Did Bayern Deserve 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic Win After Controversial Start?

There is often a bull’s-eye on your back when you're undefeated, and there was a huge target on the back of Shared Belief on Saturday. The Jim Rome-trained horse went into the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) as the betting favorite to win the rich race and wrap up Horse of the Year honors. 

Unfortunately, the gelding could not overcome a troubled start when the Bob Baffert-trained Bayern, under jockey Martin Garcia, veered in at the break. Bayern knocked into Shared Belief, who then bounced off Moreno. Shared Belief battled back but had to settle for fourth, while Bayern held off Toast of New York and California Chrome late for the victory.

The stewards were quick to put up the inquiry sign, but after several tense moments, they decided there would be no change, and Bayern was declared the winner, returning $14.20 to win.

There is history between the Baffert barn and Shared Belief, adding to the intrigue of the controversial Classic.

In Shared Belief’s final prep for the Classic—the Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita—the Baffert-trained Sky Kingdom drifted out on the first turn and carried Shared Belief with him, while Baffert’s other runner, Fed Biz, set the early fractions.

Victor Espinoza was aboard Sky Kingdom, who seemed to deliberately attempt to keep Mike Smith and Shared Belief out wide to lose ground.

The California stewards agreed, suspending Espinoza seven days for the ride. Baffert made a point of calling Rome to deny he put his jockey up to those tactics.

In an interview with Simon Bray on TVG this week, Rome stated that Baffert said in the phone call, “I absolutely did not tell the jockey to do that.”

Rome took the high road and said he was not upset by the tactics, calling it “race riding.” Shared Belief overcame the trouble to win his sixth consecutive race, edging Fed Biz by a neck in the Awesome Again.

The stakes were much higher in the Classic, with Shared Belief, California Chrome, Tonalist and Bayern having the chance to move up in the race for Horse of the Year with a victory.

The speedy Bayern was expected to jump out of the gate and set the early fractions, but the colt veered in sharply at the break. That move caused what BloodHorse.com called a "slugfest" and a mugging.

Should the colt have come down for interference?

Generally, the stewards will disqualify a horse if they impede a rival, and it costs that foe at least one placing. When there is interference in the stretch, stewards have an easier time deciding whether a placing was lost.

When the issues happen early in the race, it is very hard to determine how much of an effect the interference caused.

There is no doubt Shared Belief got the worst of the bumping, as it caused the horse to be further back than expected, and it gave Bayern a good jump on the favorite.

After the race was made official with no change, track announcer Trevor Denman stated that in the steward’s opinion, the incident happened at a point in the race that did not affect the outcome.

Many on social media did not agree:

While results should be decided on the race track, the non-call by the stewards was an unsatisfying conclusion to the Breeders’ Cup. Bayern had a distinct advantage over the betting favorite with his start and made it difficult enough that Shared Belief could not overcome the trouble at the start.

If I am in the steward’s booth, I disqualify Bayern and place him behind Shared Belief, making Toast of New York the winner.  

The non-call is going to have ripple effects from now until the end of the year. Eclipse Award voters will hold the roughly run race against Bayern, who won six of 10 starts this year, including the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park.

Does Rome continue to take the high road after this latest mugging? The Clones will find out Monday morning.

Follow Michael Dempsey on Twitter @turfnsport