Live updates from day two of the Breeders Cup
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Day one as it happened
12.34am GMT
And now, finally, here they come for the $5m Breeders Cup Classic, to the sound of The Best Is Yet To Come on the track PA. Sadly I havent yet worked out a way to get live audio files into the blog. Maybe next year.
12.30am GMT
They are going to be late off here in the Classic, it is five minutes to the official post time and they are not even on the track yet. But it will be worth it when they arrive. Stay awake people!
12.28am GMT
And a bit more Guillot voodoo, this is his version of cowboy Bill Mott, who runs Cigar Street in the Classic.
And also Bill Mott pic.twitter.com/FTp08nd55B
12.22am GMT
About a quarter of an hour to go to post time for the Classic, and Shared Belief is the 5-2 favourite to extend his unbeaten record to eight races. California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby winner, is 7-2 second-favourite, just ahead of Tonalist on 4-1. Bayern, the likely pace-setter, is 7-1, and Toast Of New York is 19-1. Moreno, trained by the voodoo-doll man Eric Guillot, is 28-1 to work some magic.
12.08am GMT
Half an hour to the Classic. Heres a piece I wrote for Thoroughbred Racing Commentary on why its my favourite race of the year, particularly when its at Santa Anita.
12.04am GMT
Youll (possibly) regret it if you do!
@Greg_Wood_ Disappointing evening. I'm going to bed. Maybe Melbourne Cup can do better.
12.02am GMT
Okay, so it is still possible for Europeans to win races at the Breeders Cup meeting, though the odds on a blank were suddenly rather short as Obviously went clear there at the top of the straight.
Could it possibly be a Euro double in the final two races thanks to Toast Of New York?
11.52pm GMT
Obviously led Toronado through the first six furlongs and into the straight, and then kicked clear as Toronado ran wide and started to fade. Karakontie, trained in France by Jonathan Pease, came storming down the straight under Stephane Pasquier, however, and ran him down before crossing the line ahead of Freddy Heads Anodin and Dave Simcocks Trade Storm.
11.49pm GMT
Breeders Cup Mile result: 1. Karakontie, 2. Anodin, 3. Trade Storm. A 1-2-3- for the Europeans.
11.43pm GMT
Approaching the gates for the Breeders Cup Mile .....
11.32pm GMT
@osbornejamie Thinking of you and your lovely Toast. All fingers crossed. Dad will be laughing from the great betting shop in the sky.
11.29pm GMT
Toronado is the pick of the paddock according to good judge Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form...
Toronado is not losing this race on looks. Tremendous in paddock.
11.27pm GMT
Two chances left to avoid a European blank, and the Mile is the pick of the pair according to the prices and depth of team. Veda, Mustajeeb, Trade Storm, Anodin and the favourite Toronado - currently a 2-1 chance on the Tote - all go in to bat for European stables, while Obviously, trained by Philip DAmato and ridden by Joe Talamo, is the one being backed to see them off at around 9-2.
Here is Obviously in the Shoemaker Mile earlier this year.
11.17pm GMT
Work All Week was around 20-1 to win, despite having recorded plenty of victories at some of American racings less storied venues, including Prairie Meadows in Iowa and Fairmount Park in Illinois. He got home by half a length, giving Florent Geroux, his jockey, his first Breeders Cup winner.
11.12pm GMT
A bit of a no-show from Rich Tapestry, who never really looked happy amid the ferocious test of speed that is the Breeders Cup Sprint. Work All Week stayed on well in the closing stages to resist the charge of Secret Circle. Wind Fire, meanwhile, beat only one home.
11.08pm GMT
Breeders Cup Sprint result: 1. Work All Week, 2. Secret Circle, 3. Private Zone.
11.00pm GMT
Heres Rich Tapestry at the track earlier this week...
10.59pm GMT
Three races left and next up is the Sprint, a race that is generally a lock for the home team due to the complete absence of any runners from elsewhere.
There are two visitors in the field this time though: Wind Fire, who is 55-1 to win for the David Brown yard, and Michael Changs Rich Tapestry, a far more credible 5-2 chance to take the prize back to Hong Kong. Bob Bafferts Secret Circle, who got home by a neck in this race last year, is 9-2 to make it back-to-back victories.
10.53pm GMT
Shared Beliefs moment of destiny approaches in the Classic, now little more than 90 minutes away. Heres a quick glimpse of how hes been preparing...
After the race, remind me to take down the motivational posters that Hollendorfer gave me. #BreedersCup pic.twitter.com/G7BLXJEv6F
10.42pm GMT
Thats a fourth Grade One in a row for Main Sequence, who seems a different animal to the one that left Britain at the end of last season. On his final start last year, he finished eighth of 10 behind Farhh in the Champion Stakes at Ascot at 66-1, and described as out of his depth ... due to slipped standards of form and attitude by Timeform. It has been an impressive performance by Motion to get him to the highest level and keep him there.
