Second Day of Breeders' Cup Races Brings Surprises

 I can go to sleep happy tonight - a granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Sunday Silence (both bred in Japan) won their races today at Del Mar.  They were the first wins for any horse bred in Japan in a Breeders' Cup race.  (I still love Sunday Silence!)

   Nine Breeders' Cup races were run today with $21 million in purses.  Yesterday was set aside for the 2-year-olds; today was for horses aged 3 years and up - and for some, it was their swan song before retirement for breeding purposes.  Only three of the races had full fields, an the Fillies and Mares Sprint race had the smallest field in the history of the Breeders' Cup races, with only five entries.

    I'll be describing each race - name of the race, guaranteed purse, distance, the number of entries, the complete order of finish, with how much purse money that horse won - and then I'll list the betting payouts, each based on a $2 bet.  If you wish to know the sexes and weight carried by each entry, you'll have to look at pervious blogs that give that information: of course, if it's a race designated for fillies and mares, you know each entry is a female.

   The first Breeders' Cup race of the day was the Fillies And Mares Sprint, with a guaranteed purse of $1 million, over a distance of 7/8 mile (7 furlongs) on the main track.  Of the five ladies entering the gate, the betting favorite was Gamine, who had won this race last year.  Ce Ce [$520,00] won the race in 1:21 flat, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Edgeway [$170,000].  Gamine, the favorite, [$90,000] was 3/4 length behind Edgeway, and 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Bella Sofia [$50,000].  Proud Emma [$30,000] finished the field in fifth.  A $2 win bet placed on Ce Ce paid $14.40; a place bet on Edgeway paid $9.60; and a show bet on Gamine paid $2.10.  A $2 exacta bet paid $111; the trifecta paid $238.40; and the superfecta paid $278.60.

Ce Ce wins the Fillies And Mares Sprint

   The Turf Sprint was up next, for both sexes, with a $1 million purse guaranteed, and 12 starters allowed, and a full field of 12 contested the 5/8 miles (5 furlongs) race.  There were four females and eight males entered.  Surprisingly, last year's winner, Glass Slippers (GB), was not the betting favorite at the start of the race - that was a Florida-bred named Golden Pal, a son of Uncle Mo.  The bettors were right, as Golden Pal [$520,000] won the race in 55.22 seconds, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Lieutenant Dan [$170,000], who was 3 1/2 lengths  in front of Charmaine's Mia [$90,000].  Emaraaty Ana (GB) [$50,000] was only a neck behind in fourth.  A Case of You (IRE) [$30,000] was fifth, followed by Gear Jockey [$20,000], Kimari [$10,000], Glass Slippers (GB) [$10,000], Extravagant Kid [$10,000], Chaos Theory [$10,000], Fast Boat and Caravel.  A win bet on Golden Pal paid $7; a place bet on Lieutenant Dan paid $5.40; and a show bet on Charmaine's Mia paid $12.20.  The $2 exacta paid $32; the trifecta paid $591.40; and the superfecta paid $3,980.40.

Golden Pal winning the Turf Sprint

   The Mile had a $1 million guaranteed purse, with the 8 furlongs run on the main track; there were only 8 starters and all were male. The only 3-year-old in the race, Life Is Good, was the betting favorite as the field entered the gate.  Again, today's bettors were correct, as Life Is Good [$520,000] easily won by 5 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:34.12.  Ginobili [$170,000] was in second, 3/4 length ahead of Restrainedvengence [$90,000], who was a neck ahead of Eight Rings [$50,000].  Silver State [$30,000] was in fifth place, followed by Snapper Sinclair [$20,000], Pingxiang [$10,000], and Jasper Prince [$10,000].   A $2 win bet on Life Is Good paid $3.40; a place bet on Ginobili paid $4; and a show bet on Restrainedvengence paid $7.20.  A correct exacta paid $12.20; the trifecta paid $135; and the superfecta paid $489.

