the 1 1/4-mile Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

My attention, then, will turn to a couple other stakes on the program.

Race 5: Prix de Flore (G3)

This 1 1/4-mile test for fillies and mares might be a good spot for the three-year-old #10 Safia (10-1) to step up. A lightly raced daughter of Sottsass, Safia has won three of five, including a stakes at Longchamp two back and a minor race over this course earlier in the season.

Although her two losses occurred in both of her previous tries in Group company, she likely found the one-mile distance of the Prix de la Grotte (G3) last spring too short and faster ground in the Aug. 3 Prix de Psyche (G3) not ideal. She enters fresh, and the softer conditions prevalent in Paris this time of year might contribute to an improved effort at this level.

Race 8: Prix Royal-Oak (G1)

France's equivalent of the St Leger (G1), long ago open to older horses, is run over 1 7/8 miles. Although defending titlist Double Major and early favorite Arrow Eagle hold obvious appeal, #5 Caballo De Mar (7-1) is a horse on the rise and with the stamina to suit.

Caballo De Mar rides in on a two-race win streak. While his score in the modest German St Leger (G3) at Dortmund is no great shakes, all things considered, he stepped up to land the 2 1/2-mile Prix du Cadran (G1) two weeks later, drawing away from the favored Coltrane to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Although Caballo De Mar has logged a lot of miles of late, he's perhaps the most interesting contender in the market at this writing.