With Del Mar to stage both the 2024 and 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, it was the 40th at Santa Anita ‘that was certainly worthy of the vision of its founders.’
However, the World of the Breeders’ Cup was deeply saddened with the passing of Cody Dorman who was there on Saturday to have Cody’s Wish win the Big Ass Fans Breeders Cup Dirt Mile.
A Make-a-Wish Foundation recipient, who bonded with Cody’s Wish when a foal at Gainsborough Farm, ‘his story captured our hearts and minds with his strength, spirit and determination.’
Back to business, it was BC President and CEO Drew Fleming saying “Racing fans here and around the world were treated to the very best of our sport including three repeat champions.”
“Total common-pool handle on Saturday’s 12-race Breeders’ Cup card was $114,145,050, and all sources common-pool handle on the 10-race ‘Future Stars Friday’ card was $62,136,939.”
“Total all-sources, global common-pool handle for the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park was $176,281,989, On-track handle for the two days was $19,419,844.
“Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup attendance was 66,247 and the two-day on-track attendance was 109,624,” while in 2016 at Santa Anita it was a $156,861,811 handle and a 118,484 attendance.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. claimed his fifth Shoemaker Award at the Saturday’s final Breeders’ Cup event on Elite Power in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint for a total of three series wins.
Also on Saturday he partnered White Abarrio to win the $6m Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and earlier in the day Goodnight Olive in the $1m PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
Junior Alvarado and Ryan Moore scored two wins each with Junior winning the $2m NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and on Saturday the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Cody’s Wish.
Ryan Moore won Friday’s $1m Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Unquestionable and on Saturday the $4m Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin.
Named in honour of the great Bill Shoemaker, The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who rides the most winners in the 14 Championship races, and has a 10-3-1 point tie-breaker system.
Now with a score-sheet of 13 Breeders’ Cup wins, the 70 year-old Bill Mott was the toast of Santa Anita with a high 50% success and with Cody’s Wish and Elite Power as title defenders.
Cody’s Wish repeated his $1m Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile victory again with Junior Alvarado riding, and celebrated with his namesake Cody Dorman, who passed away on Monday.
In winning with three of his six starters, Bill Mott had Elite Powe win a second $2m Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint while Just F Y I took out the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien and Chad Brown took out two victories each, and on Friday it was Aiden with Unquestionable in the $1m Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, from his Mountain Bear.
On the Saturday it was English and Irish Derby winner Auguste Rodin with Ryan Moore in the $4m Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf to give him his seventh win in the race, and five wins for Ryan Moore.
Chad Brown had Hard to Justify as his sixth winner of the $1m Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Goodnight Olive with a repeat win in the $1m PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
Fierceness at $35 was the longest priced winner over the 14 Championship races in winning the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for Todd Pletcher.
Eight favourites had victories at this 40th World Championship headed by Unquestionable on the Friday, and on Saturday it was Cody’s Wish, Goodnight Olive, Auguste Rodin and Elite Power.
In addition, race favourite Inspiral took out Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Idiomatic the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff and White Abarrio the $6m Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
