Henri Matisse (IRE)

Henri Matisse, a Wootton Basset colt bred in Ireland, won his first three starts at age 2 in 2024 at The Curragh in his home country, including the Group 2 Railway Stakes and Futurity Stakes. He then stepped up to the Group 1 level on Sept. 15 over the same course and rallied well to finish second by three-quarters of a length. Following that, his Coolmore-affiliated owners sent him to France for a start in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Oct. 6 at Longchamp, but Henri Matisse did not handle the soft turf and finished fifth of nine.

Next, the colt joined a large Coolmore contingent traveling to California for the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Henri Matisse drew an outside post position in the final Breeders’ Cup race on Future Stars Friday, the Juvenile Turf, but was still sent off as the 3.90-1 post-time favorite, and validated those odds by closing swiftly in the stretch under Ryan Moore to edge longshot Iron Man Cal by a neck and pick up his fourth win in six career starts, and first at the Grade/Group 1 level. The colt gave trainer Aidan O’Brien win no. 20 in the Breeders’ Cup, tying him with D. Wayne Lukas for the most in the event’s history.

Henri Matisse is out of the two-time Group 1-winning mare Immortal Verse, a daughter of Pivotal. He’s a half-brother to two-time Group 1-winning filly Tenebrism and to Group 2 winner Statuette.