Breeders' Cup 2014: Top Surprises and Biggest Disappointments from Full Results

The 2014 Breeders' Cup was notable not only for its star power, but also the depth and quality of the fields.  Consequently, it is hardly surprising that a number of upsets took place, particularly on Saturday.  Indeed, horses buried down the odds sheet were often multiple graded winners, which adds perspective to how talent-rich these races were.

Of course, the flip side is that certain horses came away disappointed in their failure to establish themselves as the top contenders in their divisions.  Though the excitement made for an enjoyable weekend for horse racing fans, not all can leave Santa Anita Park satisfied.

For those looking to catch the recap of the weekend's 13 races, check out the full list of winners below, as well as some of the most noteworthy performances, both good and bad.

Race	Winner
Juvenile Turf	Hootenanny
Dirt Mile	Goldencents
Juvenile Fillies Turf	Lady Eli
Distaff	Untapable
Juvenile Fillies	Take Charge Brandi
Filly and Mare Turf	Dayatthespa
Filly and Mare Sprint	Judy the Beauty
Turf Sprint	Bobby's Kitten
Juvenile	Texas Red
Turf	Main Sequence
Sprint	Work All Week
Mile	Karakontie
Classic	Bayern

Top Surprises

Bayern

In fairness, Bayern's victory was not entirely surprising, as he was one of the top secondary contenders behind Shared Belief.  But the wire-to-wire win was one of the week's most impressive results, as seeing Bayern stave off strong stretch runs from Toast of New York and California Chrome was one of the weekend's most dramatic finishes.  

The race was not without controversy, of course (more on that later).  Nevertheless, it is hard to discredit Bayern from running the best start-to-finish race of the 14 horses, as it was remarkable to see him set the pace yet still have enough in reserve to close strong.  Besides adding to Bayern's resume, the win broke an ignominious drought for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert:

With the victory, Bayern has now won four of his past five starts.  Though his tendency to plant the occasional stinker has hurt his reputation, the three-year-old is now a legitimate candidate for Horse of the Year.

Take Charge Brandi

Winner of the Juvenile Fillies race, Take Charge Brandi was arguably the weekend's biggest surprise in any race.  A massive 60-1 underdog, the two-year-old was able to hold on for her first graded stakes win.

Take Charge Brandi benefited from an abysmal showing from the 3-1 favorite Angela Renee.  With the favorite off the board, the long shot was able to benefit from a weak closing stretch time that nonetheless held up in the end:

This should not diminish Take Charge Brandi's victory, though, as she immediately ranks as one of the biggest upsets in Breeders' Cup history.  With a Grade 1 stakes victory now under her belt, Take Charge Brandi stands out as one of the top fillies to watch moving forward for the Kentucky Oaks.

Biggest Disappointments

Shared Belief

USA TODAY Sports

Shared Belief came in with a tremendous amount of hype due to his undefeated seven-race streak to start his career, but also with a significant deal to prove after missing Triple Crown season.  In finishing fourth place, however, Shared Belief validated the skepticism for those who doubted his track record.

As alluded to earlier, the horse was stifled by a controversial start, as Bayern appeared to bump into him coming out of the gates.  That would have resulted in a disqualification for the eventual winner, and Shared Belief jockey Mike Smith believes the uncalled interference was the difference in the race:

It's unlikely that Shared Belief would have won even if Bayern had been disqualified, as Toast of New York and California Chrome also ran excellent races in finishing second and third, respectively.  Nevertheless, a win would have likely sealed the Horse of the Year title for Shared Belief, who now has lost his opportunity to validate himself as the best three-year-old in the world.

Close Hatches

Uncredited/Associated Press

The Distaff, arguably the second-most prestigious race behind the Classic, was supposed to feature a showdown between two of horse racing's best fillies.  But while Distaff winner Untapable fulfilled her end of the bargain, second favorite Close Hatches ran a dismal race, finishing dead last.

Close Hatches came into Friday having won four of her previous five starts, including three Grade 1 stakes races.  Most people wrote off her fourth-place finish at her last start, the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, as a fluke.  However, with consecutive finishes out of the money, much of the mare's shine has worn off:

"

I can't knock Close Hatches great mare but looks like that Belmont Ogden Phipps race this june zapped some great mares.

— JJ (@Dmrsurfside) October 31, 2014"

At four years old, Close Hatches appears firmly on the downside of her career.  Barring an unexpected rejuvenation, her time as a top contender appears over.