Life Is Good winning the Big Ass Fans Mile

   In the Fillies And Mares Turf, Audarya (FR) was trying to become a return winner of the $2 million guaranteed race that covered 1 3/8 miles (11 furlongs), with a field of 12.  Entering the starting gate, War Like Goddess was the betting favorite at 2 to 1. History was made, however, when Loves Only You (JPN) [$1,040,000] won the race by a half length in 2:13.87.  She became the first horse bred in Japan to win a Breeders' Cup race in the United States - and she is the granddaughter of Sunday Silence, the 1989 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders' Cup Classic winner. In second place was My Sister Nat (FR) [$340,000], a head in front of War Like Goddess [$180,000], who was 1 1/2 lengths before Love (IRE) [$100,000].  Last year's winner, Audarya (FR) [$60,000] was in fifth place, followed by Ocean Road (IRE) [$40,000], Rougir (FR) [$20,000], Pocket Square (GB) [$20,000], Acanella (GB) [$20,000], Dogtag [$20,000], Going to Vegas and Queen Supreme (IRE).   A $2 win bet on Loves Only You (JPN) paid $10.60; a place bet on My Sister Nat (FR) paid $17.60; and a show bet on War Like Goddess paid $3.  The exacta paid $312.60; the trifecta paid $933.20; and the superfecta paid $2,973.80.

Loves Only You (JPN) wins the Fillies And Mares Turf

   The Sprint is a $2 million guaranteed race covering 3/4 mile (6 furlongs) on the main track.  Twelve starters are allowed, but a field of only 9 competed.  Entering the starting gate, Jackie's Warrior was the betting favorite.  In an extremely close race, Aloha West [$1,040,000] won by a nostril over Dr. Schivel [$340,000] in less than a full second over the track record, in 1:08.49.  Following Sea [$180,000] was 1  1/2 lengths behind Dr. Schivel, but 3/4 length ahead of Special Reserve [$100,000].  Matera Sky [$60,000] was in fifth, followed across the line by Jackie's Warrior [$40,000], C Z Rocket [$20,000], Firenze Fire [$20,000], and Lexitonian [$20,000].  A $2 win bet on Aloha West paid $24.60; a place bet on Dr. Schivel paid $5.00; and a show bet on Following Sea paid $9.60.  A $2 exacta paid $99.20; a trifecta paid $845; and a superfecta paid $2,865.40.

Aloha West (5), closest to the camera, wins the Sprint

   The Turf Mile is a $2 million guaranteed race run on the grass for 8 furlongs.  It had a full field of 14 entries. I have to admit I got a little weirded out when I realized that trainer Charlie Appleby of the Godolphin Stables had two entries in this race, in starting gate stalls 1 and 3.  (He had the problems in the last race yesterday, with a gelding in gate 2, who flipped in the gate before the start.)  I got even more worried when I saw his horse in gate 1 was wearing a noise-reducing hood like the horse had worn yesterday, and when I saw he was by the same stallion.  As the horses entered the starting gate, the #3 horse, Space Blues (IRE), (trained by Charlie Appleby) was the betting favorite at 5 to 2. When almost all the horses had entered the gate, the starter removed the hood from Master of the Seas (IRE) in gate one.  As the gate closed on the last horse entering the starting gate, #15, Real Appeal (GER), the horse in gate 1 reared three times, hitting the back of his head twice on a padded metal cross-bar and flinging one foreleg over the front gate of the stall.  The horse became an immediate scratch, because he had struck his head - an equine concussion protocol - plus had cut his foreleg.  All the horses had to be backed out of the gate, then re-loaded, as Master of the Seas (IRE) was stripped of his tack and led back to the barn.  As this was happening, a camera caught trainer Appleby and the Godolphin representative looking at each other and shaking their heads in disbelief.  Yesterday's race had been delayed 15 minutes and the starting gate assistant inside Albahr's stall had been taken to the hospital. (He was later released with massive bruises and a few nicks.)  This delay was 3 to 4 minutes long.

   As happened yesterday, Appleby's remaining horse won the race.  Space Blues (IRE) [$1,040,000] won the race by a half length in 1:34.01.  He was followed across the finish line by Smooth Like Strait [$340,000], who was 1 length before Ivar (BRZ) [$180,000].  Raging Bull [$100,00] was 3/4 length further back, and was followed by Got Stormy [$60, 000], Pearls Galore (FR) [$40,000], In Love (BRZ) [$20,000], Casa Creed [$20,000], Real Appeal (GER) [$20,000], Mother Earth (IRE) [$20,000], Blowout (GB), Vin de Garde (JPN),  and Mo Forza.  A $2 win bet on Space Blues (IRE) paid $6.20; a place bet on Smooth Like Strait paid $9; and a show bet on Ivar (BRZ) paid $11.40.  A $2 exacta paid $58.20; the trifecta paid $1,036.40; and the superfecta paid $7,416.20.

