Found upsets Golden Horn for BC Turf victory

The race belonged to the filly.

Charging down the stretch in the $3 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) behind race-favorite Golden Horn, Found (Ire), a 3-year old filly by the great Galileo (GB), took the lead under jockey Ryan Moore in the last furlong and won the race by a half-length.

Golden Horn held on for second, while Big Blue Kitten finished third

"She deserved to win a race," said Moore after the race on NBC. "She beat an exceptional horse in Golden Horn. … She deserved the win.

Found, whose full pedigree is Galileo (GB)-Red Evie (Ire), by Intikhab, completed the 1-1/2-mile race on a turf course rated good in 2:32.06.

With the win, Found becomes just the third filly to win the Breeders' Cup Turf. Miss Alleged won it in 1991 and Pebbles won it in 1985.

Found is owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier and trained by Aidan O'Brien. It was the 10th career Breeders' Cup win for O'Brien.

Coming into the race, Golden Horn was the overwhelming favorite coming off of two brilliant performances in winning the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) on Oct. 4, and the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (Gr1) on Sept. 12, all under his regular rider Lanfranco Dettori.

Found was not to be overlooked, as she was coming into the race off a second-place finish in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (Gr1) on Oct. 17 at Ascot. She also finished second in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (Gr1) to Golden Horn.

A fan-favorite, The Pizza Man, came into the race off a second place finish in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland in October.

In the race, everyone knew that Shining Copper would be the race rabbit and go out and take the lead in the Breeders' Cup Turf, and – oh boy! – did he. By the first turn he had about a 10-length lead, and then by the second turn and down the backstretch he held a 20-lenth lead before running out of steam.

Meanwhile, behind him, the rest of the field was running a more normal paced race, as Golden Horn settled in third place while The Pizza Man settled into fifth.

Around the first turn and down the backstretch, Shining Copper continued his maddening pace, setting fractions of 24:56, 48.38 and 1:39.07, while the rest of the horses continued at their own pace, biding their time, way, way behind him.

Heading into the final turn though, Shinning Copper finally began to fade, and as the field exited the turn and entered the stretch, Shinning Copper began to get swallowed up by almost all of the other horses, with Golden Horn leading the way and taking the lead.

Right behind Golden Horn, Found entered the stretch four wide and began to charge toward the leader, and quickly moved into second place.

Around the middle of the stretch, the two ended up side-by-side – at least for a moment. But then Found pushed forward into the lead while Golden Horn had no answer for the filly.

At the wire, Found crossed the finish line a winner by a half-length, with Golden Horn right behind her in second and Big Blue Kitten, who had come from way back in the pack, finishing third.

"She is a very tough filly," said Moore, who has now won eighth career Breeders' Cup races. "To run in Champion Stakes and the Arc and to come on here is amazing. He beat a champion (Golden Hoorn) and that is special too. I had to go around one and then I had to go."

Added O'Brien," I'm absolutely delighted. She's a very special mare. To run in two Champion Stakes (Irish and English), an Arc, and then to come and win the Breeders' Cup Turf is quite remarkable. She's very special."

Rounding out the 12 horse field was The Pizza Man fifth, followed by Da Big Hoss, Red Rifle, Twilight Eclipse, Ordak Dan (Arg), Big John B, Shinning Copper and Cage Fighter.

With the win, Found now now has three wins, five seconds, one third and $1,217-418 in earnings in 10 career starts.