A controversial outcome in the Classic, classic runs in the Turf and Turf Sprint, some stunning upsets and a relatively disappointing showing by the Europeans sparked Saturday’s climactic day of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita, writes Robert Kieckhefer of UPI Racing.
A keen disappointment was the last-place finish of Hong Kong’s first-ever Breeders’ Cup starter. Nonetheless, the event was truly international with one winner bred in Japan and raced in France and others with significant international prowess. The Sprint winner trains at Hawthore Race Course outside Chicago.
And the Europeans salvaged a 1-2-3 finish in the Turf Mile, albeit with the “B team”.
It’s too much to summarize, so here are the details:
Classic
Bayern shot right to the lead in a very rough start to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, held off Toast of New York for the entire 1 1/4 miles and won by a nose over that rival with Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome right behind and previously undefeated Shared Belief fourth. Shared Belief took the worst of the start, as Bayern veered sharply left right out of the No. 7 gate, slamming Shared Belief into Moreno in a chain reaction. Bayern, none the worse for the contact, went right to the lead with UAE Derby winner Toast of New York right behind. The two raced that way into the far turn, when California Chrome ranged up alongside the embattled pair. But the Derby winner couldn’t get by and settled for third. Bayern, winner of Grade I Haskell and the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby, finished the 1 1/4 miles of the Classic in 1:59.88 with Martin Garcia up. The stewards’ decision to let the result stand was not popular with the 61,114 who attended the Saturday races at Santa Anita. Shared Belief’s jockey, Mike Smith, said, “I believe it cost me the whole race.” Winning jockey Martin Garcia said the ground broke out from under Bayern in his first jumps. “There was nothing I could do. I mean, I corrected right away and then — but he was pretty clear.” Trainer Bob Baffert said he believed Toast of New York, who also started No. 9 and also moved in sharply “was doing more crushing back there than we did.” The result also throws into question who will be U.S. Horse of the Year. Either Shared Belief or California Chrome could have claimed the title with a win in the Classic. In the event, Main Sequence will get consideration after winning the Turf and Bayern also will get some votes.
Baffert was asked if he’s happy he no longer will be asked why he has never won the Classic. “I guess the next question is, ‘When are you going to be on Dancing with the Stars?’ or something like that. I don’t know,” he said. Owner Kaleem Shah said Bayern might be considered for the Dubai World Cup in March. But Baffert, who suffered a heart attack in Dubai two years ago, countered, “I’ll take my cardiologist with me. He’s ready. He wants to go.”
Mile
Karakontie, a Japanese-bred, 3-year-old colt, fought to the lead in the stretch run and held off Anodin, an Irish-bred runner, winning the $2 million, Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile by 1 length as the top four finishers all went off at double-digit odds. Karakontie, a Bernstein colt campaigned in France, finished 1 mile on firm going in 1:32.88 with Stephane Pasquier in the irons. The favorites were nowhere to be found at the end, with crack British miler Toronado getting home a fading eighth. Karakontie, meanwhile, raced well back of the early pace, found running room to advance on the turn and then got a seam between horses to hit the lead with an electric turn of of foot. “I was very lucky because I found my way inside,” Pasquier said of the stretch run. Karakontie won the Group 1 French 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp in May after a successful run as a 2-year-old. But in his last two races, both Group 1 events, he finished eighth and 11th. “He was a brilliant 2-year-old and was very good this spring,” said winning trainer Jonathan Pease. “We gave him a break and he showed a great turn of foot today.”
Sprint
Work All Week, an aptly named, blue-collar 5-year-old based at Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago, survived a wicked pace duel in the $1.5 million, Grade I Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint and held off Secret Circle at the end to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Private Zone was third and Bourbon Courage finished fourth. The first-ever Breeders’ Cup runner from Hong Kong, Rich Tapestry, went to the post as the favorite but was never in contention, was eased in the lane and finished last. Work All Week, owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds and trained by Roger Brueggemann, has toiled at such as Fairmount Park, Indiana Grand and Prairie Meadows in the past year but came into Saturday’s race off a front-running victory in the Grade III Phoenix at Keeneland. With Florent Geroux aboard for his first Breeders’ Cup ride, the City Zip gelding hooked up with Fast Anna through the early furlongs of the Sprint, then found enough to hold off last year’s winner, Secret Circle, in 1:08.28. Work All Week now has 12 wins and two seconds from 15 career starts and Brueggemann said it’s about time he gets some respect. “They kept saying we didn’t beat anybody but I wonder what they’ll say now,” he said. Richard Papiese, of Midwest Thoroughbreds, the nation’s leading owner by wins, added his Illinois-bred winner “doesn’t know where he was born. Nothing against Illinois. I mean, he thinks he went through the (sales) ring at Keeneland and brought in three point five (million dollars). That’s how he feels.” Work All Week is a shoo-in for Illinois Horse of the Year. The disappointment of the race was Rich Tapestry, who came from Hong Kong to finish second in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in March, then won the Grade I Santa Anita Sprint Championship three weeks before the Breeders’ Cup, beating Secret Circle, among others. He appeared to break well from the gate but had no response when called on by jockey Olivier Doleuze and wasn’t persevered with late.
