Stephanie's Kitten

By Ryan Martin–

Just a short distance away from campus this last weekend, Churchill Downs hosted the Breeders Cup world thoroughbred championships, a two day event that consists of 15 races, takes place each fall at different race tracks and is geared towards highlighting the sports’ best runners. In its 27th year, the Breeders’ Cup came to Churchill Downs for a record eighth time. Both days had its share of unpredictable results, the biggest being 64-1 longshot Court Vision taking the Breeders’ Cup Mile, making this his first win since last September.

The biggest story coming out the race was the defeat of Goldikova, who was going for her fourth consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile victory. Going into the far turn, the six year old mare was on the rail, full of run, but was trapped behind a wall of horses. At the top of the stretch she found room, but was unable to hold off Court Vision and runner up Turallure.

“She ran well,” commented Peslier, “When we came onto the turn there was nowhere to go. But she got through with good acceleration.” The Breeders’ Cup Mile will be Goldikova’s last race, finishing her career with 17 wins out 27 career starts.

Another upset pulled on the Breeders’ Cup card was in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the most prominent of the 15 races, when last year’s Belmont Stakes champion Drosselmeyer with jockey Mike Smith in the irons ran right past pace-setting Game On Dude, ridden by Smith’s ex-girlfriend Chantal Sutherland, winning by 1 ½ lengths. Mike Smith was the subject of much criticism in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic for his ride on the undefeated filly Zenyatta who was going for her record 20th consecutive victory, only missing by a nose.

“That race will always hurt,” he told the Daily Racing Form, “but coming back and winning this year sure does help.”

The victory was trainer Bill Mott’s second of the weekend, the other one coming from Royal Delta on Friday night in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. Mott became the second trainer to sweep both feature races, the other being John Sherriffs in 2009. Smith is now tied with former jockey Jerry Bailey for most overall wins in the Breeders’ Cup with fifteen.

2011 Belmont winner Ruler On Ice checked in third, followed by the mare Havre de Grace, the favorite Flat Out was next followed by the New Zealand bred So You Think, To Honor and Serve, Ice Box, Rattlesnake Bridge, the Micheal Repole owned duo of Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty were next and Headache finished last.

As always, Europe made their presence known in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. This year that presence came in the Breeders’ Cup Turf when the Irish invader St. Nicholas Abbey came from off the pace to win defeating a nine horse field. This was probably the most emotional race on the card as a father-son duo teamed up as trainer Aidan O’Brien’s son Joseph O’Brien rode the horse to a 2 ¼ length victory. Joseph O’ Brien is now the youngest jockey to win a Breeders’ Cup race at the age of 18 years and 5 months.

“I have been going to the Breeders’ Cup ever since I was very small,” says J. O’Brien, “To win a race like this for my father is out of this world,” Trainer Aidan O’ Brien, who earlier that day won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf with Wrote, could not have been more pleased with his son’s ride. “This is such a special day and a wonderful race,” he stated. “My son is an amazing rider.” St Nicholas Abbey layed a good four lengths off the lead as his stable mate, Await the Dawn, set the early pace setting a moderate 24.2 opening quarter and a 50 flat half. This was his first victory since winning the Coronation Cup, a prestigious Turf race in Ireland, earlier this summer.

Other wins on the day included a 41-1 upset pulled by Afleet Again in the Dirt Marathon, Hansen winning wire to wire holding off huge favorite Union Rags in the Juvenile, Royal Delta winning the Ladies Classic, Caleb’s Posse defeating Preakness winner Shackleford in the Dirt Mile and Musical Romance winning the Filly & Mare Sprint at 20-1. The overall attendance for both days was 105,820 under clearing skies 63 degrees.

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Photos: Michael Baldwin/The Louisville Cardinal