The $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) featured a field of 9 older horses going 1 mile around 2 turns of the main track. Defending champion Goldencents was sent off as the 7-10 favorite off his close second in the Santa Anita Sprint (G1) after winning the Pat O'Brien (G2). In to challenge him include 5-1 second choice Tapiture, second in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2), and 7-1 third choice Fed Biz, second in the Awesome Again (G1).
Jockey Rafael Bejarano sent Goldencents to the lead and he set fractions of 22.06, 44.80, and 1:09.27 while stalked by 20-1 Vicar's In Trouble. At the top of the lane, Goldencents opened up a 3 length lead over Tapiture. Kept to task by Bejarano, Goldencents cruised to a 1 1/4 length win in 1:35.16. It was 5 more lengths back to 9-1 Pants On Fire third.
Goldencents wins the Dirt Mile
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show
1 Goldencents Bejarano 3.40 2.60 2.10
9 Tapiture Napravnik 3.80 3.00
4 Pants On Fire Lopez 4.00
Winning Time: 1:35.16
$1 Exacta 1-9 7.10
$1 Trifecta 1-9-4 35.50
$1 Superfecta 1-9-4-7 328.90
Left: Goldencents heads to the winner's circle. Trainer Leandro Mora said, "This is very exciting. When I saw Tapiture coming, I started to sweat. But, Goldencents kept trying and I started to relax. I felt fine. He wasn't going to let anyone beat him today."
Right: Goldencents in the post parade. Winning jockey Rafael Bejarano said, "I knew I was going fast and I had to find a way to give him a little break from the 3/8 to the 1/4 pole. I was able to do that. When the other horse started to come to me, I held onto him just a little bit before I turned him loose. When I turned him loose, he fired big."
The trophy presentation with owners Josh Kaplan (far left) and Glenn Sorgenstein (far right) and and trainer Leandro Mora (second from right). Sorgenstein said, "He just did everything to plan. The hard work to get here, I can't tell you how much it means to have a guy Leandro by my side and Doug O'Neill at the helm. I mean, these guys do an incredible job. They're there for us 100% and for this horse. We just couldn't be happier."
Left: Second place finisher Tapiture returns after the race. Trainer Steve Asmussen said, "He was tremendous. To have a 3-year-old you are trying to win the Derby with in the spring and have him step up like that today is really something. Hats off to the winner, who is the (first) repeat winner of the (Dirt) Mile, but my horse has heart. He's all heart. This is the winner's home track and this is his specialty, and my horse had been running longer and was shortening up today. I'm very, very proud of him."
Right: Third place finisher Pants On Fire returns after the race. Jockey Paco Lopez said, "(Trainer) Kelly (Breen) told me to get out of the gate well and establish a good position, which I did. The only problem I had in the race was when (Tapiture) crowded me a little at the 3/8. The leader never stopped running."
Breeders' Cup Saturday Results - There were 9 races Saturday highlighted by the $5 million Classic where American Pharoah was an impressive winner in his final start before retiring to stud. Also on the card, Found won the Turf, Nyquist won the Juvenile, and Tepin won the Mile. Get the results, charts, and photos for all 9 races here. Get more photos and comments for each race here.
Breeders' Cup Friday Results - There were 4 races Friday highlighted by the Distaff where Stopchargingmaria won by a neck over Stellar Wind and the Dirt Mile won by Liam's Map. Get the results, charts, and photos for all 4 races here.
Thursday Breeders' Cup Photos - Photos and comments for 38 horses out on Thursday morning at Keeneland on both the main and training tracks, including American Pharoah. Beholder was also out, but was found to have bled when scoped and is scratched from the Classic.
Wednesday Breeders' Cup Photos - Photos and comments for 46 horses out on a very rainy Wednesday morning at Keeneland on both the main and training tracks, including Keen Ice, Frosted, and Golden Horn. No American Pharoah yet, hopefully he comes out tomorrow.
2015 Breeders' Cup Entries - Check out the entries, post postitions, and morning line odds for the 13 Breeders' Cup World Championship races to be held at Keeneland on October 30 and 31.
Tuesday Breeders' Cup Photos - Photos and comments for 31 horses out on a rainy Tuesday morning at Keeneland including Stephanie's Kitten, Grand Arch, and Private Zone.
Monday Breeders' Cup Photos - Photos and comments for 28 horses out Monday morning at Keeneland including Rachel's Valentina and a timed work by Beholder.
Sunday Breeders' Cup Photos - Photos and comments for 10 horses out Sunday morning at Keeneland including Liam's Map and Lea
Breeders' Cup Weather - Check out the latest weather forecasts for the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland
Review: Crushing the Cup 2015 - by Jim Mazur and Peter Mallett. An invaluable tool for trying to unlock the mysteries of handicapping the Breeders' Cup races at Keeneland updated for 2015.
2014 Breeders' Cup Saturday Results - The feature race was the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic won by Bayern. Get the results, charts, and photos for all 9 races here.
2014 Breeders' Cup Friday Results - Friday was headlined by the $2 million Ladies Classic won by Untapable. Get the results, charts, and photos for all 4 races here.
Breeders' Cup History - Historical info, past results, and photos from previous runnings
The Breeders' Cup Championship Day - The official page for the Breeders' Cup championship races. Just about anything you need to know about it: results, video clips, and race calls for past years, and eventually nominations, entries, and results.
Free Prep Replays - for major prep races in the Breeders' Cup Challenge. The ones with camera logos have video available.
Blazing Silks, Breeders' Cup Edition- an interactive social network game that allows horse racing fans and social gamers to train and care for Thoroughbred horses.
TV Schedule - for all the preps and other programming leading up to the big day
Breeders' Cup Postcards - Breeders' Cup theme virtual postcards to send your friends including many past winners
Breeders' Cup Supplemental Entries - The old official policy on supplemental entries plus all the supplemental entries and how they fared, mostly it was a losing proposition. There are no more supplements now, only late nominations making it impossible to track now.
Left: Goldencents heads to the winner's circle. Trainer Leandro Mora said, "This is very exciting. When I saw Tapiture coming, I started to sweat. But, Goldencents kept trying and I started to relax. I felt fine. He wasn't going to let anyone beat him today."
Left: Second place finisher Tapiture returns after the race. Trainer Steve Asmussen said, "He was tremendous. To have a 3-year-old you are trying to win the Derby with in the spring and have him step up like that today is really something. Hats off to the winner, who is the (first) repeat winner of the (Dirt) Mile, but my horse has heart. He's all heart. This is the winner's home track and this is his specialty, and my horse had been running longer and was shortening up today. I'm very, very proud of him."
