Catching Up with 2013 Breeders' Cup Winners

Some have retired, a hearty few race on—but regardless of where they are today, the winners of last year's Breeders' Cup World Championships will always have their place in history. Here we check in with the 14 runners who put on a great show in 2013. 

Breeders' Cup Classic—Mucho Macho Man  —retired

The long-striding son of Macho Uno   was retired to Adena Springs near Paris, Ky. several months after his Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) victory, with a July 15 announcement this year. He joining a stallion roster that includes his own sire.

"He's settled in really well," said Cormac Breathnach, stallion seasons and matings consultant at Adena Springs. "He's an easy horse to be around and he's got a lot of personality. He enjoys his shows; he enjoys the attention and he's used to all of that from his days at the racetrack. He's a big, beautiful horse who is very popular among the people who have seen him so far."

Mucho Macho Man has been going through the transition process from life as a race-fit runner to his new duties at Adena. He gets plenty of grazing time and is up in his stall in the stallion barn, putting on weight and adjusting to his new routine as the season for stallion shows approaches.

"From an outside breeder's perspective, like a lot of our stallions, he's predominantly an outcross sire," Breathnach said of Mucho Macho Man's pedigree. "We expect him to cross well with Storm Cat influences, with A.P. Indy and Pulpit line mares. Those have been very successful crosses with Macho Uno and with Holly Bull, and they're also lines he doesn't carry himself."

Adena will announce their stud fees for 2015 after the Breeders' Cup, and most breeders begin to inspect potential sires in mid-November.

"It's all about to get pretty busy; it's go time," Breathnach said.

Breeders' Cup Distaff—Beholder—active

Spendthrift Farm's brilliant two-time champion is gearing up for her third straight Breeders' Cup run and a second bid at the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), a race she won in 2013 by 4 1/4 lengths over Close Hatches. In 2012 Beholder won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). She is the only runner in history to have ever achieved that Juvenile Fillies—Distaff double.

Beholder, a 4-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes, has been lightly raced this season. She won the April 20 Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita Park in her first start of the season, then was fourth in the June 7 Ogden Phipps Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park in her one and only trip to New York. Rebounding from that finish with a three-quarters of a length victory in the Sept. 27 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita, she has regained the form her connections wanted to see to send her to a final Distaff bid.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, not known for his superlatives, tagged Beholder with perhaps the ultimate tribute, saying, "I've been lucky enough to have many good mares in my years of training, but this mare might have to be the best of all."

Beholder will be offered at the Nov. 3 Fasig-Tipton November Sale near Lexington, where she will be consigned by Spendthrift. 



Breeders' Cup Mile—Wise Dan—sidelined

Morton Fink's two-time Horse of the Year and six-time Eclipse Award winner will miss his chance at a third Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) bid due to the recent discovery of a non-displaced condylar fracture at the bottom of his right front cannon bone. The injury will not require surgery, and Wise Dan is hand-walking daily at Keeneland under the supervision of trainer Charlie LoPresti.

Wise Dan's injury was announced Oct. 13, a little more than a week after the 7-year-old Wiseman's Ferry   gelding mowed down his rivals in the Oct. 4 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) for his second victory in the race (he also took it in 2012, and was runner-up in the 2013 edition).

The year that has passed since Wise Dan's consecutive Breeders' Cup Mile scores was a remarkable one. After winning his second Maker's 46 Mile (gr. IT) and another running of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT) to start his season, the brilliant chestnut underwent colic surgery May 16 and successfully returned from that potentially career-ending operation to win the Aug. 31 Bernard Baruch (gr. IIT) and the Shadwell.

Wise Dan will continue to let down from training at Keeneland before he winters at LoPresti's Forest Lane Farm. His connections are not yet sure whether he will be able to race in 2015.

NOVAK: Wise Dan to Miss Breeders' Cup Mile

Breeders' Cup Turf—Magician—active

Coolmore's defending Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner liked things stateside so much that he returned from over the pond Aug. 16 to put in a good run in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse. Passed by a length by Hardest Core, the 4-year-old Galileo colt returned to Europe and the care of trainer Aidan O'Brien. He is expected to return to defend his title in this year's Turf.

After winning the 2013 Turf by half a length over star filly The Fugue, Magician notched a group III at the Curragh this May. That was his only victory in six starts since his Santa Anita visit. 

