Five-Year Old Campaign
Going against the modus operandi of the day, English Channel returned for another season in 2007, making his first start in a Thursday afternoon allowance at Gulfstream. He won the race, setting a course record for 1 1/8 miles and missing the world record by 0.59 seconds.
Next, joining fellow American horses Lava Man and Miesque's Approval, English Channel shipped to Nad Al Sheba in Dubai to run in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes. The three American entries all ran disappointingly, with English Channel running the worst race of his career, finishing in 12th place.
His next start came in the Manhattan. English Channel led in the stretch and held off challenges from the outside, only for Better Talk Now to squeeze by on the inside, beating him to the wire by a head.
In his next start, a prep for the upcoming Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park, English Channel attempted to defend his title in the United Nations against one of the country's top mares, stablemate Honey Ryder. English Channel beat Honey Ryder by a length with Better Talk Now well beaten. In addition, he set a course record with his victory.
English Channel then returned to Saratoga, where he had not run since breaking his maiden as a two-year-old. In the Sword Dancer Invitational, "The Graveyard of Champions" lived up to its reputation, as long shot Grand Couturier ran away from English Channel, winning by three lengths. English Channel finished second.
With just one stakes win in 2007, he returned to Belmont, a track that he had only won at once in five starts despite going off on more than one occasion as the favorite. In the Turf Classic Invitational, he went off as the 2-5 favorite. Running his usual race just behind the leaders, English Channel was blocked entering the stretch but then found a gap and accelerated through it, catching the leader and pulling away to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
Coming off of his win in the Turf Classic, English Channel made his third attempt at the Breeders' Cup Turf. Going off as the second favorite behind the odds-on favorite Dylan Thomas, he ran just off the lead and went to the front in the straight, pulling away from second-place Shamdinan to win. The seven-length victory was the largest of his career and the largest winning margin in Breeders' Cup Turf history. The horse was then retired to stud for the 2008 season at Hurricane Hall Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He currently stands at Lanes End in Versailles, Kentucky.
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