A great race to end a memorable weekend. We will hopefully reconvene next year at Del Mar, when Arrogate may attempt to win a second Classic.
Thanks for joining me over the last two days, this is Greg Wood signing off at Santa Anita.
And the final word goes to Mike Smith, whose three wins over the last two days won him the Shoemaker Award for the outstanding jockey at the meeting. He now has 25 Breeders’ Cup wins in all, including four in the Classic.
This horse has run only five times, and he’s beaten California Chrome. That’s incredible.
Nope, looks like Sherman is saying it will be the Pegasus Cup and then retirement for California Chrome, ie. no return to Dubai in March to try to defend the Dubai World Cup.
There must be a chance too that Arrogate will end up in the stalls for the Pegasus Cup. It’s been confirmed, meanwhile, that he will stay in training as a four-year-old.
There’s some confusion here over whether California Chrome has run his last race. Art Sherman, his trainer, seemed to suggest as much shortly afterwards, but at the same time, his owners have paid $1m to buy an entry in January’s Pegasus Cup at Gulfstream Park. Assuming California Chrome is fit and ready, it would seem very odd not to run.
Arrogate ended up as an 8-5 chance, and gives Bob Baffert his third consecutive win in the Classic. California Chrome lost nothing in defeat, however, and played his full part in a brilliant race at the end of another outstanding Breeders’ Cup.
Quotes from the Classic will be here as soon as I have them.
Breeders’ Cup Classic result: 1. Arrogate, 2. California Chrome, 3. Keen Ice.
Wow. Arrogate needed to dig deep, and boy, did he dig, and find. California Chrome looked to be going best as he turned in, but Mike Smith was just about keeping tabs on him aboard Arrogate and slowly, slowly he inched his way into contention.
Arrogate got to California Chrome a few strides from the line and to win by about half a length. Great race.
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Top of the stretch, it’s the big two duelling, and Arrogate gets up to win!
Still Cal Chrome in front, leaving the back, Melatonin under pressure.
Cal Chrome sets the pace from Melatonin and Frosted, Arrogate is fifth into the back.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic!
Ok, they are now going behind the stalls... Will the Chrome bring it home?
Still not getting the runners into the stalls for the Classic, even though the race was due off nearly 10 minutes ago. Playing havoc with my deadlines, this.
Approaching the gates for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Arrogate has shortened slightly to 9-5.
Not long now ...
The buzzing sense of anticipation here at Santa Anita is intoxicating. The runners are heading out onto the track, and a singer is belting out “The Best Is Yet To Come” on the PA.
Just under 15 minutes to post time for the Classic. California Chrome has eased slightly to 4-5 on the machine, but it is still 14-1 bar the three at the head of the market.
Here’s Henry Candy on the six-place finish of Limato in teh Mile:
He was possibly a bit green early on. We have no excuses. Everything seemed to go right. There are plenty of good days ahead to look forward to.
Frosted is a 7-1 chance, by the way, to give the US-based arm of Godolphin’s global bloodstock operation a win in the Classic.
And the field also includes Effinex, owned Dr Russell S Cohen, who sports a handlebar moustache and was partying like it was 1999 at a post-racing do in Pasadena last night. He is something of a character, to say the least, and name his horse in, er, honour of his ex-wife.
Well, perhaps not quite all the punters...
There are nine runners in the Classic, but the punters are treating it as a straight showdown between California Chrome - currently 3-5 on the local show - and Arrogate, at 2-1.
A no-show for the Europeans in the Mile. Limato was poised to strike under Harry Bentley with a furlong to run but he couldn’t find the finish he needed over this trip, even at such a tight track. The pace had been strong from the start and he faded, while Alice Springs and Ryan Moore also failed to trouble the judge.
Tourist, though, did nothing wrong under Joel Rosario, and grabbed a decisive lead a furlong out as Tepin set off in pursuit. Last year’s winner was gaining but to no avail as Tourist got home to win at 12-1.
