Touch of Destiny changes course and will now be trained by Paulo Lobo in Kentucky

The Midshipman colt, who exits a last-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), had previously been trained by Michael McCarthy

Touch of Destiny will continue his U.S. campaign, albeit under new training management/ BREEDERS' CUP

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario)—Uruguayan star Touch of Destiny is set to begin a new chapter in his U.S. campaign. The Midshipman colt will now be trained by Brazilian-born Paulo Lobo, who takes over his preparation in Kentucky, replacing Michael McCarthy, under whose care the gray most recently contested the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar. The news was first reported by journalist Héctor García.

The Breeders’ Cup did not bring the expected result: Touch of Destiny finished last, nearly 40 lengths behind winner Nysos (Nyquist). After showing speed early and disputing the pace through the opening stages, he began to fade before reaching the backstretch and never recovered.

The setback, however, does nothing to diminish the high regard his connections maintain for the South American champion, and the change of barn aims to open a new phase of adaptation and fine-tuning within the demanding structure of U.S. racing.

The reasoning behind the move is straightforward. Paulo Lobo, long established in the United States, is the trusted trainer for Haras Phillipson, already overseeing a growing group of runners who compete under the Brownwood Farm banner.

With a deep résumé in North America—including top-level victories—and an intimate understanding of how to handle imports from South America, Lobo has repeatedly developed successful campaigns with horses arriving from Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Touch of Destiny arrived in the U.S. undefeated after six starts at Maroñas, a streak that included victories in the Clásicos Irineo Leguisamo, Adolfo Folle Juanico, Lavalleja (L), Campeones Juvenile, and the Asociación Uruguaya de Propietarios de Caballos de Carrera (G3)—the latter his Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In,” where he defeated the excellent Si Señor (Señor Candy), facing older horses while still a 2-year-old.

With proven talent, a fresh environment, and a trainer who knows precisely how to manage top-class South American imports, Touch of Destiny now turns the page, aiming to rediscover the brilliance he showed at Maroñas—his Breeders’ Cup effort being nothing more than a predictable first stumble at the highest global level.