AMERICAN TURF CLUB LEAD-BREEDERS' CUP 2014

By: JOE GIRARDI

                              TheBreeders’ Cup for 2014 is over, there were 13 races, some very exciting withthe Classic ending in controversy. There were four races on Friday and nineraces on Saturday.

               TheBreeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was the first race of the day on Friday October 31^st.There was a field of 14 that went postward with Aidan O’Brien trainee War Envoygoing off as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite. Luck of the Kitten led from the startand into the lane but couldn’t hold off uncoupled entrymate Hootenanny who gotup to by ¾’s of a length completing the Wesley Ward exacta. The winner wasridden by Frankie Dettori.

               The nextrace was the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The odds-on favorite in the race was lastyear’s hero Goldencents. When the gates opened Goldencents took advantage ofhis rail post and set a sharp and pressured pace through fractions of 22, 44:4,1:09:1. He was still there into the lane and fought gamely to score by morethan a length over Tapiture with Pants On Fire checking in third.

               The Breeders’Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf was next with Lady Eli going off as the 2-1 favorite.Sunset Glow came out running and set the pace and was still there into the lanebut Lady Eli, who got a perfect trip exploded through lane to score going awayby almost three lengths for trainer Chad Brown and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

               Thefinal the Breeders’ Cup race of the day Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a field of 11went postward with Untapable going off as the 8-5 favorite. Tiz Midnight cameout running and set the pace while under pressure Iotpa. As they moved aroundthe turn and into the lane Iotapa took over the lead but was being tracked byUntapable. Untapable, forged to the lead and held on gamely to score by alittle more than a length with Don’t Tell Sophia closing well to finish secondby a nose over Iotapa who checked in third. Close Hatches, who was the secondchoice got a good trip early but was terrible backing up to finish last. Afterthe race in the winners’ circle jockey Rosie Napravnik announced that she wouldbe retiring and that she was pregnant with her first child. Steve Asmussentrained the winner for Winchell Thoroughbreds.

               Therewere nine races on Saturday November 1^st. The first Breeders’ Cuprace of the day was the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Take Charge Brandi, a60-1 longshot trained by D. Wayne Lukas was sent right to the lead and rode thespeed bias to a front-running score by a half-length over Top Decile withWonder Gal another half-length back in third. That was Take Charge Brandi’ssecond win in six career starts, she paid $125.40 to win.

               The nextrace was the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. A field of 11 went postwardwith last year’s winner Dank going off as the favorite at 2-1. Dayatthespa, aNew York bred who is trained by Chad Brown was sent right to the lead, set aleisurely pace under jockey Javier Castellano who nursed her home to score byjust over a length with another Chad Brown trainee Stephanie’s Kitten closingto finish second with Just the Judge checking in third.

               TheBreeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint was next. The favorite in the race was JudyThe Beauty who was just barely favored over Stonetastic. After stalking thepace from fourth, Judy The Beauty took over the lead in midstretch and dug ingamely to score by a head over longshot Better Lucky with longshot Thank YouMarylou checking in third while Stonetastic tired to finish fourth.

               TheBreeders’ Cup Turf Sprint was next with a field of 14 going postward.Reneesgotzip came out running from her rail post and set some solid fractionsfrom the start and into the lane. No Nay Never moved to the lead in deepstretch and appeared a winner before a huge run from Bobby’s Kitten who trailedearly on got up for the win by a half-length under jockey Joel Rosario for, whoelse, trainer Chad Brown, his second win of the day and his third over the twodays.

               TheBreeders’ Cup Juvenile was next, with a field of 11 going postward, Carpe Diemwas sent off as the 9-5 favorite. After a very contested early pace that sawthe half mile go in 45:3, Texas Red took full advantage to score by more thansix lengths over a fast closing Carpe Diem who was a nose ahead of Upstart.Keith Desormeaux trained this winner while his brother Kent Desormeaux rode thewinner for the family affair.

               MainSequence kept his record perfect this year with four Grade I wins as he closedstrongly to get up to score by a half-length in the Breeders’ Cup turf.

               In theBreeders’ Cup Sprint, a field of 14 went postward with Rich Tapestry going offas the 5-2 favorite. Work All Week who chased the pace from the start, tookover in deep stretch and held on to score by a half-length at 19-1 over lastyear’s winner Secret Circle.

               TheBreeders’ Cup Mile was next, a field of 14 went postward with Toronado goingoff as the 2-1 favorite. After stalking the pace, Toronado tired in the lane tofinish 8^th behind longshot winner Karakontie who flew home to get upto win by a length at 30-1 over Anodin with Trade Storm checking in third.

               TheBreeders’ Cup Classic was the final race, a race that saw three year old Bayerngo wire to wire to score by a nose over Toast of New York who was another neckin front of California Chrome who put in an improved effort. Shared Belief, the5-2 favorite suffered his first loss but not without an excuse. At the startBayern, veered in and bumped Shared Belief who in turn bumped V. E. Day as wellas a hard bump into Moreno, the other logical speed horse in the race. Therewas a stewards’ inquiry for a while after the race against Bayern for hisinfractions at the start but ultimately he stayed up in what many felt was acontroversial call. I believe he should have been disqualified but all in allhe did run a very game race despite the early trouble.