Breeders' Cup 2014 Results: Tracking Winners, Prize Money Payouts on Saturday
The 2014 Breeders' Cup showed why it is one of the most exciting horse racing events this weekend. After four races Friday, nine more took place Saturday, finishing with the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic.
The Classic boasts North America's biggest purse at $5 million. Triple Crown competitors California Chrome, Tonalist, Bayern and Candy Boy were all vying for that prize. With the quick Shared Belief in the field as well, this race sure delivered some fireworks.
From a long shot earning a big victory in the day's first race to a stellar finish between some of the world's greatest horses in the Classic, here's a race-by-race look at all of the compelling action that transpired at Santa Anita on Saturday.
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Classic
| Win | Bayern | Martin Garcia | $2.75 million |
| Place | Toast of New York | Jamie Spencer | $900,000 |
| Show | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | $500,000 |
This is the race everyone was waiting for. The Breeder's Cup Classic features the cream of the crop from around the world in what is widely heralded as horse racing's Super Bowl. This championship 1 1/4-mile race featured a very rich $5 million purse, with automatic entries into the Breeders' Cup Challenge series also on the line.
Bayern broke to gain an early lead, with California Chrome trailing Toast of New York and Cigar Street after moving in from the outside. Favorite Shared Belief maintained position in fifth place, just behind the race's leaders.
At the top of the stretch, Bayern remained in the lead but Toast of New York and California Chrome began to make moves of their own, running alongside the pace-setter. All three horses remained within a half length of each other with just 200 yards remaining in the race.
Bayern proved he had just enough stamina and closing speed to edge out the other two, crossing the finish line first thanks, in part, to a great ride by jockey Martin Garcia, who led his horse to an impressive wire-to-wire win.
The race wasn't without controversy, as Bayern ran into Shared Belief out of the gate and an inquiry resulted. Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form tweeted his thoughts:
After further review, there was no change in the race's outcome and Bayern was officially named the winner.
Trainer Bob Baffert finally earned his first Classic victory, as Daily Racing Form tweeted:
Privman noted the controversy surrounding Bayern's win will likely affect Horse of the Year results:
Is Bayern deserving of the honor? Let the debate commence.
Mile
| Win | Karakontie | Stephane Pasquier | $1.1 million |
| Place | Anodin | Olivier Peslier | $360,000 |
| Show | Trade Storm | Jamie Spencer | $200,000 |
The Mile is comprised of the world's best grass horses competing for a $2 million purse around the Santa Anita turf course.
Toronado and Obviously broke early to the front of the pack, setting a blistering pace down the backstretch. The two remained neck and neck around the far turn, but Toronado fell back at the top of the stretch. Obviously maintained a lead but quickly saw a surge coming from behind.
Coming into the final stretch, Karakontie maneuvered around the pack from the outside. His endurance and closing speed were too much for a tired Obviously, as he cruised to the finish line to take the mile.
The Japanese-bred colt was guided perfectly by jockey Stephane Pasquier, who earned a win for the horse's French owners. At The Races noted the long-awaited victory for Europe:
This horse was just another long shot that came through for lucky bettors who went against the odds on Saturday.
Xpressbet Sprint
| Win | Work All Week | Florent Geroux | $825,000 |
| Place | Secret Circle | Martin Garcia | $270,000 |
| Show | Private Zone | Martin Pedroza | $150,000 |
This six-furlong race featured the world's fastest short-distance horses. It's always a fantastic showdown between both male and female horses running at blistering paces through the stretch.
Fast Anna set the pace early in the Xpressbet Sprint, hugging the rail around the far turn with Work All Week trailing by a half length. At the top of the stretch, Work All Week made a move to get out in front of the pack and feverishly attempt to maintain a swift pace.
Secret Circle began to charge to the front, challenging Work All Week with only 100 yards remaining in the race. A come-from-behind victory wasn't to be, however, as Work All Week displayed the necessary speed to hold the lead and reach the finish line first.
Privman of the Daily Racing Form tweeted Work All Week's flawless record on dirt:
Jockey Florent Geroux notched the win atop the impressive Work All Week.
Longines Turf
| Win | Main Sequence | John Velazquez | $1.65 million |
| Place | Flintshire | Maxime Guyon | $540,000 |
| Show | Twilight Eclipse | Javier Castellano | $300,000 |
This race is set for horses of three years and older, taking place on a 1 1/2-mile grass course. The Longines Turf features horses from all over the world, but it has recently been dominated by Ireland—the country took four of the last six races.
Main Sequence took this year's race in dominant fashion. He rode a nice pace set by jockey John Velazquez, maintaining solid position early in the race behind Imagining, who broke to the front early. The pace began to quicken around the far turn and that led to a fantastic finish.
Hardest Core had the lead entering the final stretch, but he was given plenty of chase by two of the favorites, Telescope and Flintshire. That's when Main Sequence suddenly burst to the front from the far outside, taking the lead and maintaining it to cross the finish line first.
The victory by Main Sequence allows the horse to finish the year with a blemish-free record. Lee Mottershead of Racing Post noted how far the horse has come since a poor showing last summer:
This race only reaffirmed the notion that champions can come from anywhere.
