Breeders' Cup 2014 Results: Saturday Winners and Takeaways from Classic
The richest horse racing purse in North America, the Breeders’ Cup Classic championship and potentially the Horse of the Year award all hung in the balance on Saturday, as the stewards decided whether to disqualify Bayern after a bumpy start.
Fortunately for Bayern, jockey Martin Garcia and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, the stewards gave Bayern the 2014 Breeders’ Cup title and the subsequent $5 million purse.
Here is a look at Bayern and all of the Saturday winners before digging into some takeaways from the Classic.
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| 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies | TAKE CHARGE BRANDI |
| Filly & Mare Turf | DAYATTHESPA |
| DraftKings Filly & Mare Sprint | JUDY THE BEAUTY |
| Turf Sprint | BOBBY'S KITTEN |
| Sentient Jet Juvenile | TEXAS RED |
| Longines Turf | MAIN SEQUENCE |
| Xpressbet Sprint | WORK ALL WEEK |
| Mile | KARAKONTIE |
| Breeders' Cup Classic | BAYERN |
Chaos Ruled the Day
In a matter of seconds, the Breeders’ Cup Classic turned from a horse race into a day at the bumper-car track.
Bayern knocked Shared Belief, who was the pre-race favorite, off his route at the start, and the rest of the field was engulfed in the resultant chaos. Somehow, Bayern emerged from the mess to seize the lead and carry it all the way to the title.
At least he did after a tense couple of minutes following the race, as the stewards decided whether to disqualify the winner.
It was Baffert’s first Breeders’ Cup Classic victory, and he discussed the proceedings, according to the Associated Press, via ESPN.com: "It's been so long waiting, I was like, 'Lord, you can't take it away from me now. I couldn't breathe the last 20 yards."
Bayern won the race at 1:59.88, while Toast of New York came in second and Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome finished in third.
Yet, it was the chaos at the start that defined the event. The stewards likely decided that the initial bumping didn’t really influence the outcome, considering how early it occurred, but it is hard to argue that a full field of horses bumping into each other doesn’t have some type of impact.
Writer Bill Finley certainly didn’t mince words in a column for ESPN.com:
"Yes, give Bayern credit. He's a fast horse and a game horse, and his name is etched in the history book as the winner of the 2014 Breeders' Classic. But he didn't win the race. The stewards won it for him.
Bayern should have been disqualified. Absolutely 100 percent, he should have come down from atop the tote board.
When Bayern took a sharp left out of the gate, the entire complexion of the Classic changed. Bayern is not a versatile horse. He has one way of going and one way of winning. He has to have the lead and needs to clear other horses. When he doesn't, you get the Travers, in which he packed it in and finished last, 20 lengths behind the winner.
"
While Finley and the rest of the detractors may ultimately be right in their thinking, the history books will proclaim Bayern as the winner forever.
Bayern is Comeback Story of Season
While Bayern’s win on Saturday may be shrouded in controversy, it has still been an incredible turnaround from where he was earlier in the year.
Bayern missed the Kentucky Derby and finished in a disappointing ninth place in the Preakness Stakes in a difficult stretch. However, things turned around with a win in the Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard, which started a four-stakes-wins-in-five-tries streak.
He lists wins at the Haskell Invitational and Pennsylvania Derby on a resume that now features the Breeders’ Cup crown.
Now the question is whether Bayern clinched the Horse of the Year award.
California Chrome may have contended for a Triple Crown, but things have gone downhill since, and Bayern’s accomplishments are rather impressive. He has those two wins in $1 million races (Haskell and Pennsylvania) and picked up the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.
Considering some of the names that were in the field, such as California Chrome, Shared Belief and Tonalist, Bayern deserves some praise for the wire-to-wire win.
California Chrome’s Year Still Impressive
California Chrome’s season started off in spectacular fashion, and it would be easy to look at some of the latest developments as nothing but a disappointment.
He missed a golden opportunity at a historic Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and then finished in sixth place in the Pennsylvania Derby. What’s more, Saturday’s result wasn’t exactly what he was looking for as a grand finale to the year.
Regardless, this has been an amazing season for California Chrome. Yes, he missed history and struggled in the Pennsylvania Derby, but the entire schedule was physically grueling as he captured the attention of the nation.
Horse racing fans can only ask for a similar type of ride next year.
Follow me on Twitter: Follow @ScottPolacek
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