After seeing four champion thoroughbreds finish second in two days, newcomers to horse racing might wonder what it takes to win at the sport’s highest level. She then looped about half the field on the first turn and continued a steady surge while remaining wide, nearing the lead at the quarter-pole before flattening out down the stretch to finish 3 1/4 lengths behind Valadorna. I thought there was no chance turning for home we could catch California Chrome, he is such a great horse.
Advertisement
As an illustration of how good the first two home were, there was a 10-length gap back to Keen Ice, who on his best form last season was the only horse to beat Triple Crown victor American Pharoah.
“He ran his race but just got beat in those last couple jumps”, Sherman said.
“This means a lot to me”, said Eurton, who trains Champagne Room for the locally based partnership of Ciglia Racing, Exline-Border, Gulliver Racing, Sharon Alesia, R. Christensen, and Taylor Legan.
The 2414m event gathered a brilliant field, headed by Arc de Triomphe victor Found and Flintshire, but it was Highland Reel who proved too strong. This year, he finished in the top three on seven of his eight mounts as his runners earned more than $5 million.
The $2 exacta (6-3) paid $723.60, the $1 trifecta (6-3-12) returned $2,347.30, and the 10-cent superfecta (6-3-12-11) was worth $2,589.24.
It was the fourth Classic victory for Smith, who has 25 Cup wins. This horse is just learning how to run and what a great race.
Keen Ice finished in third place, 11¼ lengths back.
The win was the first Breeders’ Cup for both D’Amato and Prat.
“Historically, to me, it’s always been about the body of work”, he said. It was a neck back to Not This Time in second, with Practical Joke coming in third.
– Highland Reel held off favored Flintshire by 1 3/4 lengths to win the $4 million Turf for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
To enter the Pegasus World Cup entrants need to stump up a $1 million entry fee, which connections of California Chrome have done, but you can buy a post position from a current place holder.
– Tourist held off a late charge from defending champion Tepin to win the $2 million Mile by a half-length.
“He’ll have to be really good to beat Chrome”, Baffert said.
Results: 1. Drefong ($9.80), 2. He was tracked by Melatonin through a mile that went 1:35.72, and put him away as he rounded the far turn.
Starting at 9-2, a slight underdog to Not This Time’s 5-2 odds, Classic Empire took command at around the halfway point by passing early leader Syndergaard.
Baffert attributes their separation to tension that exists when a trainer and jockey go through a winless period.
Citing his horse’s personality and performance, Sherman called Chrome “such a cool horse”, and how cool is it that this animal can move a 79-year-old man to use the word “cool?” He paid $26.80 to win.
And in the $1.5 million Sprint, Baffert’s Drefong, the 7-2 third choice, won by 11/4 lengths over Masochistic, the 8-5 favorite ridden by Smith.
Results: 1. Queen’s Trust ($18), 2.
The Breeders’ Cup will return to Southern California again next year, with Del Mar set to host the event for the first time ever. Slots were sold for $1 million last spring.
Ireland-bred Obviously is the early 6-1 favorite in the $1 million Turf Sprint that includes Undrafted, co-owned by former National Football League star receiver Wes Welker.
The Mark Casse-trained 2-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile won the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:42.60 – much faster than the juvenile fillies ran four races earlier.
Advertisement
California Chrome was cruising along the track Saturday in search of victory, looking still as the 2014 American Horse of the Year as he was once regarded, another horse, Arrogate, was trailing closely behind.
