By Joe Quillen
Breeders’ Cup Classic
White Abarrio powered past front running Arabian Knight in the stretch to win the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park as the 5/2 betting favorite in the main event of the two-day championship event.
This race was a dream ending for Rick Dutrow, who returned to training earlier this year after serving a 10-year suspension by New York Racing officials for numerous medication and administrative violations.
The trainer of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown hugged anyone he could in the winner’s circle before hugging his gray or roan colt.
Dutrow saddled the horse for only the third time after the owners transferred the training duties from Saffie Joseph to Dutrow after two of Joseph’s other horses died in the spring.
The Race Day colt paid $7.20 for his bettors. Japanese-bred Derma Sotogake finished a length back in second, while Proxy finished third.
Other Saturday Breeders’ Cup races:
Elite Power defended his title in the Breerders’ Cup Sprint, passing Parx Dirt Mile runnerup Gunite in the final furlong to win the 6 furlong race in 1:08.34 to end the Breeders’ Cup races. It was the first time that the Breeders’ Cup sequence of races did not end with the Classic, due to NBCs contract with Big Ten football.
Nobals made all of NBC’s analysts like little boys as he rode the rail to win the Turf Sprint as the longest shot to win on the Santa Anita card, paying $26 to win. Nobals held off Big Invasion to win by a neck.
Auguste Rodin rode the rail to a win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf over Up to the Mark to win the mile and a half race as the 5/2 favorite.
Idiomatic completed an 8-for-9 season by stalking Randomize and passing her in the stretch, and holding off a fast closing Le Da Vida to win the Distaff.
Master of The Seas won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in a perfectly timed ride by William Buick to nose out Mawj by a nose at the wire.
Goodnight Olive passed Eda and Society on the turn and won by almost three lengths over Yuugiri to win the Filly & Mare Sprint.
Insprial won the Filly & Mare Turf by passing Warm Heart in the final strides on the outside to win the mile and a quarter race.
Notes
- Irad Ortiz rode three winners on the Saturday card
- Bill Mott trained three winners, two on Saturday, and one on Friday
- Next year’s Breeders’ Cup will be at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on November 1 & 2, 2024