As he did in the Arc, Flintshire ran well but found one opponent too good, this time by half a length. Twilight Eclipse was just ahead of Telescope in the minor places.
10.31pm GMT
Breeders Cup Turf result: 1. Main Sequence, 2. Flintshire, 3. Twilight Eclipse. The European drought at this years Breeders Cup continues, though Main Sequence is at least trained by Graham Motion, who was born in Cambridge.
10.21pm GMT
Telescope has eased slightly to 6-4, while Flintshire is a 4-1 chance with two minutes left to post time. Brown Panther, Michael Owens horse, is 12-1, while Chicquita is a 14-1 chance to rescue something from the meeting for Aidan OBrien.
10.19pm GMT
Okay, here we go again with the Breeders Cup Turf, arguably the best chance of a European winner at this years meeting given the depth of visitors challenge. Telescope, believe it or not, is a 6-5 chance on the local tote, but roughly a 2-1 chance with British bookies, while Flintshire, the Arc runner-up, is 9-2 here and 11-4 on the other side of the pond.
The one American-trained horse being backed to give them a race is Main Sequence, formerly a Derby runner-up when trained by David Lanigan, and subsequently a horse who gained a reputation for being a bit of a dodgepot, to use a technical term.
10.12pm GMT
Texas Red romps away with the Breeders Cup Juvenile.
#TexasRed wins the @SentientJet #BC14 Juvenile by a long shot. pic.twitter.com/LhvzjEPOgX
10.09pm GMT
Apologies for the brief break in transmission, I was filing copy for tomorrows Observer, though theres not a great deal to write home about from a European point of view at the moment.
The Great War put up a very fair showing in the Juvenile, travelling well on the dirt and apparently there with every chance as they turned for home. Texas Red put the race to bed in a few strides in the stretch, however, recording an impressive victory but also prompting thoughts of what might have been. Last time out, he finished third to Bob Bafferts American Pharoah, who was the strong favourite for the Juvenile until he was ruled out by an injury earlier this week.
9.51pm GMT
Breeders Cup Juvenile full result: 1. Texas Red, 2. Carpe Diem, 3. Upstart. The Great War was fourth after travelling well to the top of the stretch.
9.49pm GMT
Breeders Cup Juvenile result: 1. Texas Red, 2 photo.
9.40pm GMT
They are on the track for the Juvenile, with Carpe Diem the 9-5 favourite for Todd Pletcher. Daredevil, another runner for Pletcher, is a 5-2 chance, and The Great War is 14-1.
9.28pm GMT
Congratulations to #JudyTheBeauty and Mike Smith on winning the @DraftKings #BreedersCup Filly & Mare Sprint pic.twitter.com/Vne0UPKNBY
9.27pm GMT
Ken Ramsey, the owner of Bobbys Kitten, says he is keen to run him at Royal Ascot next year.
9.26pm GMT
Five races left at this years Breeders Cup, and five more chances to take one of the prizes back to Europe. The Great War will attempt to give Aidan OBrien a second win in the Juvenile after Johannesburgs famous victory in 2001.
9.20pm GMT
Bobbys Kitten paid just over 7-1 for the win. Caspar Netscher ran well without ever looking likely to win, staying on from the rear in the straight and passing several rivals but ultimately out of the frame.
9.17pm GMT
Thats another for Chad Brown, with Bobbys Kitten flying late to catch No Nay Never in the last strides. Frankie Dettori seemed to have timed his challenge just right, passing the long-time leader Reneesgotzip a furlong out and powering into the lead, but Joel Rosario was finishing best of all on Bobbys Kitten and snatched it at the death. Undrafted, who ran in the July Cup earlier this year for his owner, the American footballer Wes Welker, was third.
9.13pm GMT
Breeders Cup Turf Sprint result: 1. Bobbys Kitten, 2. photo
9.10pm GMT
Nearing the gates for the Turf Sprint, in fact theyre going behind. This is on the (slightly) downhill sprint course, a unique feature of Santa Anita, which is being used for the first time today after an earlier race was taken off the turf.
9.08pm GMT
And on the subject of Jim Rome, heres a vid that the Breeders Cup put together about him ...
8.58pm GMT
Jim Rome, the sporting shock-jock who co-owns Shared Belief, the favourite for the Classic, is slowly getting himself warmed up for the big race.
