Bricks and Mortar with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard won the Breeders’ Cup Turf. (Photo credit: Carolyn Simancik/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM/Breeders’ Cup Ltd.)
The 36th Breeders’ Cup is in the books with Vino Rosso putting an exclamation point on the two-day championship event by winning the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
The Horse of the Year race may have been decided in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) where Bricks and Mortar completed a perfect season with six starts and six victories, five of those coming in Grade 1 company.
We saw the girls beat the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
The championship event was marred by an injury to Mongolian Groom in the stretch in the Classic. The colt was vanned off and reportedly suffered multiple fractures in the bottom of the cannon bone and top of the pastern.
Vino Rosso Rolls to Victory in Breeders’ Cup Classic
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Vino Rosso ($11.20) swept past favored McKinzie in the upper stretch and drew off to a 4 ¼-length victory in the 36th running of the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic before a Saturday afternoon crowd of 67,811 at Santa Anita.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Vino Rosso covered the 1 ¼ miles over a fast main track in 2:02.80. It is the first win in the Classic for Pletcher and Ortiz.
It is Pletcher’s 11th Breeders’ Cup victory and the ninth for Ortiz, who picked up four victories this weekend.
Preakness winner War of Will set the pace with McKinzie in closest pursuit and Vino Rosso in the fourth.
Going into the far turn, War of Will dropped off the pace leaving McKinzie in front as they hit the top of the stretch with Vino Rosso sweeping three-wide to quickly blow past McKinzie to the victory as the third choice in the field of 11.
McKinzie finished 4 ¼ lengths in front of Higher Power who was another 2 ¼ lengths ahead of the mare Elate. Completing the field in order were Math Wizard, Seeking the Soul, Code of Honor, Yoshida, War of Will and Owendale. Mongolian Groom did not finish.
Vino Rosso is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of 2007 Classic winner Curlin out of the Street Cry mare Mythical Bride. The victory was worth $3,300,000 and increased Vino Rosso’s earnings to $4,803,125 with a record of 15-6-1-3 that includes a Grade 1 victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita this May.
Bricks and Mortar Edges United in Breeders’ Cup Turf
Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s even-money favorite Bricks and Mortar ($4) outdueled 50-1 longshot United by a head to win the 36th running of the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf for 3-year-olds and up Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Bricks and Mortar completed the mile and a half on a firm turf course in 2:24.73. The victory was the third of the weekend for Brown and Ortiz and the first in the Longines Turf. It is Brown’s 15th Breeders’ Cup victory and the eighth for Ortiz.
Acclimate set the pace with United tracking in third next to the rail and Bricks and Mortar a few lengths further back in mid-pack. Coming into the stretch, United cut the corner while Bricks and Mortar launched a six-wide move.
Those two burst clear of the pack at the sixteenth pole with Bricks and Mortar prevailing in the run to the finish line.
Bricks and Mortar is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Giant’s Causeway out of the Ocean Crest mare Beyond the Waves. A winner of seven consecutive starts and all six in 2019 with Ortiz aboard, Bricks and Mortar picked up $2,200,000 for the victory and boosted his earnings to $7,085,650 with a record of 13-11-0-2 with five Grade 1 victories.
Turf Replay
Blue Prize in Upset in Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Merriebelle Stable’s Blue Prize ($19.80) surged to the front at the eighth pole and then held off a bid from even-money favorite Midnight Bisou by 1 1/2 lengths to win the 36th running of the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff for fillies and mares Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.
Trained by Ignacio Correas IV and ridden by Joe Bravo, Blue Prize covered the mile and one-eighth on a fast main track in 1:50.50. It is the first Breeders’ Cup victory for Correas and Bravo.
Serengeti Empress shot out to an uncontested lead with Paradise Woods, Mo See Cal and Ollie’s Candy in closest pursuit with Blue Prize and Midnight Bisou racing in seventh and eighth down the backside.
Approaching the far turn, Bravo and Blue Prize got the jump on the favorite and began reeling in horses and hit the top of the stretch making a four-wide move that got her to the front at the eighth pole. Midnight Bisou moved into second but never threatened the winner.
Fourth in the Longines Distaff last year at Churchill Downs, Blue Prize is a 6-year-old Argentine-bred daughter of Pure Prize out of the Not For Sale mare Blues for Sale (ARG). The victory was worth $1,100,000 and increased Blue Prize’s earnings to $2,692,253 with a record of 23-10-8-3. It is her third Grade 1 victory.
Distaff Replay
Ladies Run One Two in Breeders’ Cup Mile
Head of Plains Partners, Michael Dubb, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables’ Uni ($9.20) roared past Got Stormy, the only other distaffer in the race, to score a 1 1/2-length victory in the 36th running of the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile for 3-year-olds and up at Santa Anita on Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Joel Rosario, Uni covered the mile on a firm turf course in 1:32.45. For Rosario it is his second victory in the Championships this weekend and second in the Mile having won previously on Tourist in 2016. It is Brown’s 14th Breeders’ Cup victory and second of the weekend.
Hey Gamon and El Tormenta led the field of 14 through the early going with Got Stormy in mid-pack and Uni a bit further back. Coming off the final turn, Got Stormy launched a four-wide move to the front only to be quickly joined by Uni who was moving five-wide.
