Breeders' Cup 2014: Full Results and Best Performances from Weekend Races

The 2014 Breeders' Cup highlighted not only the biggest names in horse racing but also a deep crop of secondary contenders who established themselves as names to watch moving into the spring.  Indeed, with the conglomeration of the world's best horses from different age groups and surfaces, many horses faced the most difficult challenges of their careers.

For those looking for the full list of winners from Santa Anita, check out the results of each race below as well as some of the most noteworthy performers from the weekend.

Race	Win	Place	Show
Juvenile Turf	Hootenanny	Luck of the Kitten	Daddy D T
Dirt Mile	Goldencents	Tapiture	Pants on Fire
Juvenile Fillies Turf	Lady Eli	Sunset Glow	Osaila
Distaff	Untapable	Don't Tell Sophia	Iotapa
Juvenile Fillies	Take Charge Brandi	Top Decile	Wonder Gal
Filly and Mare Turf	Dayatthespa	Stephanie's Kitten	Just the Judge
Filly and Mare Sprint	Judy the Beauty	Better Lucky	Thank You Marylou
Turf Sprint	Bobby's Kitten	No Nay Never	Undrafted
Juvenile	Texas Red	Carpe Diem	Upstart
Turf	Main Sequence	Flintshire	Twilight Eclipse
Sprint	Work All Week	Secret Circle	Private Zone
Mile	Karakontie	Anodin	Trade Storm
Classic	Bayern	Toast of New York	California Chrome

Bayern

The weekend's premier race was also the center of the Breeders' Cup biggest controversy.  In colliding with favorite Shared Belief out of the gates, Bayern created a considerable stir about whether he should have been disqualified.  While that has not rubbed too much shine off his victory, pundits are still questioning whether the start was legitimate:

Even taking that into consideration, though, it was clear who the Classic's best horse was.  Bayern led wire-to-wire, setting an impressive pace and yet somehow having enough in reserve to outlast strong stretch runs from Toast of New York and California Chrome.

With the win, Bayern has now legitimized himself as one of the top three-year-olds in the world.  Occasional stinkers, like his 10th-place finish at the Travers Stakes in August, had always provided grounds for skepticism.  Now, there is no more reason to doubt Bayern after this victory against the stiffest competition in the world.

Untapable

Arguably the weekend's most impressive race came in the Distaff, when favorite Untapable affirmed her status as the best filly in the sport.  With the win, the Kentucky Oats champion achieved a rare sweep of the two most prestigious filly races in the same year:

However, the Distaff was also especially notable for jockey Rosie Napravnik, who announced her pregnancy and retirement on the winner's stand.  Napravnik, who is the first female jockey to win two Breeders' Cup races, also sealed her legacy in the annals of the event's history.

Moving forward, there is very little for Untapable to prove.  The three-year-old has plenty of races left in her if she continues to run, and having won six of her past seven starts, future victories would only serve to further her status as the best filly in the world.

Texas Red

American Pharoah's withdrawal removed some of the sheen of the Juvenile, but the race was still exciting because of the opportunity to see a preview of the potential Triple Crown contenders in the spring.  And with his victory, Texas Red has established himself as a name to watch when Churchill Downs rolls around:

It was an absolutely dominant win, as Texas Red only gained strength down the stretch in pulling away for a 6 1/2-length victory.  With veteran jockey Kent Desormeaux in the saddle, it is clear that this entry could represent the best horse-jockey combination in the derby field.

The Juvenile was just Texas Red's second Graded stakes race, as he had finished third in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes back in September.  While still partly an unknown due to sheer lack of experience, Texas Red must now be considered one of the top favorites at the next several races he runs.