Raven's Pass rallies to upset in Classic
2008 Breeders' Cup Classic
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Raven's Pass completed a banner day for the Europeans when rallying down the center of the track to a 1 3/4-length victory over fellow European Henrythenavigator in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, the highlight of Saturday's nine-race Breeders' Cup program at Santa Anita. Tiago rallied belatedly to finish third.
Defending champion and reigning Horse of the Year Curlin made the lead in early stretch of the 1 1/4-mile Classic but faltered late over the synthetic Pro-Ride racetrack, finishing a disappointing fourth as the 4-5 favorite in a field of 12.
Raven's Pass set a new course record in the Classic after covering the distance in 1:59.22. The 3-year-old son of Elusive Quality gave trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori their second wins on the card. The team combined earlier in the day to capture the Juvenile Turf with Donativum.
Raven's Pass paid $29 to win and combined with Henrythenavigator for a $2 exacta worth $319.
- Mike Welsch
Conduit rallies to win BC Turf
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Conduit continued the European contingent's magnificent showing at Saturday's Breeders' Cup, by rallying strongly from off the pace to run down Eagle Mountain to win the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf by 1 1/2 lengths. It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Dancing Forever, who edged out favorite Soldier of Fortune by a head for third.
Conduit, a 3-year-old Irish-bred son of Dalakhani owned by Ballymacoll Stud Farm and trained by Michael Stoute, added the BC Turf to victories in the Group 1 St. Leger and Grade 3 Betfair Gordon.
It was the fourth victory of the day for European-based horses. Muhannak won the Dirt Marathon, Goldikova won the Turf Mile, and Donativum won the Juvenile Turf.
Conduit raced in eighth position under jockey Ryan Moore, before launching his rally entering the far turn. He split horses around the turn and tipped five wide before mowing down Eagle Mountain.
Conduit covered 1 1/2 miles in 2:23.42 and returned $13.60 to win.
- David Grening
Midnight Lute repeats in Sprint
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Garrett Gomez came hurtling around the turn with a wide run to win the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Friday, and on Saturday he did the same thing with Midnight Lute, who won his second straight BC Sprint with an awesome last-to-first move.
Midnight Lute, moving in tandem with Street Boss at the half-mile pole, flew into the stretch some seven paths from the rail, and steadily wore down a game Fatal Bullet, who held second over Street Boss. Midnight Lute ($7.40) won by 1 3/4 lengths, and gave trainer Bob Baffert his second win on the Saturday program, and Gomez his third. Earlier, Midshipman captured the BC Juvenile for Baffert and Gomez, who also won the Dirt Mile.
Fabulous Strike, First Defence, and Fatal Bullet set a torrid early pace in the Sprint, and only 3-year-old Fatal Bullet was anywhere close at the end.
Midnight Lute was making just his second start since the 2007 Sprint, and had finished 10th of 12 in that lone race since then, the Pat O'Brien at Del Mar in August.
- Marcus Hersh
Donativum gets there in Juvenile Turf
ARCADIA, Calif. -- European imports finished one-two in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Saturday at Santa Anita, where Donativum nailed unlucky Westphalia in deep stretch.
Frankie Dettori rode Donatvium ($13.60) to the half-length win over 3-1 favorite Westphalia, who was in trouble from start to finish under John Murtagh. Coronet of a Baron finished 1 3/4 lengths back in third.
John Gosden trains Donativum, whose win was his third from six starts. However, with a different trip, Westphalia certainly would have won. He broke slow, was rushed, blocked into the lane, finally got clear, but was nailed late.
- Brad Free
Midshipman holds off Square Eddie
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Midshipman stamped proper credentials for a 2-year-old champion on Saturday at Santa Anita, scoring a 1 1/4-length victory over Square Eddie in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Midshipman was making his first start since Darley Stable purchased the entire operation of his owner, Stonerside. Garrett Gomez rode Midshipman for the first time. Winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in his second career start, and runner-up in the Grade 1 Norfolk on Sept. 28, Midshipman ($9.20) produced more speed than in the Norfolk, took the lead on the backstretch, and held over Square Eddie.
Street Hero finished third in a race dominated by the one-two-three front-runners. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:40.94. It was the second win of the day for jockey Garrett Gomez, who earlier won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Albertus Maximus.
- Brad Free
Goldikova takes Mile with late burst
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Goldikova exploded out of traffic in early stretch to outfinish defending champ Kip Deville en route to a victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile. The win was the sixth by a filly in the 25-year history of the Mile.