The two ran as a team to inside the sixteenth pole where Uni pulled away.
Uni is 5-year-old British-bred daughter of More Than Ready out of the Dansili mare Unaided (GB). The victory was worth $1,100,000 and increased Uni’s earnings to $2,347,880 with a record of 18-10-3-3.
Mile Replay
Iridessa Nips Vasilika in Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Mrs. C.C. Regalado-Gonzalez’s Iridessa ($28.40) held off Vasilika by a neck after a duel in deep stretch to win the 21st running of the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan, Iridessa covered the mile and a quarter on a firm turf course in 1:57.77. It is the first Breeders’ Cup victory for O’Brien and Lordan.
Longshot Mirth raced off to an uncontested lead with Vasilika tracking in second and Iridessa just behind her. On the turn, Iridessa and Vasilika moved as a team and at the sixteenth pole stormed past Mirth with Iridessa moving fastest only to have Vasilika fight back along the rail and just miss at the wire.
Defending champion and heavily favored Sistercharlie finished another 2 ¼ lengths back in third.
Iridessa is a 3-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Ruler of the World (IRE) out of the Danehill mare Senta’s Dream (GB). The victory, her fourth Grade or Group 1 triumph, was worth $1,100,000 and increased Iridessa’s earnings to $1,988,198.
Filly & Mare Turf Replay
Mitole Takes Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Mitole ($5.60) roared past favored Shancelot at the sixteenth pole and went on to a 1 1/4-length victory in the 36th running of the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Santa Anita on Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Mitole covered the 6 furlongs on a fast main track in 1:09. For Santana, it is his first Breeders’ Cup victory and the seventh for Asmussen, first in the Sprint.
Shancelot grabbed the lead shortly after the start and quickly opened a daylight advantage as Santana kept Mitole in the clear in fourth place in the field of eight.
At the head of the stretch, Shancelot was still in control as Matera Sky and Firenze Fire began to fall back with Mitole coming four wide. Mitole drew even at the sixteenth pole and then pulled away.
Mitole is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Eskendereya out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss. The victory was worth $1,100,000 and increased Mitole’s earnings to $3,104,910 with a record of 14-10-2-2. It is the fourth Grade 1 victory of 2019 for Mitole.
Sprint Replay
Spun to Run in Upset in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Robert Donaldson’s Spun to Run ($20.20) was fastest out of the gate and never trailed in posting a 2 3/4-length victory over favored Omaha Beach in the 13th running of the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Juan Carlos Guerrero and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Spun to Run covered the mile on a fast main track in 1:36.58. It is the first Breeders’ Cup victory for Guerrero and seventh for Ortiz and second of this year’s Championships.
Spun to Run was tracked in the early going by Blue Chipper, the first South Korean entrant in the World Championships, and those two ran 1-2 all the way until the eighth pole when Omaha Beach rallied to gain the place spot over Blue Chipper by 1 ¼ lengths.
Spun to Run is a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Hard Spun out of the Grand Slam mare Yawkey Way. The victory was worth $550,000 and improved Spun to Run’s earnings to $1,010,520 with a record of 11-5-1-3. The Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile is his first Grade 1 win.
Dirt Mile Replay
Covfefe Wins Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
LNJ Foxwoods’ Covfefe ($5) surged to the lead at the top of the stretch and held off a bid from Bellafina by three-quarters of a length to win the 13th running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, the first of nine World Championship races Saturday at Santa Anita.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Joel Rosario, Covfefe covered the 7 furlongs on a fast main track in 1:22.40.
The victory was the second of the weekend for Cox who saddled British Idiom to victory in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. For Rosario, it is his 10th Breeders’ Cup victory and second in the Filly & Mare Sprint having won previously in 2015 on Wavell Avenue.
Longshots Danuska’s My Girl and Heavenhasmynikki dueled for the early lead with Covfefe rating in third. Turning for home, Covfefe moved three wide to the front, shook off a challenge from Spiced Perfection and then had enough to hold off Bellafina.
The victory was worth $550,000 and improved Covfefe’s earnings to $1,110,025 with a record of 8-6-0-1 that includes two Grade 1 victories.
Covfefe is a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief out of the Unbridled mare Antics.
Filly & Mare Sprint Replay
Belvoir Bay Beats Boys in Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Gary Barber’s Belvoir Bay ($31.60), the only mare in the field of 12, grabbed the lead out of the gate and never trailed in winning the 12th running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up by 1 ¼ lengths over Om Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.
Trained by Peter Miller and ridden by Javier Castellano, Belvoir Bay covered the 5 furlongs on a firm turf course in :54.83, a course record.
Miller, who also saddled Om to complete the exacta, won the race for the third consecutive year as Stormy Liberal had prevailed at Del Mar in 2017 and Churchill Downs in 2018. It is Miller’s fifth Breeders’ Cup victory and the 12th for Castellano and first in the Turf Sprint. Stormy Liberal finished eighth in this year’s renewal.
Belvoir Bay is a 6-year-old British-bred daughter of Equiano (FR) out of the Rock of Gibraltar mare Path of Peace. The victory was worth $550,000 and increased her earnings to $1,699,787 with a record of 28-12-6-2.
