Breeders' Cup Diaries: Wild and Wonderful Saturday

The Saturday of Breeders’ Cup is one of my favorite days in horse racing since some of the best Thoroughbreds in the world are gathered in one place for nine amazing competitions. Celebrities and fans mingle in the hope that they’ll witness equine greatness, and the setting at Santa Anita is second to none as a backdrop for the Breeders’ Cup drama.
Before the Breeders’ Cup races kicked off at Santa Anita on Saturday, I decided to wander around and take in some of the high fashion on display for the World Championships. People brought their a-game, and some of the hats and fascinators that I saw were just exquisite. Of course, some people were there to get a little wild with their outfits, and I love that, too – horse racing is supposed to be fun, after all!
FANTASTIC FASHION

Actress Elizabeth Banks (other “Hunger Games fans will excuse me while I geek out – it’s Effie Trinkett!!!!!!) was also there to take in the races, and she brought an amazing hat with her to boot: 

#nofilter here at the #BC14
A photo posted by Elizabeth Banks (@elizabethbanks) on Nov 11, 2014 at 10:57pm PDT

It’s so cool to see major celebs just hanging out with regular people at the track. I can’t think of another sport where that happens.
With my quest to see high fashion satisfied, I had one more quest: for a very small $10 charge, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance would put let you ride either California Chrome, Shared Belief or Game On Dude (through the magic of greenscreens and Photoshop, of course!) with all profits going toward the support of retired racehorses. It was a really cool setup, and I was determined to get a souvenir worth keeping. Here’s the setup for the shots:

And here is my finished product. For those who can’t tell, that’s me riding Shared Belief backwards, one-handed whilst doing the Can-Can and taking a selfie. So if this whole ABR thing falls through, I have equine daredevil riding to fall back on. Well, only if the “equine” in question is a bench with a green sheet over it, but still. 

With that, it was time for me to get ready for the Breeders’ Cup races to kick off. The first major event of the afternoon was the Fourteen Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies, and as the two-year-old female horses paraded in the paddock, I was able to appreciate just how huge the crowd at Santa Anita Park was.

As the horses made their way to the starting gate for the afternoon’s first Breeders’ Cup race, I was so impressed by the beauty of the day. Clouds hung low over the San Gabriel Mountains to the north of the track, but the sun streamed down over the oval as a welcome to the Thoroughbreds and their fans on this, Breeders’ Cup Saturday.

When the gate sprung open and the two-year-old fillies surged onto the track, the roaring of the crowd gave me goosebumps.

And in a total stunner, Take Charge Brandi won the race at odds of nearly 62-1; according to journalist Jennie Rees of the Louisville Courier-Journal, that is the third-longest shot in history to win a Breeders’ Cup race.

I just really, really hope that she wins Champion Juvenile Filly this year, since her owner Willis Horton spoke at last year’s Eclipse Awards and had me laughing so hard that I think I pulled a muscle. The man is a scream and I’d love to see him collect a trophy at horse racing’s version of the Oscars in January!

Next up was the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf; this was one tough race to bet, and I had high hopes for several of the runners. As the horses began their race, it was American filly Dayatthespa who led them on their first trip down the homestretch:

And after another lap over the lawn, she was still in front, winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf with ease.

Jockey Javier Castellano had the biggest smile on his face after the victory, and Dayatthespa seemed pretty darn proud of herself as well.

Up next was the DraftKings Filly and Mare Sprint Stakes, and we as fins were in for a treat as Judy The Beauty managed to fend off a very game Better Lucky to take the victory and the winner’s share of the million-dollar prize money.

I was so happy for the horse and her connections; but I was also very selfishly happy for me, since the winning jockey was Mike Smith and he’s just a joy to photograph after a victory. He seems to genuinely love his job and his horses, and the sheer joy on his face after a win speaks volumes about his passion for this sport.

Up next was the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Stakes, and this was one of the most exciting finishes of the afternoon as Bobby’s Kitten came streaking up the center of the racetrack with a goosebump-inducing late charge to win at the very last moment. There were five horses in my winning photograph (it’s ok if you have to count the legs – I had to, as well) and according to the charts there was less than a length and a half separating them at the finish line. 

The Ramsey Family, owners of Bobby’s Kitten, are one tight-knit group, and it’s always so wonderful to see them experience the thrill of ownership as a group. They even led their brand-new Breeders’ Cup victor into the winner’s circle as a team! 

The next race was the Sentient Jet Juvenile Stakes, and this is always one of my favorite races of the day. The two-year-old horses that compete in this race are often the stars of next year’s Triple Crown trail; you never know when you might be previewing a Kentucky Derby winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile! So as the two-year-olds leapt from the gate and past the stands for the first time, I was waiting with bated breath to see if there would be a standout performance from this year’s group of two-year-olds.

And I was so not disappointed: Texas Red was an absolute monster, demolishing a field that had been heralded as one of the toughest and deepest Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fields in history. 