Sentient Jet Juvenile
| Win | Texas Red | Kent Desormeaux | $1.1 million |
| Place | Carpe Diem | John Velazquez | $360,000 |
| Show | Upstart | Jose Ortiz | $200,000 |
Blue Dancer and Super Colossal got off to great starts, setting a blistering pace and maintaining the lead with only three furlongs remaining in the race. The field was close until a late charge from Texas Red, who hurdled forward from the back of the pack.
He surged to the front, displaying incredible closing speed and endurance. In a league of his own, Texas Red continued his impeccable run and grew his lead to several lengths down the final stretch to win by a very decisive margin over Carpe Diem and Upstart.
At The Races tweeted its reaction to the fantastic finish:
Jockey Kent Desormeaux had a tremendous ride, pacing his horse well and remaining patient until asking Texas Red to run late in the race. This horse could be one of the favorites heading into the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
Turf Sprint
| Win | Bobby's Kitten | Joel Rosario | $550,000 |
| Place | No Nay Never | Frankie Dettori | $180,000 |
| Show | Undrafted | John Velazquez | $100,000 |
The Turf Sprint is one of the most exciting and wild races at the Breeders' Cup. This 6.5-furlong grass race features a hilly terrain with some interesting turns. Plenty of speed and agility is needed to win this race, and onlookers were rewarded with a dazzling finish.
Bobby's Kitten didn't have the greatest start to the race, falling behind the pace-setters by a good margin. He remained in a trailing position until the race's final stretch. Jockey Joel Rosario asked his horse to run and Bobby's Kitten didn't disappoint. He surged to the front in the final yards to win by a neck.
Claire Novak of Blood Horse shared her thoughts on the horse's sparkling performance:
No Nay Never took second place after being edged out in a stunning finish. Undrafted, owned by Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker, took third place.
DraftKings Filly and Mare Sprint
| Win | Judy the Beauty | Mike Smith | $550,000 |
| Place | Better Lucky | Javier Castellano | $180,000 |
| Show | Thank You Marylou | John Velazquez | $100,000 |
The Filly and Mare Sprint features the fastest short-distance female horses from around the world. Although this race is only seven furlongs, it has never seen a wire-to-wire winner in its history.
Stonetastic got a great break out of the gate, earning an early one-length lead over the pack. She held around the far turn but couldn't keep up the pace down the final stretch. A surging Judy the Beauty made a late move to the outside along an equally fast Better Lucky.
Maintaining a fantastic pace down the final 100 yards of the race, Judy the Beauty hung on to win by a neck over Better Lucky, with Thank You Marylou finishing third. While Stonetastic started strong, she fell back to finish the race in fourth place.
Jockey Mike Smith earned his 21st Breeders' Cup win, according to At The Races:
"Judy The Beauty clings on! Another for Wesley Ward. Mike Smith with his 21st @BreedersCup win. #BC14
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 1, 2014"
Judy the Beauty finished second in this same race a year ago.
Filly and Mare Turf
| Win | Dayatthespa | Javier Castellano | $1.1 million |
| Place | Stephanie's Kitten | John Velazquez | $360,000 |
| Show | Just the Judge | Jamie Spencer | $200,000 |
A $2 million purse was up for grabs in this race, as some of the world's best female grass horses took the Santa Anita Turf Course. Like Saturday's first race, the Filly and Mare Turf wasn't won by a favorite.
Dayatthespa showcased her speed throughout the Filly and Mare Turf, getting out in front of the pack early and maintaining a blistering pace for the duration of the 1 1/4-mile race. Her big lead afforded her the privilege of riding the rail down the final stretch, which allowed her to keep a surging Stephanie's Kitten at bay. Just the Judge rounded out the top three.
Trainer Chad Brown had a 1-2 sweep of the race, according to the Daily Racing Form:
Jockey Javier Castellano had a great ride, as he was able to stretch out his horse's speed for a full 1 1/4-mile race.
Defending champion Dank was also in the mix on Saturday, but she had to settle for fourth after getting mixed into the pack with no way of getting through the traffic for a late-race surge.
14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies
| Win | Take Charge Brandi | Victor Espinoza | $1.1 million |
| Place | Top Decile | Rosie Napravnik | $360,000 |
| Show | Wonder Gal | Mike Smith | $200,000 |
This 1 1/16-mile race marked the first $2 million purse of the day, and the results were unexpected.
Take Charge Brandi took the victory with a sparkling wire-to-wire race led by acclaimed jockey Victor Espinoza—the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner atop California Chrome. The filly got a great jump out of the gate, bursting to the front of the pack and hugging the rail around the Santa Anita track.
She held off a late outside charge from Top Decile down the final furlong to earn an enormous upset victory, as Take Charge Brandi was a huge long shot at 60-1 odds, according to TVG's Twitter account:
After the race, Espinoza praised his small filly via a tweet from Ron Flatter of Fox News Radio:
The surprising victory turned out to be a sign of things to come Saturday.
All prize money and purse info courtesy of BreedersCup.com.
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