Breeders Cup Championship Horse Racing - Yesterday and Today

Four new Breeders Cup Champions were crowned yesterday at old Del Mar - Bing Crosby's race track, "where the turf meets the surf...."
 
   The big story for today's racing is that Ulysses has been scratched from the Turf, due to heat and inflammation in a fetlock.

   Yesterday, Rushing Fall proved to be the best of the juvenile fillies on the mile turf course.  A striking bay filly by More Than Ready, and out of Autumnal, by Forestry, Rushing Fall covered the mile in 1:36.09, under the guidance of Javier Castellano.  Best Performance ran second; September (Ire), who walked out of the starting gate, was third; and Significant Form was fourth.  Rushing Fall paid $8.00 to win; Best Performance paid $11.80 to place; and September (Ire) paid $4.80 to show.  The payout for a $2 Perfecta was $107.40; a $2 Trifecta was $743.20; and the $2 Superfecta paid $3,756.20.  The betting favorite, Happily, ran into trouble and had to be checked multiple times, and ended last.

 
    Battle of Midway proved his mettle by winning the Dirt Mile in 1:35.20, under the guidance of jockey Flavien Prat.  The 3-year-old son of Smart Strike, out of the Concerto mare Rigoletta, was a contender for this year's Kentucky Derby. Sharp Azteca battled with the winner down the stretch, finishing second by a half-length; he was 4 1/4 lengths in front of Awesome Slew, who was a half-length in front of Practical Joke.  Battle of Midway paid $30.40 for a $2 win ticket; Sharp Azteca paid $4 for place; and Awesome Slew paid $7 for show.  The $2 tickets for the Perfecta paid $164.20; for the Trifecta, $1,481.20; and for the Superfecta, $5,716.40.

   In the Juvenile Turf, Catholic Boy was undefeated at the start.  He finished fourth.  Mendelssohn ran from the one spot, and finished one length ahead of his nearest competitor, Untamed Domain.  The colt, sired by Scat Daddy, and out of Leslie's Lady by Tricky Creek, covered the mile on the turf in 1:35.97.  Jockey Ryan Moore was in the saddle, riding with trainer Aidan O'Brian's instructions. Voting Control was third, a head before Catholic Boy.  For $2 bets, Mendelssohn paid $11.60 to win; Untamed Domain paid $11 to place; and Voting Control paid $6.20 to show.  A $2 Perfect paid $146.60; Trifecta paid $1207.00; and the Superfecta paid $6,413.60.

  In the Distaff, Forever Unbridled  showed her championship form.  The 5-year-old mare, sired by Unbridled's Song, and out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare, Lemons Forever, won the race by a half-length over Abel Tasman.  Abel Tasman was three lengths ahead of Paradise Woods, who was a length in front of fourth-place finisher Elate.  Trained by Dallas Stewart, there was consternation when it was announced soon before the race, that Joel Rosario, the regular jockey would not be riding the mare.  She was guided to this win by veteran jockey John R Velazquez.  Forever Unbridled's winning time for the 1 and 1/8 miles on the dirt was 1:50.25.   Again, for $2 bets - Forever Unbridled paid $9.40;Abel Tasman paid $5.40; and Paradise Woods paid $3.80.  Payout for a $2 Perfecta was $46.80; for a $2 Trifecta, $294.40; and a $2 Superfecta was $741.40.

         Long live the Queen!