Turf
Main Sequence ran his 2014 record to a sparkling 4-for-4 with a stretch-running victory over French-based Flintshire in the $3 million, Grade I Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. Twilight Eclipse, who has chased Main Sequence all year, ran late to snatch third from England’s Telescope. The victory was a significant spanking of the European contingent as Flintshire ran a good second to Treve in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in his last start and Telescope is a multiple graded stakes winner back home. Main Sequence, a 5-year-old gelding by Aldebaran, started his career in England, finishing second to Camelot in the Epsom Derby in 2012 but has blossomed since he was sent to trainer Graham Motion this year. In succession, has won the United Nations at Monmouth, the Sword Dancer at Saratoga and the Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont — all Grade I events. In each race, he rated in mid-pack, then was just up for the victory, by a neck, a head and a neck. Saturday’s race mimicked those events as jockey John Velazquez kept Main Sequence in the middle of the 12-horse field, produced him through the lane and won by the comparatively comfortable distance of 1/2 length. Velazquez was taking over for the injured Rajiv Maragh. “Rajiv told me all about the horse and how to ride him,” Velazquez said. “He told me everything good about the horse and he (Main Sequence) did exactly what he said. It was the perfect trip.” The race certainly puts Main Sequence front and center in the U.S. Horse of the Year discussion. For Flintshire, a 4-year-old Dansili colt, it was a familiar runner-up disappointment. Before the Arc, he was second to Ruler of the World in the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp. Two starts before that, he was second to Cirrus Des Aigles in the Grade I Coronation Cup at Epsom. “He is still coming good,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Juddmonte Farms, which owns Flintshire. “He’s still a possible for Hong Kong (the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 14), or maybe Dubai next year.”
Juvenile
Texas Red was last entering the stretch turn in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and first as the field straightened out for home. He then quickly ran by the lot and shook clear of 10 rivals, winning off by 6 1/2 lengths at 13-1 odds. Carpe Diem, the favorite, was best of the rest with Upstart third and Irish invader The Great War fourth. Texas Red, trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Kent, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.91. The Afleet Alex colt, purchased for $17,000 at the Keeneland sale in September 2013, took three tries to gain his first win, finally getting the job done on the Del Mar all-weather course in August. He then finished third in the Grade I FrontRunner at Santa Anita in his final prep for Saturday’s race. The two who finished in front of him in the FrontRunner, American Pharoh and Calculator, both had been entered for the Breeders’ Cup but both were scratched. “The first thing I thought when he was drawing away was, ‘How good is American Pharoh?’ said Keith Desormeaux, who won his first Breeders’ Cup race. “You never want to see a defection but it had to help.” Kent Desormeaux said the colt did it on his own. “I hadn’t even asked him yet and the others started coming back to me at the quarter pole. So that made it easy,” he said.
Turf Sprint
Bobby’s Kitten rallied from last of 14 to win a thrilling renewal of the $1 million, Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf by 1/2 length over No Nay Never, who attended a hot early pace. Undrafted was a whisker behind in third, just in front of long shot Ageless. Bobby’s Kitten, among the best of the seemingly innumerable offspring of Kitten’s Joy campaigned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, ran about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:12.73 with Joel Rosario riding. As the field left the hill and crossed over the main track, Bobby’s Kitten was dead last and on the far outside. He needed the entire length of the stretch to get by his 13 rivals for a blanket finish. “I thought I had no shot but he gave me a huge turn of foot,” Rosario said. Frankie Dettori, who rode No Nay Never, said his mount “thought he won but the other horse was very wide and he didn’t see him.” It was the first time at this distance for Bobby’s Kitten, who finished third in the Grade I Woodbine Mile in his previous start and has raced as long as 1 1/8 miles. No Nay Never, a graded stakes winner in France for trainer Wesley Ward, was coming off a win in the Grade III Woodford at Keeneland, going 5 1/2 furlongs. Ken Ramsey, taking a page from Ward’s book, said he looks at Bobby’s Kitten “and we’re thinking about Royal Ascot next year.” The colt is named for trainer Chad Brown’s mentor, Bobby Frankel and Ramsey called him “probably the very best Kitten’s Joy I ever raised.” Brown said he will be looking toward the Breeders’ Cup Mile on the Keeneland turf next fall — possibly after an English detour.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Judy the Beauty shot by the early leaders at mid-stretch in the $1 million DraftKings Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and held off a desperate late effort by Better Lucky to win by a head. Thank You Marylou finished third along the rail. Judy the Beauty, a 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare who finished second in this race last year, got 7 furlongs in 1:21.92 under Mike Smith. She now has won four of five starts this year, all of them graded stakes, for owner and trainer Wesley Ward. She is another of Ward’s international stars, having won the Prix Caravelle at Chantilly in France in her second career start after breaking her maiden at Keeneland in April of 2011. She finished second by 1/2 length to Groupie Doll in last year’s Filly & Mare Sprint. “Absolutely dynamite,” Smith said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better trip — almost every step of it except for almost getting caught.” Ward said Judy the Beauty “will head back to Kentucky. I had thought about retiring her but there is no doubt that Keeneland is absolutely her favorite track. I just want to give her another chance to win at her home track.” The 2015 Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be contested for the first time at Keeneland.