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Breeders’ Cup Mile result: 1. Tourist, 2. Tepin, 3. Midnight Storm.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Mile!
Dutch Connection is another from Europe, running for Charlie Hills in the Godolphin colours.
Aidan O’Brien has two more runners in the field, incidentally, in Hit It A Bomb, last year’s Juvenile Turf winner, and Cougar Mountain, who will be ridden by the buzzing Seamie Heffernan and O’Brien’s youngest son, Donnacha, respectively.
And Alice Springs in the Falmouth Stakes:
Voici Limato, in the Prix de la Foret:
Here is Tepin’s win in the Mile at Keeneland last year:
Just over 10 minutes to post time for the Mile and Limato, interestingly, is showing as the 5-2 favourite on the US tote. I’d thought he might be a bigger price than that as Henry Candy and Harry Bentley are hardly household names over here, but Tepin, last year’s winner, and Alice Springs are currently showing at 7-2 and 4-1 respectively.
Right, here come the last two races already: the Mile and the Classic. I’m not entirely sure which one I’m looking forward to most. Three outstanding horses go against each other in the Mile, with Tepin up against Alice Springs and Limato, and I’d love to see Limato win it for Henry Candy and Harry Bentley.
The Classic, though, is compelling: California Chrome versus Arrogate, the brilliant veteran who has done it all against a younger rival who might just be even better. Where’s your money going?
Finest City was a 9-1 chance and also, funnily enough, a horse that featured in our Pick6 perm, along with Highland Reel and Classic Empire.
I predicted earlier on that we were guaranteed to have five winners after going out in the first leg, but since Simon Clare, the syndicate organiser, has just told me that there is a consolation payout for five winners, we’re now almost certain to blow out in the next.
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint result: 1. Finest City, 2. Wavell Avenue, 3. Paulassilverlining.
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Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint!
And this is one of her main rivals, Carina Mia, finishing second behind Songbird, who was just touched off in last night’s Distaff, in the Cotillion Stakes.
The slight oddity of the Filly & Mare Sprint, a race over seven furlongs rather than the six you might expect from its name, is the next race on the card.
There are no European-trained runners, but Haveyougoneaway will run for Tom Morley, who is the nephew of the late David Morley, an excellent trainer in Britain for many years.
Haveyougoneaway’s win in the Ballerina Stakes is here:
Apologies for the slight delay in updates recently, the Santa Anita wi-fi is a little shaky just now.
You could argue that some of the other jockeys were too generous to Heffernan and Highland Reel, but the winner’s rider was flawless there, and by the time they realised he was not coming back, it was too late to react.
The closing stages of the Turf are here:
Ulysses was fourth, by the way. Aidan O’Brien is on the board at this Breeders’ Cup, and European horses took three of the first four places.
It was a brave run into third place by Found, but she was never travelling as sweetly as Ryan Moore would have liked on this ground.
Breeders’ Cup Turf result: 1. Highland Reel, 2. Flintshire, 3. Found.
A brilliant front-running ride by Seamie Heffernan. He seized the initiative from the off, went six lengths clear down the back and while Flintshire was gaining in the closing stages, he was never going to get there.
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Highland Reel wins, wire-to-wire!
Highland Reel has a very good lead now, starting to turn out of the back.
Found is third-last turning away from the stands
Highland Reel leads from Ectot coming to the straight for the first time
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Turf!
Great anticipation here ahead of this race. I reckon Highland Reel might be better suited to the lightning-fast ground than his stable companion, and give Seamie Heffernan his first win in a Breeders’ Cup race.
Flintshire is the favourite for the Turf on the US tote, at 9-5. Found is at around 7-2, and Highland Reel a 4-1 chance. Ulysses, who will be attempting to give Sir Michael Stoute a double on the card, is 12-1, but Stoute did not seem anything like as keen on his chance earlier in the week as he was on that of Queen’s Trust.