Come on #SharedBelief! Im betting him & the #BreedersCup with TVG. Clones get $50 Free Bet @tvg.com/Clones50 pic.twitter.com/Y60twWcVMj
8.56pm GMT
The Turf Sprint is next up here, with one European runner in Caspar Netscher but a couple of our leading jockeys engaged to ride too. Frankie Dettori is aboard Wesley Wards No Nay Never, who took the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, while Ryan Moore is aboard Dimension, now with Conor Murphy in the States but formerly trained by James Fanshawe.
The betting is wide open, with Ambitious Brew the narrow favourite at 9-2, ahead of Bobbys Kitten and No Nay Never on 5-1. Caspar Netscher is a 20-1 chance to give Europe its first win at this years Breeders Cup.
8.44pm GMT
This is Javier Castellano on his beautifully-executed front-running ride on Dayatthespa in the Filly & Mare Turf.
I thought she could get the distance if we could get away with a slow pace. I was hoping we could go 24 [seconds], 48, one minute 13 and thats exactly what we did. When we got to the three-quarters in 1:13 I thought to myself, were going to steal this thing, and we did.
8.38pm GMT
That is a photo finish for #JudyTheBeauty in the @DraftKings Filly & Mare Sprint. #BC14 pic.twitter.com/d5TGMLAfAg
8.30pm GMT
Mike Smith, that is clearly a ready-tied bow tie.
Maybe so, but winners can get away with the occasional fashion faux-pas.
8.29pm GMT
Thats another winner for Wesley Ward, who saddled his first Breeders Cup winner when Hootenanny took the Juvenile Turf yesterday. Judy The Beauty moved through smoothly to challenge at the top of the stretch under Mike Smith and took a good lead out of the chasing pack, but Better Lucky, from Godolphins American operation, produced a really determined challenge through the final furlong and was just denied by the winner.
8.26pm GMT
Filly & Mare Sprint result: 1. Judy The Beauty, 2. Better Lucky, 3. Thank You Marylou.
8.24pm GMT
Off and running in the Filly & Mare Sprint
8.24pm GMT
Sir Michael Stoute on Danks run in the Filly & Mare Turf:
Shes run a very game race. They didnt go fast enough in the middle part of the race for her. Ryan [Moore] was a little further back than he wanted to be and had to come wide, but shes tried as always.
8.13pm GMT
Another interesting Trakus fact, this time on the Filly & Mare Turf.
Stephanie's Kitten covered 70 ft more than #BC14 F&M Turf winner Dayatthespa, distance equating to ~ 8 1/4L
8.10pm GMT
Next up here is the Filly & Mare Sprint, the only remaining Breeders Cup race without a European interest. Judy The Beauty is the 5-2 favourite in the early betting, with Stonetastic and Artemis Agrotera at 7-2 and 5-1 respectively. Herewith some vids...
8.03pm GMT
D Wayne Lukas, almost as legendary a talker as he is a trainer, is in the interview room.
If youre going to train these horses for these owners, they want to be in this arena. They want to win when the whole world is watching. So if you can do one thing, you might have a few stumbling races going into one of these, but if you can concentrate starting in August and try to bring it together on the right day and get one of these, its worth five of the others. This is where everybody wants to be. This is where this gentleman believes hes going to get when we pay that kind of money for a filly, and this is where we need to put him. And thats what weve made a career of doing.
8.00pm GMT
My mind now returns to a conversation in the parking lot on the way in with US racing pundit Bruno De Julio (his website is here).
His view was that the amount of rain the track had taken overnight could be just what the frontrunners needed, as it could allow them to show their speed while blunting the finishing effort of those in pursuit at the business end of the race. Two races is too soon to judge, but there is certainly evidence to suggest that Bruno might have been right on the money.
7.56pm GMT
Jon Ivan-Duke of William Hill has emailed to say that his organisations worldwide betting operation took a grand total of 56 win bets on Take Charge Brandi for the Juvenile Fillies. To be honest, Im surprised it was even that many.
7.53pm GMT
Two front-running victories in a row as Dayatthespa leads them home in the Filly & Mare Turf. Stephanies Kitten finished best of all into second, while Just The Judge and Dank were third and fourth.
Javier Castellano really did have things all his own way out in front and there was never anything travelling in behind that looked likely to reel him in. As in the opener, those trying to chase him down were forced out wide on the turn, Dank in particular, and the effort of closing the gap was too much for them in the short straight.
7.49pm GMT
Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf result: 1. Dayatthespa, 2. Stephanies Kitten, 3. photo.
7.45pm GMT
Post time for the Filly & Mare Turf. Dank is the 2-1 favourite on the local tote, while Dayatthespa and stablemate Stephanies Kitten are 5-1 and 4-1 respectively.
