The 32nd Breeders' Cup World Championships kicked off on Friday at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. In contrast with the rest of the week, it was overcast with some sun peeking through and no rainfall, with temperatures in the low 50's. A record 44,947 fans came out for the first day of the two-day festivities. The main track had dried out to fast while the turf was still rated yielding after the three straight days of rain earlier in the week.
Full results with several photos per race are available at the link below the pay-off chart.
The highlight of Friday's card is the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Wedding Toast, winner of both the Ogden Phipps (G1) and the Beldame (G1), was the 3-1 favorite in the field of 14 over 9-2 I'm a Chatterbox and 6-1 Got Lucky. 45-1 My Sweet Addiction set the pace of 23.75, 47.28, and 1:11.49 while pressed by 19-1 Yahilwa and stalked by Wedding Toast. In the stretch the pacesetters tired as 7-1 Stopchargingmaria took over through 1 mile in 1:36.36 and held off 7-1 Stellar Wind by a neck in 1:48.98. It was a long 3 1/2 lengths back to 10-1 Curalina third while Wedding Toast faded to 11th.
Winning owner Kiki Courtelis said, "It was incredible. It's my first Breeders' Cup race that I've ever had a horse in, and just such an exciting experience. My mom and I have always wanted to go to thoroughbreds and we just decided to make the move, and moved to Kentucky after four of our best mares didn't hold their pregnancy when we got them home. We just said, you know, if we're going to be in this, we've got to be here."
The $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) featured 14 two-year-old fillies (after Lady Zuzu was scratched at the gate) going 1 mile on the turf. Alice Springs was the the 3-1 favorite off her Tattersalls Millions Stakes win over 9-2 Harmonize and 5-1 Illuminate. 29-1 Ruby Notion battled for the lead with 6-1 Catch a Glimpse through fractions of 24.34, 49.20, and 1:14.35 while stalked by 10-1 Sapphire Kitten. At the 3/16 pole Catch a Glimose moved up to take the lead, opening up by 1 1/2 lengths through 7/8 in 1:26.42. Alice Springs attempted to close but Catch a Glimpse held her off by 3/4 length in 1:39.08. It was a head back to third place finisher Nemoralia third.
Winning trainer Mark Casse, winning his first Breeders' Cup with his 26th Championshp starter said, "It feels good. It feels really good. When this is all you've ever done for your entire life, this is my entire life. This is important. She was a little rank in the early going, but we expected that. We’ve been trying and trying to get her to settle. She got a little rough in the first turn, but then she settled and went on and ran her race. She’s a good horse."
The Juvenile Fillies Turf
Purse: $1,000,000 Distance: 1 mile turf
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show
4 Catch a Glimpse Geroux 14.80 7.00 5.80
3 Alice Springs Moore 5.80 4.00
9 Nemoralia Rosario 9.20
Winning Time: 1:39.08
$2 Exacta 4-3 81.20
$2 Trifecta 4-3-9 1,195.40
$2 Superfecta 4-3-9-7 6,897.20
The $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) is for older horses going 1 mile arouhnd 2 turns of the main track. Liam's Map, winner of the Woodward (G1), was the 1-2 favorite over 6-1 Lea and 9-1 Red Vine. 44-1 Mr. Z and 17-1 Bradester dueled early through fractions of 23.10 and 46.23. On the far turn, Lea took over through 3/4 in 1:10.41 and led into the stretch through 7/8 in 1:22.66. However Liam's Map, who had stalked the pace in 4th, powered through to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:34.54. It was 3 1/4 lengths back to Red Vine third.
Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "He seems to have brilliant speed and the ability to carry it over a distance of ground. He has the high cruising speed. Today he overcame adversity so he took it to another level. Those are bittersweet moments when you retire one but it's always great to get a stud with momentum coming off a big win. It's hard to find horses this talented."
Kicking off the 32nd Breeders' Cup, the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) featured a full field of 14 2-year-olds going 1 mile on the turf. Airoforce was the 5-2 favorite off his win in the Bourbon (G3), the main local prep. In to challenge him included 5-1 second choice Cymric off a close second in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at Longchamp, and 7-1 third choice Hit It a Bomb, winner of the Star Appeal Stakes at Dundalk. 46-1 Manhattan Dan was allowed an uncontested lead of about 2 lengths through fractions of 23.12, 48.22, and 1:13.28, while stalked by 17-1 Dressed in Hermes and Cymric. Entering the stretch, Manhattan Dan continued to hold the lead through 7/8 in 1:25.95 but weakened late. Hit It a Bomb, last early, closed 6 wide and outfinished Airoforce by a neck to win in 1:38.86 over the yielding course. It was another neck back to 18-1 Birchwood third.
Winning trainer Aidan O'Brien said, "We discussed it before and Ryan said he was drawn 14, so he was going to leave him relaxed the first half of the race and he was going to walk it out from there. It was going to depend on where he was really. Then, it was whether he was going to get there or not. We've seen it so many times. He gave a marvelous ride, let him relax early and came along smooth."
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
Purse: $1,000,000 Distance: 1 mile turf
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show
14 Hit It a Bomb Moore 16.40 9.40 6.80
8 Airoforce Leparoux 4.40 3.20
6 Birchwood Doyle 11.20
Winning Time: 1:38.86
$1 Exacta 14-8 83.40
$1 Trifecta 14-8-6 1,471.00
$1 Superfecta 14-8-6-10 15,166.20
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.