 |
|
|
|
|
 Julie Krone and Richard Mandella celebrate their win with Halfbridled in the Juvenile Fillies. Krone became the first female jockey to win a Breeders' Cup race and Mandella became the first trainer to have four wins in a single Breeders' Cup day. |
The 20th anniversary of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships was contested at a smoke-shrouded Santa Anita Park on Saturday, October 25. It was very hot and sunny and smoke from the brush fires in the nearby mountains obscured the famous backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains. Longshots were the order of the day as the hot weather, the hard turf course, and the smoke and smog took their toll on some of the more highly regarded entrants.
In the Breeders' Cup Distaff Presented by Nextel, Adoration, the 40-1 longest shot on the board, won gate to wire by a widening 4 1/2 lengths under jockey Pat Valenzuela in a time of 1:49 over the fast main track. 9-1 shot Elloluv tracked her the whole way and finished second, and it was another 2 1/2 lengths back to 4-1 Got Koko in third. 3-5 favorite Sightseek disappointed back in fourth, 3 1/2 lengths in arrears of Got Koko. Adoration paid a whopping $83.40 to win as the longest odds entry in the field of seven.
|
Purse: $2,000,000 Distance: 1 1/8 miles
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 2 Adoration Valenzuela 83.40 33.40 25.80 6 Elloluv Nakatani 9.20 12.20 7 Got Koko Solis 6.80
MORE PHOTOS! |
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was expected to be a coronation for Halfbridled as champion 2-year-old filly and she didn't disappoint as the 5-2 favorite. Under jockey Julie Krone, who became the first female jockey to win a Breeders' Cup race, she tucked in behind runners having to angle in from the far outside post. Turning for home she kicked into gear and blew right by the pace, drawing away to win by 2 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:42 3/5 for the 1 1/16 mile feature. 13-1 shot Ashado was second, and it was a neck back from her to 8-1 shot Victory U.S.A in third.
|
Purse: $1,000,000 Distance: 1 1/16 miles
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 14 Halfbridled Krone 6.60 4.80 3.40 5 Ashado Velazquez 11.60 7.20 8 Victory U.S.A. Bailey 4.80
MORE PHOTOS! |
Taking to the turf for the first time in the afternoon, the NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile drew a wide-open full field of fourteen. 5-1 shot Six Perfections, a three year old filly taking on boys, stayed in between horses back in eighth early, then came on strong down the stretch splitting rivals to win by 3/4 length over 12-1 shot Touch of the Blues. The time for the mile distance on the firm turf course was 1:33 4/5. It was a neck back to 39-1 longshot Century City. 3-1 favorite Peace Rules set the early pace but had nothing left turning for home, fading badly and finishing last.
|
Purse: $1,500,000 Distance: 1 mile turf
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 13 Six Perfections Bailey 12.60 7.00 4.80 9 Touch of the Blues Desormeaux 9.80 6.80 8 Good Journey Day 3.60
MORE PHOTOS! |
The speedsters were next in the Sprint, with 13 horses going six furlongs. 23-1 longshot Cajun Beat stalked the pace for the first quarter which went in a blistering 21 seconds, grabbed the lead after half a mile and then drew away down the lane to win by 2 1/4 lengths over 14-1 shot Bluesthestandard in a time of 1:07 4/5. It was 2 lengths back to 7-2 shot Shake You Down in third. 2-1 favorite Aldebaran finished a disappointing sixth for trainer Bobby Frankel in his first try at 6 furlongs.
|
Purse: $1,000,000 Distance: 6 furlongs
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 11 Cajun Beat Velasquez 47.60 19.80 11.20 8 Bluesthestandard Smith 12.60 8.00 2 Shake You Down Luzzi 5.00
MORE PHOTOS! |
The Filly and Mare Turf may have finally put to rest any excuse for Europeans about travelling to California, as European trained horses swept the first three positions and European bred horses the top five. 3-1 favorite Islington stalked the pace in sixth early under Kieren Fallon, then at the top of the stretch came on strong and duelled with 47-1 shot L'Ancresse down the stretch to win by a neck. The final time was 1:59 for the 1 1/4 mile turf feature. It was 2 1 /2 lengths back to 14-1 shot Yesterday, while Bobby Frankel trainee Heat Haze (bred in England) finished fourth.
|
Purse: $1,000,000 Distance: 1 1/4 miles turf
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 4 Islington Fallon 7.80 6.00 4.20 11 L'Ancresse Prado 32.60 13.00 2 Yesterday Kinane 7.80
MORE PHOTOS! |
The Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile featured twelve 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. 27-1 longshot Action This Day shocked the crowd with a last to first run. Jockey David Flores kept him back in last early, then on the turn, split rivals passing seven horses in upper stretch. Inside the final furlong, Action This Day collared his stablemate 9-1 shot Minister Eric and won going away by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:43 3/5 to give trainer Richard Mandella a 1-2 sweep. It was another 5 lengths back to 6-1 Chapel Royal. 8-5 favorite Cuvee stalked the pace in fourth early but tired badly at the top of the stretch and finished last, eased under the wire.
|
Purse: $1,500,000 Distance: 1 1/16 miles
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 2 Action This Day Flores 55.60 19.20 11.00 7 Minister Eric Solis 8.80 7.20 10 Chapel Royal Velazquez 5.60
MORE PHOTOS! |
Perhaps the most exciting finish of the day was in the 1 1/2 mile the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf. Defending champion and 5-1 shot High Chaparral stalked the pace in third early then rallied down the lane between horses. Meanwhile, 14-1 longshot Johar, unhurried in last in the early stages, stormed down the lane five wide to hit the wire with the champion. After a lengthy delay as the stewards looked at the photo, the first dead heat for win in Breeders' Cup history was announced. It was another head back to 7-2 shot Falbrav in third. 2-1 favorite Storming Home disappointed in seventh.
|
Purse: $2,000,000 Distance: 1 1/2 miles turf
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 3dh High Chaparral Kinane 6.40 6.20 3.80 9dh Johar Solis 13.60 9.00 5.40 8 Falbrav Holland 4.20
MORE PHOTOS! |
Capping the festivities for the afternoon was the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge. A field of 10 faced the starter vying for the winner's share of the $4 million purse, the richest in North America. 14-1 shot Pleasantly Perfect was unhurried early, then turning for home went four wide to wear down 5-2 favorite Medaglia d'Oro in the final strides and win by 1 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:59 4/5. It was 3/4 length back to 15-1 shot Dynever in third. Interestingly, Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide was ninth while defending champion Volponi was tenth and last. The win gave Richard Mandella his fourth Breeders' Cup win on the afternoon, a record for a trainer in a single Breeders' Cup, and jockey Alex Solis got his second win on the card. Also worth noting, Mandella won two Cup races on one card once before, in 1993 when it was last held at Santa Anita.
|
Purse: $4,000,000 Distance: 1 1/4 miles
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 2 Pleasantly Perfect Solis 30.40 9.60 6.60 8 Medaglia d'Oro Bailey 4.40 3.60 6 Dynever Nakatani 7.40
MORE PHOTOS! |
More Breeders' Cup info:
Back to Horse-Races.Net main page
| Want to keep up with what's new on this site? Sign up for my weekly newsletter here. |
On the Forum:
