Breeders' Cup Classic 2014: Race Results and Purse Payouts
Bayern stole the show in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic, but it wasn't without a great deal of controversy.
The final race of the Breeders' Cup came down to the wire, with most of the top names—Shared Belief, California Chrome and even Bayern—aggressively fighting for position down the stretch. It was Bayern who emerged from the pack and took home the crown, but the way it unfolded left many questioning his victory.
That didn't make the win any less sweet, per Breeders' Cup:
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Needless to say, there's plenty to talk about and break down when it comes to a Classic race that more than lived up to the high expectations. Let's get right to it below, as we break down the results and purse payout from the event.
| 1 | Bayern |
| 2 | Toast of New York |
| 3 | California Chrome |
| 4 | Shared Belief |
| 5 | Tonalist |
| 6 | Candy Boy |
| 7 | Cigar Street |
| 8 | Zivo |
| 9 | Imperative |
| 10 | Footbridge |
| 11 | V.E. Day |
| 12 | Prayer for Relief |
| 13 | Majestic Harbor |
| 14 | Moreno |
| Win | Bayern | Martin Garcia | $2.75 million |
| Place | Toast of New York | Jamie Spencer | $900,000 |
| Show | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | $500,000 |
Breeders' Cup Classic Breakdown
It's safe to say that Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert didn't expect his first ever Breeders' Cup Classic victory to come under such a controversial cloud.
At the helm of the controversy is Bayern's holding off Shared Belief, the 5-2 favorite entering the race who hadn't lost a single race in his seven career appearances. Coming out of the gates, Bayern broke to the left violently in what almost looked like an uncontrollable manner—potentially interfering with a number of contenders, including Shared Belief.
The moment came early on in the race but was undeniably crucial in Bayern's eventual holding off of Toast of New York and California Chrome.
Not only did Bayern change the running of a few horses, but it changed the way the entire race was run from then on, as Mike Watchmaker of Daily Racing Form points out:
Shared Belief was never really able to get back to the front after what unfolded in the opening few strides of the race, and his jockey was understandably frustrated:
The potential for a disqualification seemed awfully high just moments after the race, when the final announcement was delayed several minutes. But a crisis was averted for Bayern's crew, and Baffert indeed notched his elusive first Classic victory.
Santa Anita Park steward Scott Chaney explained to The Louisville Courier-Journal's Jennie Rees why a ruling wasn't made.
"We all agree that Bayern broke in," Chaney said, via Rees. "In our determination, it didn't happen in a point of the race where it was reasonable to speculate that they didn't finish in a position where they were reasonably expected to finish."
Also, it's been decided that no penalty will be imposed on Bayern jockey Martin Garcia, per Steve Andersen of Daily Racing Form:
The controversial happenings unfortunately took a lot of the focus away from a thrilling finish. Bayern was nothing more than a nose in front of Toast of New York and California Chrome while crossing the finish line.
Despite all of the second-guessing already taking place, Saturday's running of the Classic was one to remember. Any one of the top horses—California Chrome, Bayern, Shared Belief or maybe even Tonalist—could've put a bow on a Horse of the Year award with a convincing victory.
Bayern's tight win and the controversial way it happened may diminish Saturday's result for some, but his resume in 2014 is hard to scoff at. He has two $1 million wins prior to the Classic and beat virtually all of the year's top horses on arguably the biggest stage in horse racing.
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