Filly & Mare Turf
Dayatthespa hit the lead early in the $2 million, Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, relaxed into a moderate pace and kept going long enough to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Stephanie’s Kitten. Just the Judge was third and the defending champion, Dank, finished fourth with an even run. Dayatthespa, a 5-year-old City Zip mare, ran 1 1/4 miles on turf officially rated “good” after overnight rains, in 2:00.12 with Javier Castellano in the irons. The Chad Brown trainee won for the third straight time, following victories in a state-bred stakes at Saratoga and then the Grade I First Lady at Keeneland, going 1 mile. Saturday’s race was her first at the 1 1/4-miles distance. “I thought she could get the distance if we could get away with a slow pace,” Castellano said, “and that’s exactly what we did. When we got to the three-quarters in 1:13, I thought to myself, ‘We’re going to steal this thing.’ And we did.” Brown also trains Stephanie’s Kitten. The trainers of Europeans Just the Judge and Dank both said a soft pace in the middle stages of the race put paid to their horses’ chances. “My God, they didn’t half-crawl,” said Just the Judge’s trainer, Charlie Hills.
Juvenile Fillies
Take Charge Brandi, at 60-1 odds, led all the way to a 1/2-lengths victory in the $2 million, Grade I 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Giant’s Causeway filly, boasting only one previous victory from five starts, blazed through 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.95 with Victor Espinoza up. Top Decile made a late run to finish second and Wonder Gal was third. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas ran his record of Breeders’ Cup wins to 20 with the massive upset. Six of the 20 came in the Juvenile Fillies. Espinoza, who rode the filly for the first time, said Lukas told him “to let her run and I did that. I hit her once and she didn’t seem to like it so I didn’t hit her any more.” Take Charge Brandi won at first asking at Churchill Downs, then finished a brave second in the Grade III Schuylerville at Saratoga. She then suffered three straight losses, each by double-digit lengths, before the Breeders’ Cup start. Lukas called the win “the most exciting one yet” and said Dr. Bill Caton, who treated his son, Jeff, after a backstretch accident, “bet her heavy. He won’t be able to carry it out in a shopping bag.” Owner Willis Horton noted Take Charge Brandi’s dam is a half-sister to Will Take Charge. “I’m looking for a great future in this filly and to go on with her and hope I get to come back to the Breeders’ Cup next year,” Horton said.
On the Saturday undercard:
The $100,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint came off the turf and half the field scratched, leaving Ocho Ocho Ocho to jet off in the stretch and win by daylight over Peacenluv Peacenluv. Tizcano finished third. Ocho Ocho Ocho, a 2-year-old Street Sense colt, won for the second time in as many starts, covering the 6 1/2 furlongs on a good track in 1:14.57. The surface switch eliminated all but one of the European entries and that one, War Alert, finished last.
Amaranth shot out to a big early lead in the $100,000, Grade III Senator Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares and held on at the end to win by 3/4 length from Velvet Mesquite. Fanticola, well last through the early going, put in a late run but flattened out to finish third. Amaranth, a 3-year-old Mr. Greeley filly, ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:16.07. The race, named for a former California state senator, came off the turf and its graded status is subject to review.
Acceptance set a pressured pace in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile for state-bred 2-year-olds and held on gamely to defeat Wake Up Nick by1 1/4 lengths. Mischief Clem finished third. Acceptance, a Vronsky colt, ran 7 furlongs on a good main track in 1:21.70 with Elvis Trujillo up. He now is 2-for-2 after winning the race in which California Chrome finished sixth last year.