Space Blues (IRE) winning the Turf Mile

   The Distaff has a guaranteed purse of $2 million, with the ladies running 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on the main track.  There were 11 starters, and the betting favorite was Letruska, at 8 to 5, who had won six of her seven races this year.  And Japan won their second Breeders' Cup ever.  The winner of the race was Marche Lorraine (JPN), the daughter of Orfevre (JPN), who was the son of Stay Gold (JPN), who was the son of Sunday Silence.  Marche Lorraine (JPN) [$1,040,000] won in a second photo finish of the day, and by a nostril, also (like Aloha West in the Sprint).  Her winning time was 1:47.67  In second place was Dunbar Road [$340,000], who was a 1/2 length ahead of Malathaat [$180,000], who led Clairiere [$100,000] by a head.  Royal Flag [$60,000] was in fifth place, with Shedaresthedevil [$40,000], Blue Stripe (ARG) [$20,000], As Time Goes By [$20,000], Horologist [$20,000], Letruska [$20,000], and Private Mission following.  A $2 win bet on Marche Lorraine (JPN) paid $101.80; a place bet on Dunbar Road paid $11.60; a show bet on Malathaat paid $3.80.  A $2 exacta paid $1,026.60; a trifecta paid $8,020; and a superfecta paid $44,910.40.

Marche Lorraine (JPN), with red and white blinkers, wins the Distaff

   The penultimate Breeders' Cup race was the Turf, open to both sexes, with a guaranteed purse of $4 million, and covering a course of 1 1/2 miles (12 furlongs).  There was a full field of 14 - and I cringed when I saw that Charlie Appleby and Godolphin had two entries in this race including one by Dubawi  (IRE), who was the sire of the two colts who had delayed the racing.  Luckily, both entries behaved.  The betting favorite at the start of the race was last year's winner, Tarnawa (IRE), at 3 to 2.  The winner of the race was Yibir (GB) [$2,080,000], son of Dubawi (IRE), trained by Charlie Appleby and owned by Godolphin.  He set a new track record of 2:25.90, and won by a half length over Broome (IRE) [$680,000].  Teona (IRE) [$360,000] was in third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Broome (IRE), and 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Japan (GB) [$200,000].  In fifth place was Channel Maker [$120,000], followed by Bolshoi Ballet (IRE) [$80,000], Sisfahan (FR) [$40,000], Rockemperor (IRE) [$40,000], Walton Street (GB) [$40,000], Gufo [$40,000], Tarnawa (IRE), Astronaut, Tribhuvan (FR), and Acclimate.  A $2 win bet on Yibir (GB) paid $19; a place bet on Broome (IRE) paid $10; and show bet on Teona (IRE) paid $7.40.  A $2 exacta bet paid $171.80; a trifecta paid $2,332.20; and a superfecta paid $33,621.60.

Yibir (GB), at left, winning the Turf

   The final race of the 2021 Breeders' Cup was the Classic, with a purse of $6 million guaranteed, covering 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) on the main track.  There were 8 entries after the veterinary scratch of Express Train, who had an unhealed hock injury.  Medina Spirit was the 9 to 5 betting choice of the crowd.  Knicks Go, who won the Dirt Mile last year, won the race in 1:59.57, having led the field from the start. Knicks Go [$3,120,000] was in front by 2 3/4 lengths; Medina Spirit [$1,020,000] was 3/4 length ahead of Essential Quality [$540,000], who led Hot Rod Charlie [$300,000] by 1 length.  Stilleto Boy [$180,000] was in fifth, followed by Art Collector [$120,000], Tripoli [$60,000] and Max Player [$60,000].  A $2 win bet on Knicks Go paid $8.40; a place bet on Medina Spirit paid $6.60; and a show bet on Essential Quality paid $2.80.  A $2 exacta paid $65.20; the trifecta paid $167.80; and the superfecta paid $340.20.

Knicks Go led from start to finish in the Classic