Goldikova, a 3-year-old daughter of Anabaa, has suffered two of her three career defeats at the hands of Europe's champion filly, Zarkava. She is trained by Freddie Head for her owner-breeders, the Wertheimer brothers. Final time for the mile was 1:33.40 over a firm course.
Goldikova paid $5.60 as the favorite in a field of 11 international grass specialists.
Kip DeVille, who captured the 2007 Mile at Monmouth Park, was easily second best, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of the late-running Whatsthescript.
- Mike Welsch
Albertus Maximus captures Dirt Mile
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Albertus Maximus, who switched stables during the summer, won the biggest race of his career in Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Albertus Maximus overcame a touch of trouble on the final turn to outfinish Rebellion by 1 1/4 lengths. Two Step Salsa, who set the early pace of 22.24 and 45.02 seconds, held third in the field of 12. Well Armed, the 6-5 favorite, was in traffic on the first turn, raced wide on the backstretch, and faded to finish ninth.
Albertus Maximus ran a mile in 1:33.41, just missing El Gato Malo's track record of 1:33.37 set in January.
Albertus Maximus was at the back half of the field for the first six furlongs. Gomez kept him behind horses on the final turn, waited briefly for space, and then guided the 4-year-old colt to the outside in early stretch. Albertus Maximus responded quickly and took the lead in the final furlong.
Owned by breeders Brandon and Marianne Chase, Albertus Maximus ($14.60) was trained by Gary Mandella until the summer, when he was switched to Vladimir Cerin. Albertus Maximus, who has won 5 of 15 starts, made his third start for Cerin in the BC Dirt Mile.
- Steve Andersen
Longshot Desert Code upsets Turf Sprint
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Desert Code came from far back in upper stretch and scored a longshot half-length victory in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the second race on Saturday's BC card at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Richard Migliore for trainer David Hoffmans, Desert Code barely caught Diabolical, who had surged to the lead inside the sixteenth pole, and briefly looked home free under Frankie Dettori. Storm Treasure, another longshot closer, rallied on the outside for third, while tepid favorite Fleeting Spirit finished fourth.
Desert Code, who had only one win from six starts this year before the BC Turf Sprint, paid $75 to win, coming from third-last early in the race. He was timed in 1:11.60 for 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course. That time was just three-fifths of a second off the course record.
Closers dominated the race after a wicked early pace battle between Mr. Nightlinger and California Flag, who went an opening half-mile in 41.81 seconds. Mr. Nightlinger bore out badly when crossing over the main-track into the stretch run, and he was done. A few strides later, California Flag also was swallowed up by fresh stretch-runners, and Desert Code, a 4-year-old son of E. Dubai owned by Tarabilla Farms, finished best of them.
- Marcus Hersh
Muhannak best in BC Marathon
ARCADIA, Calif. -- After getting blanked on Friday, the Europeans began Saturday's Breeders' Cup Day card with a victory when Muhannak won the inaugural running of the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon by a head over Church Service. It was three-quarters of a length back to Big Booster.
Muhannak, a 4-year-old Irish-bred gelded son of Chester House, was ridden by Pat Smullen for trainer Ralph Beckett and owner Richard Pegum. It was the first Breeders' Cup starter for Beckett and Pegum. It was the first Breeders' Cup victory for Smullen in his eighth mount.
The second- and third-place finishers were both trained by Mike Mitchell.
Muhannak, who took the lead at the quarter pole after racing in fourth position down the backside, covered the 1 1/2 miles over the Pro-Ride in 2:28.24 and returned $26.80.
Add Heat was scratched from the Marathon with a minor suspsensory injury to his right foreleg.
- David Grening
BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Full Coverage
World Championships Schedule
| Oct. 24 | |
| Race | Winner |
| Filly & Mare Sprint | Ventura |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | Maram |
| Juvenile Fillies (Gr.I) | Stardom Bound |
| Filly & Mare Turf (Gr.I) | Forever Together |
| Ladies' Classic (Gr.I) | Zenyatta |
Oct. 25 |
|
| Race | Winner |
| Marathon | Muhannak |
| Turf Sprint | Desert Code |
| Dirt Mile | Albertus Maximus |
| Mile (Gr.I) | Goldikova |
| Juvenile (Gr.I) | Midshipman |
| Juvenile Turf | Donativum |
| Sprint (Gr.I) | Midnight Lute |
| Turf (Gr.I) | Conduit |
| Classic (Gr.I) | Raven's Pass |
| *Race order subject to change | |
