Pedulla's Top 10 Moments of the 2013 Breeders' Cup

Mike Ritvo after his mother, trainer Kathy Ritvo, won the Breeders' Cup Classic with Mucho Macho Man (Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire).
ARCADIA, Calif. – Tom Pedulla of America’s Best Racing recounts his top 10 moments from the 30th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships:
All heart: No moment can top the sight of Kathy Ritvo, a heart transplant survivor and the first female to train a Classic champion, running onto the track to greet Mucho Macho Man and jockey Gary Stevens after their pulsating nose victory against Will Take Charge. Ritvo was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a steady weakening of the heart muscle, in 2001. She believes she was days away from dying before a suitable match was found on Nov. 13, 2008. She returned to training against the advice of doctors, who feared an increased risk of infection.
Rejuvenated Stevens: There was some uncertainty when Gary Stevens announced his comeback after more than seven years in retirement. In a remarkable comeback, the 50-year-old showed he could make it all the way back by sweeping the Distaff aboard Beholder to culminate Friday’s racing and then the $5 million Classic. Incredibly, Stevens is as good as he ever was.
STEVENS CELEBRATES AFTER WINNING HIS FIRST BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC

Dan’s the man: Wise Dan will merit serious consideration for a second consecutive Horse of the Year title after he repeated in the Mile despite a worrisome start for Jose Lezcano, a last-minute replacement for injured John Velazquez. “It was incredible what he did,” said trainer Charles LoPresti. “I know Jose said he really stumbled bad and almost went to his knees.”
Beautiful Beholder: In a masterful training job by Richard Mandella, Beholder made her case for top 3-year-old filly honors by showing she could win from off the pace during an emphatic 4 ¼-length victory in a Distaff field that included two-time defending champion Royal Delta. “There was never any panic in her, so there was never any panic in me,” Stevens said.
New day: New Year’s Day made a leap in class that suggests he can be special. After gaining his first career victory at the end of August at Del Mar, he was asked to take an enormous step by competing in the Juvenile. He more than passed the test, causing trainer Bob Baffert to catch Derby fever as soon as the colt burst past favored Havana. “This horse, he fits the mold where distance is not a factor,” said Baffert, a three-time Derby winner.
She’s a doll: Just when it seemed as though Groupie Doll might be losing a step, the 5-year-old mare pulled off a repeat in the Filly and Mare Sprint in the final race of an illustrious career in which she cracked the top three 19 times in 21 starts, with 11 victories. “We’ve always believed in her,” trainer Buff Bradley said. “My team, my family, everybody has done a wonderful job with her, really, to get her back and get her back to this level.”
RIDE ALONG WITH BUFF BRADLEY AS HE EXPERIENCE'S GROUPIE DOLL'S WIN

Same direction: Horses for courses? How about Mizdirection, who made it 7-for-7 on the lush grass at Santa Anita by repeating in the Turf Sprint for jockey Mike Smith and sports talk show host Jim Rome, part of the ownership group. “I was worried I might have been a little too close (to the pace), but I’m glad I was because the lead horses weren’t stopping,” Smith said.
Like magic: Magician, seventh with one-eighth of a mile to go in the Turf, displayed a burst rarely seen to stun The Fugue and provide the only two European starters in the race with a one-two finish. Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien credited jockey Ryan Moore. “He had him in a lovely rhythm,” he said. Credit must go to O’Brien as well. Magician had not started since June, when he was ninth in a Group 1 race at Royal Ascot.
Golden: There was always the feeling there was more to Goldencents than he showed when he ran 17th in the Kentucky Derby and then fifth in the Preakness. Trainer Doug O’Neill got it out of him. Goldencents set scorching fractions but still had enough to take the Dirt Mile by 2 ¾ lengths. The colt is owned, in part, by legendary University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, who could not attend. “We just won the World Series, Rick,” partner Glen Sorgenstein said on NBC.
Foreign flavor:  After three European-trained horses produced victories on Friday, Dank, bred in Great Britain, landed another big prize with a solid effort in outdueling fellow European starter Romantica in the Filly and Mare Turf. Sir Michael Stoute, Dank’s trainer, sounded as though he was already lobbying owner James Wigan to allow them to defend their title at Santa Anita in 2014. “If he allows us to keep her going, she’ll show them how good she is,” he said.
2013 BREEDERS' CUP CELEBRATIONS