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint—Groupie Doll—retired

A fan favorite, two-time Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) winner Groupie Doll is now owned by Mandy Pope, who purchased her at the 2013 Keeneland November breeding stock sale for $3.1 million. The 6-year-old daughter of Bowman's Band, twice named Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter, resides at Wayne and Cathy Sweezey's Timber Town Stable near Lexington. Bred by Fred and Buff Bradley, she is in foal to Tapit   for 2015.



Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile—Goldencents  —active

Goldencents will race in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) in search of consecutive victories despite trainer Doug O'Neill being banned from entering horses in the Breeders' Cup races. The 4-year-old Into Mischeif colt will race under the name of O'Neill assistant Leandro Mora.

Goldencents had an adventuresome 2014, running second in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park and in the Bing Crosby Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar, winning the Pat O'Brien (gr. II) there in August, and missing a heartbreaker to Hong Kong invader Rich Tapestry in the Oct. 4 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I).

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint—Mizdirection—retired

Just two days after winning her second Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT), Mizdirection was shipped to the Fasig-Tipton November sale where she was purchased for $2.7 million by Mandore International on behalf of Qatar-based entity Al Shaqab Racing.

"Physically she could have gone again but she was too valuable," trainer Mike Puype said. "She was in a partnership for guys who were not breeders. It had to happen that way."

According to an Al Shaqab racing representative, Mizdirection now resides at Haras de Bouquetot in Clarbec, France, about 20 minutes from Deauville. She is in foal to the stallion New Approach and is due in April 2015. She is booked to Dubawi for 2015.

"She is a sweet mare--very easy, great temperament," the Al Shaqab representative said, "and gets along very well with others."

Mitchell: Puype Reflects on Mizdirection's Cup Success

Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint

Secret Circle has been lightly raced this year, but that doesn't mean Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert won't get him to the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner's circle again. Last year, Secret Circle entered the Sprint off an Oct. 14 allowance/optional claiming race victory at Santa Anita, which had been his seasonal debut. Winner of the 2011 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint, he took the 2013 Sprint by a neck over Laugh Track. 

This year the 5-year-old son of Eddington   was second in the Feb. 2 Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II) and third in the Oct. 4 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I), his final prep in pursuit of his third Breeders' Cup victory.



Breeders' Cup Juvenile

New Year's Day  , winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), was retired after the race with a non-displaced chip on his left hind sesamoid. He stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington for a $7,500 fee.



Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Adjudged Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner Ria Antonia continues to race but has not won since getting put up over She's a Tiger. The Rockport Harbor filly put in a good effort Oct. 5 to finish second to Don't Tell Sophia in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland, a race in which multiple grade I winner Close Hatches ran fourth. Majority owner Ron Paolucci said an Oct. 16 work will likely set her up for a run in the Distaff.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Dank (GB), winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), is pointing for a defense of her 2013 title. She has just two starts in 2014—a third in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-I) at Meydan in March, and a fifth in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot in June. The Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) winner picked up a minor injury in that last race, but owner James Wigan told BloodHorse.com that she is on back course for a Breeders' Cup run.

"She injured a foot at Ascot, a deep-seated bruising in one foot that was causing her to hang," Wigan said. "She has been given a lot of time off, and she has an experienced trainer who thinks it is worthwhile (returning to the Breeders' Cup). She loves the firm ground, and it is all systems go at the moment."

Wigan's homebred daughter of Dansili—Masskana, by Darshaan, is three for three on firm ground, including her victory in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Chriselliam, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) and a finalist for an Eclipse Award, was euthanized Feb. 7 in Newmarket, England, as a result of a foot infection. Europe's champion 2-year-old filly was an Irish-bred daughter of Iffraaj co-owned by retired British champion jockey Willie Carson, Emily Asprey, and Christopher Wright. In addition to the Breeders' Cup victory that resulted in consideration for champion 2-year-old filly honors in the U.S., Chriselliam won the Shadwell Fillies Mile (Eng-I) at Newmarket.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) winner Outstrip is still in training for Godolphin Racing, and last finished eighth in the Sept. 26 Joel Stakes (Eng-II) at Newmarket for conditioner Charles Appleby. He was third in the St. James's Palace Stakes in June, his best finish in four starts since his Breeders' Cup triumph.

Breeders' Cup Marathon

The sixth and final Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. II) winner, London Bridge never raced again; he developed a tendon issue after returning to trainer Jo Hughes' base in the United Kingdom.