A historic win by Enable in the Breeders' Cup Turf and a first Breeder's Cup winner for trainer John Sadler with the Lookin At Lucky (USA) 5yo Accelerate in the Breeders' Cup Classic highlighted Saturday's Breeders' Cup programme at Churchill Downs.
Roy H, a son of Vinery Stud's legendary More Than Ready (USA) (pictured ) defended his crown in the Breeders' Cup Sprint while a former Vinery shuttler, Myboycharle (IRE), sired the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Sistercharlie who earned her fourth win at the highest level this season and fifth overall.
Godolphin's enigmatic Thunder Snow, a son of Darley Stud's Helmet, was on his best behaviour with a gallant third in the Classic.
BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC
1–ACCELERATE 5yo entire by Lookin at Lucky (USA)
2–Gunnevera 4yo entire by Dialed In
3–Thunder Snow (Ire) 4yo entire by Helmet
A $380,000 Keeneland September yearling, Accelerate is a son of the one season Coolmore shuttler Lookin At Lucky (USA).
A first Breeders' Cup winner for trainer John Sadler, the Classic win capped a remarkable season for Accelerate following wins in the Santa Anita H. (G1), Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1), Pacific Classic (G1), Awesome Again (G1) and San Pasqual (G2). His only loss this season was by a neck to Saturday's Dirt Mile winner City of Light in the Oaklawn H. (G2).
He advances his record to 10 wins 5 seconds and 5 thirds from 22 starts with earnings of $5,792,480.
"It's about the horse, it's not just about me," Sadler said.
When asked whether Accelerate should be Horse Of The Year Saddler said.:
"That's for the sportswriters. To me, he's the Horse of the Year, no doubt. He's won all those great races. For me to win the Santa Anita Handicap was one or two on my bucket list. I've been a California guy my whole life. The classic is a newer race but a great race, and he won that so smashingly. He's just a great horse and had a great year."
Scheduled to take up stud duty at Lane's End Farm next year, Accelerate may have one final start in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on January 26.
BREEDERS' CUP TURF
1–ENABLE (GB) 4yo mare by Nathaniel (Ire)
2–Magical (Ire) 3yo filly Galileo (Ire)
3–Sadler's Joy 5yo entire Kitten's Joy
After defending her crown in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe off the back of just one prep run in the season, the John Gosden-trained Enable etched her name in history when winning Saturday's $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (1 1/2m) at Churchill Downs.
The Juddmonte homebred did what Dancing Brave, Trempolino, Saumarez Subotica, Sakee, Dylan Thomas, Golden Horn and Found could not do, win the Turf after triumphing in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Frankie Dettori was determined to find the best ground in the straight on the daughter of Nathaniel, which was also the quest of Ryan Moore on British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Magical and the two singled out to a stirring duel down the centre of the track with Enable prevailing by a neck.
Juddmonte representative Lord Teddy Grimthorpe said:
"To have this historic day for Juddmonte, really, to have two major, major winners, and a filly doing something that no other horse has ever done - only eight horses have won two Arcs, and she's come back.
"Injury was a setback at the end of the spring, the beginning of the summer. Everything that could have gone right did really go right in terms of recuperation. She was back in her box. She was frustrated. She wasn't going out. She needed some rest.
"She started walking, started trotting, started cantering. All that process is a very vital, vital part of the preparation to make sure she's right. All that has sort of come together in the embodiment of a really special performance today."
Enable advances her record to 10 wins and a second from 11 starts with US$10,705,631 in earnings.
BREEDERS' CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF
1–SISTERCHARLIE (IRE) 4yo mare by Myboycharlie (Ire)
2–Wild Illusion (GB) 3yo filly by Dubawi (Ire)
3–A Raving Beauty (Ger) 5yo mare by Mastercraftsman (Ire)
BREEDERS' CUP SPRINT
1–ROY H 6yo gelding by More Than Ready (USA)
2–Whitmore 5yo gelding by Pleasantly Perfect
3–Imperial Hint 5yo entire by Imperialism
BREEDERS' CUP MILE
1–EXPERT EYE (GB) 3yo colt by Acclamation (GB)
2–Catapult 5yo entire by Kitten's Joy
3–Analyze It 3yo colt Point of Entry
BREEDERS' CUP DISTAFF
1–MONOMOY GIRL 3yo filly by Tapizar
2–Wow Cat (Chi) 4yo mare by Lookin At Lucky (USA)
3–Midnight Bisou 3yo filly by Midnight Lute
BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE
1–CITY OF LIGHT 4yo entire by Quality Road
2–Seeking the Soul 5yo entire by Perfect Soul (Ire)
3–Bravazo 3yo colt by Awesome Again
BREEDERS' CUP FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
1–SHAMROCK ROSE 3yo filly by First Dude
2–Chalon 4yo mare by Dialed In
3–Anonymity 4yo mare by Tapit