Have to admit I deserved this ...
A message to the riders in the Classic later in the day, from one of the horses...
Back on the turf now and it is time for ... the Turf. Found, one of the toughest and most consistent fillies of recent years, will attempt to go out on a high and add a second Turf to her success in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Highland Reel, her stable companion and the winner of the King George at Ascot in July, will try to stop her. And Flintshire, the best turf middle-distance horse in the US, will try to regain the winning thread after floundering on soft ground last time. It promises to be a thrilling race and it will be off in a little more than 10 minutes.
Classic Empire gets an immediate quote of 10-1 for the Kentucky Derby from Simon Clare of Coral, who will also lay 14-1 about Not This Time winning the Run For The Roses next May.
It was a case of not this time for Not This Time, who came into the race on the back of two victories but could not run down Classic Empire in the stretch. The winner was close behind the pace from the off and effectively sealed the victory with a burst of speed at the top of the straight.
Classic Empire is now unbeaten in four completed starts, having unseated his rider when favourite for a Grade One at Saratoga in September.
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Breeders’ Cup Juvenile result: 1. Classic Empire, 2. Not This Time, 3. Practical Joke.
At the post for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
My very marginal preference is for the front-running Syndergaard, and not just because he’s named after a baseball player. He could be very hard to pass if John Velazquez gets the fractions right.
This is his win in the Funny Cide Stakes:
Not This Time is the local punters’ pick on the machine, currently showing at about 5-2. He took the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in September.
Another very tight race is next up here: the Juvenile. On the ratings, the first five horses in the betting are within a couple of pounds of each other.
Gormley is a leading contender after his success in the Frontrunner Stakes:
Obviously’s win offered some relief for the punters too...
Obviously, an eight-year-old gelding, probably deserved a Breeders’ Cup success for his durability alone, have had three previous starts in the Mile, finishing third behind the outstanding Wise Dan in 2012 and then fifth behind the same opponent a year later.
That’s also our Pick6 perm gone at the first flight. Guaranteed to have the next five winners now ...
Not a sniff for the visitors as US-trained horses fill the first four places. Washington DC looked like he might get involved as he made progress along the rail a furlong out, but his challenge faded very quickly.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint result: 1. Obviously, 2. Om, 3. Pure Sensation.
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Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint!
Approaching the gate for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, can Aidan O’Brien get off the mark for the meeting with Alice Springs, Found and Highland Reel still to come tonight ...
This is a horrible opening hurdle for Pick6 punters to overcome. The traditional British racing press syndicate has been formed as usual, we have Washington DC, Ambitious Brew, Holy Lute and Celestine running for us as we try to get past the first leg.
Nice snippet from Graham Cunningham re Masochistic:
Chris Richardson, the racing manager for Cheveley Park Stud, which owns Queen’s Trust, confirmed in the press conference that she will stay in training next year.
Frankie Dettori and Sir Michael Stoute have been in the interview room after their victory with Queen’s Trust in the Filly & Mare Turf.
Here’s Frankie:
I was a little bit outpaced but I let her find her feet. I was very fortunate mid-turn that I got behind the favourite. Then in the straight she got the jump on me and I thought, well, I’ll be a good third. Then she started to motor and it’s funny, it’s a short straight but those last 100 yards make a big difference. I was pretty much sure that we won.
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And this is A Lot finishing second to Tourist in the Fourstardave Handicap, a Grade One, at Saratoga.
The Breeders’ Cup’s big roll-up bet, the Pick6, starts with the next race, the Turf Sprint, which just happens to be probably the most competitive race of the night. David O’Meara’s Suedois is a non-runner after suffering an injury at exercise earlier in the week, which leaves Aidan O’Brien’s Washington DC, Hugo Palmer’s Home Of The Brave and Karar, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, to fly the flag for Europe.
Mongolian Saturday, who took the race last year, is also in the field, while Celestine and A Lot are among the better-fancied home contenders.