What I really liked about him is that after the win, Texas Red wasn’t at all bothered by having a blanket of flowers draped over his shoulders – something that makes older, more mature horses freak out occasionally. He also was very interested by the huge line of photographers and the crazy-looking cameras sported by the NBC television crew; but again, he was completely unfazed by the hubbub around him. This is a smart horse, and one I’m very excited to keep track of in 2015.

Another race that I just love is the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf: this contest regularly attracts strong entries from across the globe, and this year Europe had sent their finest Thoroughbreds to try to retain their Turf title from last year. As the horses rounded the track for the first time under an ominous sky, it looked like it could be anyone’s race.

But America prevailed in the end, with Main Sequence grabbing an astonishing fourth Grade I victory in a row. (A Grade I race is the tip of the top – these are the hardest races to win in America, so taking home four Grade I victories in a row means that Main Sequence just became a major contender for Horse of the Year honors.)

After the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora played and sang the national anthem for the crowd with the spectacle of a giant American flag unfurled on the track behind him. 

After the performance, it was time for me to hustle back to the racetrack in time to catch the Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint. I was pretty sure that last year’s winner Secret Circle had the race locked up, so you could have knocked me over with a feather when Work All Week stole the show: 

Darn it! If there’s ever a hunch bet for journalists and photographers covering the Breeders’ Cup, it has to be the name Work All Week! I feel like a fool. Anyway, his jockey Florent Geroux was delighted by the win, and raised his hands in victory as he and Work All Week entered the winner’s circle. 

The penultimate race of Breeders’ Cup Saturday was the Mile. For the last two years, Wise Dan has dominated this test, but he wasn’t here for the 2014 edition due to a minor injury so the race was wide open. It turned out to be the big race for the Europeans, with Japanese-bred, French-based Karakontie winning the race with ease.

His human connections were so thrilled by the win; as they waited for their horse to return to the Grandstand to get their photo taken, it was clear that they were fighting off tears of joy.

Finally, it was time for the main event: the Breeders’ Cup Classic. This is the richest horse racing in America, boasting a $5 million purse, and the finest Thoroughbreds the world over had assembled to make a bid for history. As I made my way to the paddock, the crowd closed in around me, all angling to get the best view of their favorite horses and horsemen as they prepared for the race of their lived. 

People even had signs supporting their favorite Thoroughbreds – I loved these folks who were fans of trainer Art Sherman; when he emerged from the saddling area, they gave a huge cheer for California Chrome’s trainer. 

I think Mr. Sherman got a kick out of it, too!

Sports radio personality Jim Rome, who owns Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite Shared Belief, got a huge cheer as well, as did trainer Bob Baffert and his family. 

And when the jockeys emerged, there were claps of appreciation and cries of support and good luck as the riders made their way to the horses.

I took the opportunity to nab what I thought was a very stealth selfie featuring California Chrome’s owner Steve Coburn:

Upon further review, it appears that he’s perfectly aware of what I was doing since he’s looking straight at the camera. Oh well: I’ve known for ages that I’m about as subtle as a fireworks show, so this only confirms that fact.

With that, it was time for the call of “riders up!” and the jockeys were elevated to their horses’ backs and began to make their way to the racetrack as Kristin Chenoweth belted out her rendition of “The Best Is Yet To Come.”

Finally, it was time for the big one: The Breeders’ Cup Classic. After a troubled start that saw quite a bit of bumping and shuffling, the Classic contenders galloped down the homestretch for the first time and into the first turn amid the yells of encouragement from the crowd. 

And in yet another amazing Breeders’ Cup Classic stretch battle, Bayern outlasted the incredibly gutsy Toast of New York and California Chrome to get the win.

However, because of the troubled start to the race, there was an inquiry; that means that the three official judges (called the stewards) had to make a decision as to whether the bumping at the beginning of the race affected the outcome at the end. As horses and humans awaited the decision, Bayern and Toast of New York circled the track under the setting sun as the crowd stood anxiously in the Grandstand.

When the decision came down that no change would be made and that Bayern would be the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, jockey Martin Garcia leaned down to give his horse a kiss of gratitude.

One of the escort pony riders called out her congratulations to him as she passed by, and then it was time for Martin, Bayern and the rest of the team to head into the winner’s circle to get their photo taken.

ODDS AND ENDS:
This guy had the coolest Breeders’ Cup jacket I’ve ever seen! It looks like it has signatures from some of the biggest names in horse racing on it. Well done, sir! 

CLOCKER’S CORNER POOCH OF THE DAY:
Well, she wasn’t technically at Clocker’s Corner, but my homegirl Lexi wins the award for Saturday for being pup with the best job in all of horse racing: she oversees everything that happens at Santa Anita Park and the Breeders’ Cup from her perch in a horse-drawn carriage. And she can do all of that with her eyes closed. In short: I want to be Lexi when I grow up.

That’s it for a wild and wonderful Breeders’ Cup week! What was your favorite moment of the World Championships? Let me know in the comments, and I can’t wait to share my diaries with you in my next big adventure at the races!