Columnist Ralph Siraco: Breeders' Cup Resembles a 'World' Series

30 October 2001

After Saturday's 18th renewal of the Breeders' Cup and the first running under its new moniker, the NTRA and Breeders' Cup look like prophets.

Of the eight championship events, four were won by European runners or by horses with foreign ownership.

All in all, it was a great day for the sport on a worldwide basis, and New York was an appropriate host of racing's pinnacle event.

Here is a race-by-race recap of racing's richest day of competition:

DISTAFF: The $1 million Distaff was the opening event. It started out with a chilling reminder of how fragile and high-strung these magnificent animals can be. Distaff participant Exogenous flipped over on her back as the horses turned onto the main track for the post parade.

She caught her leg under the railing and knocked herself out while thrashing around as she was trapped. After a 15-minute delay, the race went postward and Unbridled Elaine caught defending Distaff champ Spain in the final strides. Jockey Pat Day extended a Breeders' Cup record by chalking up his 12th event victory for 81-year-old owner Roger Davenport.

Dallas Stewart had taken over the training duties of Unbridled Elaine just a week before Saturday's victory, replacing conditioner David Vance. Although Vance was bitter over his dismissal just before the big race, trainer D. Wayne Lukas was fuming after Spain's narrow loss, blaming jockey Victor Espinoza for "blowing" the race and denying a Distaff repeat.

Unbridled Elaine will remain racing next year. Exogenous will not race again and continues to be monitored for what is termed a "life-threatening" condition. Unbridled Elaine paid $26.60 to win while race favorite Flute finished off the board.

JUVENILE FILLIES: The $1 million Juvenile Fillies was next. Godolphin Racing, Inc., from the ruling family of Dubai, watched in delight as its two entrants battled for the top honor in this event. Tempera wore down stablemate Imperial Gesture to post a $25.80 victory unde jockey David Flores.

Because Breeders' Cup rules call for all entrants to run independently in the betting pools, Imperial Gesture was uncoupled in the wagering and closed at 50-1. The Godolphin uncoupled exacta returned $768. Trainer Bobby Frankel reported on Sunday that race favorite You -- who finished out of the money -- had a 102.3 fever after the race. The first two fillies will return to Dubai in early December before coming back to the United States for racing next year.

MILE: The $1 million Mile was the first championship race of the day on grass.

Here, Val Royal charged from well off the pace in the stretch and passed by the best milers in the world as though they had turned to stone. Trainer Julio Canani reminded everybody about his 1999 Mile winner Silic when praising Val Royal. Jockey Jose Valdivia notched his first Cup victory. Val Royal is owned by NYPD Blue television producer David Milch, and his sire Royal Academy won the 1990 Mile over the same turf course. He paid $12.20 to win and set a new course record of 1:32 flat.

SPRINT: The $1 million Sprint featured the fastest thoroughbreds in the world. Frankel had now reached the 0-for-38 mark in Breeders' Cup competition and had already seen two of his favorites lose.

Squirtle Squirt, under jockey Jerry Bailey, drafted behind the pacesetters and caught the speedy filly Xtra Heat in the shadow of the wire for an unlikely Frankel winner. He paid $21.20 for the win. More impressive in defeat was the 3-year-old filly Xtra Heat. Her race -- on the lead, down on the inside and into a strong headwind -- was incredible.

Boasting a record of 17 wins from 21 starts, she has been invited to compete in the Golden Shaheen in Dubai next year. Squirtle Squirt will likely also be invited.

FILLY & MARE TURF: The $1 million Filly & Mare Turf featured "marathon" females. Banks Hill, racing beyond a mile for the first time, destroyed a solid field of competitors. Ridden by French jockey Olivier Peslier, the European import would be the only winner for the Juddmonte Farms of Prince Khalid Abdullah. She paid $14 for the win and triggered the largest trifecta payoff of the day with runner-up Spook Express and third-place finisher Spring Oak. The 5-1-11 combination returned $5,166.

JUVENILE: The $1 million Juvenile would produce a new Kentucky Derby future book favorite. European import Johannesburg ran down the hot pace of Came Home and race favorite Officer while holding off long shot Repent and Siphonic for the victory. The undefeated son of Hennessey was racing beyond six furlongs and on dirt for the first time. Ridden by Irish jockey Mick Kinane, he paid $16.40 for the upset.

Jump Start was vanned off the track and suffered a condylar fracture and sesamoid damage that will end his racing career. Trainer Aidan O'Brien was playing it close to the vest when asked about next year's Kentucky Derby. He said only that Johannesburg would remain in training next year.

TURF: The $2 million Turf proved the only formful race on the card. Godolphin's Fantastic Light was entered in this event instead of the Classic. Under jockey Frankie Dettori, Fantastic Light outclassed the field while holding Milan safe in the final stages. The European star paid $4.80 and may be headed for the Japan Cup next.

The winner's share of the purse and all other earnings by Godolphin runners on Breeders' Cup day were donated to the New York Heroes Fund. Godolphin's contribution topped $2.4 million.

CLASSIC: The $4 million Classic was just that -- a classic. Reigning Horse Of The Year Tiznow faced an international field that included Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes runner-up Aptitude, Irish Derby winner Galileo, last year's Juvenile and Eclipse Award winner Macho Uno and Arc de Triomphe winner Sakhee.

In a stirring stretch duel -- reminiscent of last year's Classic battle with Giant's Causeway -- Tiznow dug deep to rally between horses and out-game Sakhee by a short head. He became the first two-time winner of the Classic.

Pacesetter Albert The Great finished a close third while Aptitude and Galileo never fired. Macho Uno finished fourth. Regular rider Chris McCarron won his fifth Classic aboard Tiznow and now the Horse of the Year debate will rage: Tiznow or Point Given?

On-track attendance was just shy of 53,000 and an all-sources wagering handle on the races exceeded $100 million.

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