This is Celestine winning the Grade One Just A Game Stakes earlier in the year:
As always, a race run at a furious pace, but Drefong and Martin Garcia ran out ready winners in the end. Masochistic just pipped the splendidly-named Mind Your Biscuits for third.
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Breeders’ Cup Sprint full result: 1. Drefong, 2. Masochistic, 3. Mind Your Biscuits.
Breeders Cup Sprint result: 1. Drefong, 2. photo.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint!
The races come thick and fast here once it all starts rolling. The field for the Sprint is heading into the gates.
And finally Lord Nelson taking a Grade One here at Santa Anita in October:
This is Drefong winning - over seven furlongs rather than today’s six - back in August:
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A somewhat disappointing renewal of the Sprint is the next item on the menu here. Masochistic, Lord Nelson and Drefong are the principals according to the morning line betting. Here’s Masochistic winning a Grade Two back in August:
The official winning margin for Queen’s Trust was, to no-one’s great surprise, a nose.
Here’s the finish of the Filly & Mare Turf, a great ride by Frankie Dettori from a difficult draw.
Another outstanding finish here. Frankie waved his whip in celebration a stride after the line but it was mighty, mighty close.
He delivered Queen’s Trust with a perfectly-timed challenge to edge past Lady Eli right on the line. Avenge was third with Seventh Heaven out of the frame. The Aidan O’Brien team is struggling so far at this Breeders’ Cup.
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And the winner is ... Queen’s Trust! Another Breeders’ Cup winner for Sir Michael Stoute and Frankie Dettori.
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf result: 1. photo between Lady Eli and Queen’s Trust.
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Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf!
Here’s Bo Derek with a tip for the race:
Nuovo Record also deserves a mention before this race. Japan has never won a race at the Breeders’ Cup before, but Makoto Saito’s runner has looked really well at morning exercise all week and goes to post with a serious chance under Yutaka Take.
Ten minutes to post for the Filly & Mare Turf and the field is parading on the track. The local punters are putting their faith in Lady Eli, who is currently an 8-5 chance, but Seventh Heaven is close behind in the betting at 3-1 with Queen’s Trust on offer at 6-1.
And here is Seventh Heaven winning the Yorkshire Oaks, the win-and-you’re-in which guaranteed her a place in today’s field. She was also in the field for the Filly & Mare race at Ascot, finishing fifth, but had too much for Found to handle on the Knavesmire.
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Queen’s Trust has not had much luck so far this season. Here she is finishing third in the Filly & Mare Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day.
Here’s the replay of Champagne Room’s win in the Juvenile Fillies’.
Here is Lady Eli winning the Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park in early October.
Next up on the card is the Filly & Mare Turf, and a big opportunity for the Europeans.
Seventh Heaven, the winner of the Irish and also the Yorkshire Oaks, is in the field for Aidan O’Brien, but personally I have a sneaking suspicion that Queen’s Trust will run a big race for Sir Michael Stoute.
Lady Eli, the winner of six of her seven starts, is the main contender from the States, and Chad Brown, her trainer, will take credit for one of the great training performances if she can take this Grade One after suffering a life-threatening bout of laminitis last year.
A convincing win for Champagne Room and jockey Mario Gutierrez, though American Gal did well to finish as close as she did after running very wide at the first turn. Champagne Room was home for all money from the moment she hit the front about a furlong out.
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Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ result: 1. Champagne Room, 2. Valadorna, 3. American Gal.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’! The main card at the Breeders’ Cup is underway!
Not long now... They are going into the stalls for the Juvenile Fillies’.
The bugler has just done his stuff here at Santa Anita. Eight minutes to post for the Juvenile Fillies’ and they are parading on the track.
Just over 15 minutes to the post time for the Juvenile Fillies. The local punters are also struggling to separate the main contenders, but Bob Baffert’s American Gal is currently the 4-1 market leader, from Yellow Agate and Sweet Loretta, both currently 5-1 chances.
