Analysis: World’s best racehorses shine at Breeders’ Cup

Editor’s Note: Although the thoroughbred racing industry faced a number of challenges this year, including the widely-publicized deaths of horses at the Kentucky Derby as well as track closures and declining betting, horse racing remains a popular sport and an important economic engine. A 2017 survey by the American Horse Council Foundation reported by the Bloodhorse website, the U.S. equine industry generates $122 billion in total economic impact and accounts for 1.74 million jobs. Contributor Macey Morcom looks back at this year’s traditional season-closing event.
Recently, the world of horse racing convened at Arcadia, California’s Santa Anita Park to pit the best against the best in the 40th annual Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. According to a Breeders’ Cup news release, attendance for the two-day affair totaled 109,624 fans, the highest since 2019.

The event kicked off with “Future Stars Friday,” a day of racing designed to exhibit the brightest juveniles in the sport. The trophy for the first Breeders’ Cup race on the card, the Juvenile Turf Sprint, went across the pond with Big Evs. Owned by UK-based RP Racing Ltd., the strapping bay colt was trained by Michael Appleby and ridden by Tom Marquand. He covered the five furlongs on the grass in :55.31.

The fillies were up next in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the trophy stayed in the States. Just F Y I wanted to let everyone know how good she was by winning the 1 1/16th miles dirt event in 1:44.58. Bred and owned by George Krikorian, this daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify was trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado. Perhaps the real notable moment of the race was not the victory, but the defeat of the odds-on favorite Tamara, who dropped an anchor mid-stretch to finish a disappointing and puzzling seventh.

The fillies switched to the grass next for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and it was another daughter of Justify who went to the winner’s circle. Hard to Justify, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Flavien Prat for owner Wise Racing, crossed the wire in 1:34.42.

While the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is usually the last stakes race on the card, this year it was second to last, but the results still had all eyes looking towards Churchill Downs and the 2024 Kentucky Derby the first Saturday in May. Repole Stable’s Fierceness argued he should be considered one of the early Derby favorites by upsetting the 1 1/16th miles dirt affair at 17-1 odds. Ridden by John Velazquez, the win was something of a redemption for Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, who had trouble throughout the year with last year’s Juvenile winner Forte.

The final race of the day, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, was unquestionably Aidan O’Brien’s race. Unquestionable was perfectly conditioned by O’Brien to bring home the win under European star Ryan Moore, while Mountain Bear got up for second to make it a one-two punch for the Irish trainer.

The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile looked to be one of the best races of the two-day clash of titans, but not even authors of fairy tales could have written what transpired on Santa Anita’s dirt track. The favorite Cody’s Wish, owned by Godolphin, wasn’t just carrying the hopes of his professional connections on his back. He was also running for the hopes of namesake Cody Dorman, a teenaged boy born with the rare Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. The Dirt Mile was billed as the final race in the five-year-old stallion’s stellar career, and he made it a nail biter down to the wire. Crossing the finish line ahead by just half a head and surviving a steward’s inquiry, Cody’s Wish went out a winner with Dorman and the hearts of all racing fans right there with him.

After the inspirational Dirt Mile, the racing world advanced to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Spectators witnessed another fabulous finish, with Inspiral flying late to take the blanket of purple and yellow flowers. Trained by John Gosden for owner-breeder Cheverly Park Stud, Ltd., the classy mare gave jockey Frankie Dettori his 15th Breeders’ Cup victory.

The fillies were up again in the Filly & Mare Sprint. It was Goodnight Olive’s race to lose, and as the odds-on favorite, she didn’t let anyone down. She cruised home in 1:22.97 for owners First Row Partners and Team Hanley, trainer Chad Brown, and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Popular choice Songline made it seem like the Breeders’ Cup Mile was going to be Japan’s race, but in the end it was all the UK’s Godolphin, who sent Mawj and Master of the Seas to duke it out in the turf matchup. The two blue stablemates ended up locked in a photo finish that ultimately was awarded to the Charlie Appleby conditioned Master of the Seas, with Saeed bin Suroor’s pupil Mawj settling for second.

The best mares in the country faced off in the iconic Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The field was deep with talent, but in the end Idiomatic proved best. The Juddmonte lady was skillfully ridden by Florent Geroux for trainer Brad Cox.

Absolutely stuffed with talent, the 11 horses in the BC Turf seemed quite evenly matched, but Auguste Rodin was sent off as the favorite and he let nobody down. The regally bred son of the late Deep Impact held off a final surge from US-based Up to the Mark and stamped himself as one of the best in the world. Ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by O’Brien, Auguste Rodin covered the 1 1⁄2 miles in 2:24.30.

Then came the Classic, which typically ends the day, but due to television schedule requirements, it was moved up. Earlier in the week, three-year-old sensation Arcangelo was scratched and retired, leaving the race up for grabs. White Abarrio, trained by Rick Dutrow of Big Brown fame, was the post-time favorite and he took the confidence of the bettors all the way into the winner’s circle.

Seeming oddly misplaced, there were two more races after the energy of the Classic. Second-to-last was the Turf Sprint, and it was the Larry Rivelli trained gelding Nobals who sprinted home the fastest. Owned by Patricia’s Hope LLC, the win was a much needed high for the owners, who made the tough decision to retire their star three-year-old Two Phil’s earlier this year. The victory was jockey Gerardo Corrales’ first Breeders’ Cup score.

The Breeders’ Cup Sprint ended the championships with a bang. Elite Power was poised to go back-to-back in the race, and he simply wouldn’t be denied. The five year old chestnut powerhouse blazed home in 1:08.34 under the skilled hands of Ortiz Jr. As trainer Bill Mott said in an interview with the Paulick Report,“It’s a difficult job to keep a horse going year after year.” Owned by Juddmonte, Elite Power was Mott’s third winner in this edition of the Breeders’ Cup.

In the end, the World Championships at Santa Anita Park left fans impressed by the world’s best racehorses. Next year, the event will head to Del Mar, California’s other destination for racing. However, racing fans do not have to wait an entire year to once again be impressed by the thoroughbred. The American racing scene now looks ahead to the Eclipse Awards and the Pegasus World Cup while the world waits for the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup carnival.