7.37pm GMT
Just got the full result sheet for the Juvenile Fillies. There were some crazy returns among the exotic bets, the 6-11-10-1 Superfecta for instance paid $97,620 to a $1 stake.
7.35pm GMT
The best of the American challengers in this race according to Timeform is Dayatthespa, trained by Chad Brown. Here she is winning the Grade One First Lady Stakes at Keeneland last time out.
7.32pm GMT
The punters went home feeling on pretty good terms with themselves yesterday after victories for Untapable and Goldencents, both solidly-backed favourites, but that result in the opener is a reminder that things are rarely that straightforward when racing is as competitive as this.
Dank, trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket, could get them back on track in the next race, the Filly & Mare Turf, which is due off in just under 15 minutes. Just The Judge (Charlie Hills) and Secret Gesture (Ralph Beckett) back up the British challenge, while Fiesolana is also expected to run well for Irelands Willie McCreery.
7.24pm GMT
D Wayne Lukas has now extended his own all-time record for Breeders Cup winners to 20, at the age of 79.
7.15pm GMT
The Trakus service, which logs actual distance travelled in a race, shows how much of the run of the race the winner had there. Top Decile was forced out wide, and covered much more ground. Both second and third had higher average speed than the winner too.
#BC14 Juv Fillies 2nd Top Decile cov'd 43ft > Take Charge Brandi, 3rd Wonder Gal 52ft more. Both avg'd higher speed in race than 60-1 winner
7.12pm GMT
A huge upset in the opening Breeders Cup race of the evening as Take Charge Brandi makes all the running to win the Juvenile Fillies at 60-1. Top Decile, whose jockey Rosie Napravnik is riding for the last time today before retiring to start a family, made late progress to take second, but Victor Espinoza had the race won by then on Take Charge Brandi, yet another Cup winner for legendary trainer D Wayne Lukas. Wonder Gal took third in a tight photo with Feathered.
7.07pm GMT
Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies result: 1. Take Charge Brandi, 2. Top Decile, 3. photo.
7.04pm GMT
Going into the stalls for the Juvenile Fillies. Angela Renee still solid in the market at 3-1, with Puca, a daughter of Big Brown, next best at 4-1.
7.02pm GMT
Weather-wise, it is cloudy and a fair bit cooler than usual at Santa Anita, but it doesnt feel like there is any more rain in the offing. One forecast yesterday suggested a 100 per cent chance of rain at 1pm local time. Which shows impressive confidence in the forecasters ability, but probably misplaced confidence all the same.
6.58pm GMT
The field has just emerged onto the track for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies, one of only two Cup races this evening with no Euro interest.
Todd Pletchers Angela Renee is the favourite on the back of a good win at this track last time out.
6.55pm GMT
The Guardian live blog - where racings powerbrokers follow the Breeders Cup...
@Greg_Wood_ I'm locked in for the evening, live blog at hand...
6.32pm GMT
And California Chromes Kentucky Derby victory ...
6.31pm GMT
Heres Bayern, another big contender tonight, winning the Pennsylvania Derby with California Chrome behind in sixth.
6.27pm GMT
This is Shared Belief, the Classic favourite, beating Toast Of New York in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Michael Buckley, Toast Of New Yorks owner, said earlier this week that, without criticising the jockey Victor Espinoza, he felt that Jamie Spencer, who knows the horse well, would have held onto him a little longer. Also, he did get a bit of a bump at the top of the stretch, and could actually find more on dirt than Shared Belief. Several ifs for sure, but the gap between the horses is not unbridgeable.
6.22pm GMT
Heres Tonalist, the second-favourite for the Classic, winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in September.
6.19pm GMT
Less than an hour now to the first Breeders Cup race, and a few videos of contenders are on the way. First, though, a selection of some of the voodoo dolls of rival trainers which Eric Guillot has nailed to his barn door here at Santa Anita.
A selection of the voodoo dolls at Eric Guillot's barn at Santa Anita. He runs Moreno in the Classic. #BC14 pic.twitter.com/NqUylrpeZH
6.00pm GMT
Something very unusual happened in California last night. It rained, and the reaction at Santa Anita this morning to the arrival of a little moisture from above says a great deal about just fortunate they are to be living here in the first place.
A little under half an inch of rain fell in the area of Santa Anita Park between about 1am and 7am. And you read that correctly, a little under half an inch in six hours. It fell onto a turf track that would have ridden as fast as a freeway without it, and both the dirt and turf courses here, which will stage the final nine races of the 2014 Breeders Cup meeting from around midday local time, are both still described as good.
6.00pm GMT
Greg will be here shortly.
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