And finally here’s Sweet Loretta, dead-heating with Pretty City Dancer in the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, the first dead-heat in the race’s history.
And from the east coast, here’s Yellow Agate, the winner of the Frizette Stakes, which is always one of the most significant trials for the Juvenile Fillies’ (if you can call a Grade One event a trial).
Noted And Quoted, the winner of the Chandelier Stakes here at Santa Anita, is also in with a big shout:
It’s a very open race for the Juvenile Fillies’ - the betting with British bookmakers is 11-2 the field - but Union Strike is the narrow favourite. Here she is winning the Debutante Stakes at Del Mar:
A tipping preview of today’s card is here, but everyone is going to have their own ideas so please feel free to tweet me via @Greg_Wood_ and I’ll include as many as I can.
Video form for some of the main contenders for the first Breeders’ Cup race, the Juvenile Fillies’, will be here very shortly.
Hello again from Santa Anita, where a big crowd has already assembled in the magnificent, 1930s grandstand, and watched two races on the Breeders’ Cup undercard – and all before 11 o’clock in the morning. There will not be another Breeders’ Cup here for at least three years – it moves down the coast to Del Mar next year, and then across to Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, in 2018 – and yesterday’s opening card drew a record attendance for a Breeders’ Cup Friday of nearly 46,000. They will hope to beat the 61,000 attendance for the Saturday card here two years ago, and the two-day total should easily surpass 100,000 for the first time.
The all-important betting “handle” on Friday’s four Breeders’ Cup races was also up significantly on the same four events when the meeting was held at Keeneland 12 months ago, despite a significant drop in the number of runners (from 53 to 43). And best of all, the crowd were treated to a race for the ages in the feature event, the Distaff, as Beholder ended her outstanding career by inflicting a first defeat on Songbird after a brilliant duel down the home stretch.
If there is another race to match that on today’s nine-race card, we will indeed be very privileged. It is a far from impossible, though, as there has been widespread agreement around the barns this week that this year’s meeting is the best and most competitive that the Breeders’ Cup has seen.
The highlight for the American fans this evening is undoubtedly California Chrome’s attempt to win the Classic, a race in which he was touched off by Bayern and Toast Of New York here two years ago, another race that few who saw it will ever forget. Arrogate, who broke a long-standing track record with an exceptional front-running performance in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, is seen as his main opponent, and many here hope, or even expect, to see the two horses lock horns at the top of the stretch and fight all the way to the wire.
The Europeans drew a blank here on Friday, though we had runners in just two of the four races, but it will be a huge disappointment if that run continues later today. There a big hopes in all four of today’s events on turf, including the Turf Sprint, a race that has been somewhat overlooked by European trainers in the past. Washington DC goes in that race for Aidan O’Brien, and he certainly seemed quietly confident about his chance earlier in the week.
Found, the Arc winner, is the biggest name on the card from a European point of view, and she will probably be making the last start of her career in the Turf. She faces tough opposition from her stable companion Highland Reel, however, as well as Flintshire, who was very useful for Andre Fabre earlier on in his career and is now the best middle-distance turf horse in America by some way.
Limato and Alice Springs are the leaders of a strong challenge to Tepin, the US-trained Queen Anne Stakes winner at Royal Ascot in the summer, in the Mile, which is the penultimate race on the card. And Sir Michael Stoute’s Queen’s Trust is a live contender for the Filly & Mare Turf, alongside yet another O’Brien star, Seventh Heaven.
All-in-all, it should be a frantic and compelling afternoon of action. The Breeders’ Cup card starts at 19.05 GMT with the Juvenile Fillies’ and it will be a non-stop rollercoaster ride from there. I look forward to bringing you all the news, results, reports and post-race quotes as they happen, and tweets and comments would be greatly appreciated too.
Greg will be along shortly. On Friday, Songbird surrendered her unbeaten record to Beholder in an epic Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. Read more here:
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