BREEDERS' CUP:A BREEDERS' CUP that threatened to become a European benefit ultimately climaxed on Saturday night with a quintessentially American "mom and apple pie" success for Zenyatta in the €3.5 million Classic.
The Santa Anita-based mare justified top-of-the-bill status going into the meeting at her home track with a sensational, last-to-first sweep that means she goes into probable retirement with a perfect 14 from 14 career record.
There was hardly a dry eye in the house as Zenyatta, who is owned by music industry executive Jerry Moss and trained by Vietnam vet’ John Shirreffs, returned to a winner’s circle that earlier in the day had welcomed home four European-based successes.
Zenyatta provided a fairytale finish to America’s greatest meeting, but there’s little doubt at least some of the emotional outpouring was due to the home team’s best managing to at least keep the main prize away from the invaders.
As it was, Twice Over recorded a fine third in the Classic to add to Henry Cecil’s maiden Breeders’ Cup triumph the day before with Midday. But the Europeans still ended up taking six of the 14 races across the Atlantic in a tally that beat last year’s record by one.
In the process, Goldikova and Conduit completed back-to-back victories in the Mile and the Turf respectively, while Vale Of York sprang a 31 to 1 shock for Godolphin in the Juvenile.
Throw in Pounced’s win in the Juvenile Turf for John Gosden and hopes were white-hot going into the Classic that the number one Irish hope Rip Van Winkle could put the seal on a perfect session for the visitors.
It wasn’t to be, however, and as Zenyatta powered home, Aidan O’Brien’s top horse struggled well down the field on a day which contained more than its share of frustration for the Ballydoyle camp.
A Breeders’ Cup that opened so perfectly with Man Of Iron’s thrilling Marathon success on Friday dissolved on Saturday when the tone was set by Viscount Nelson falling out of the stalls in the Juvenile Turf and immediately losing his chance.
Things picked up slightly for the Irish powerhouse organisation as Beethoven recovered well from being badly baulked at the first bend in the Juvenile to finish just out of the money.
However, pre-race fears that an inside draw might spell danger for Mastercraftsman in the Dirt Mile came true. The four-time Group One winner, who came closer than anyone to threatening Sea The Stars’ dominance in Europe this year, could never get a clear run, and an ambitious dive up the rail by Johnny Murtagh resulted in Mastercraftsman colliding with the rail and fading to fourth behind Furthest Land.
“I would like to have got out at the three-eighth’s pole,” Murtagh admitted afterwards. “He should have won and he was unlucky. We were happy with the draw at the time. But with a high draw, he’d have won.”
Consequently, there was a lot riding on Rip Van Winkle’s Classic attempt, but the writing was on the wall as early as the turn out of the back-stretch. The Irish colt faded quickly from second place, and instead it was Zenyatta’s remarkable rush to the lead that will remain the primary image of Breeders’ Cup 2009.
“It takes an incredible mare to beat the colts but her stride and her size is incredible,” said Zenyatta’s jockey Mike Smith.
Her admirers didn’t stop there; Henry Cecil reported of Twice Over: “He has run the best race of his life and just met a great filly.”
As for Rip Van Winkle, Murtagh said: “He was hanging a little bit left and I think a hard year has left its mark on him. For me he is a miler.”
Running in the Mile, however, would have resulted in a clash with Goldikova, and the French superstar filly overcame a wide draw, and a wide passage through the race, to win for the second year in a row.
