Breeders' Cup Classic 2015: Automatic Berth Winners
As it has for the past several years, the Breeders’ Cup has run a challenge series throughout the calendar year. Spanning continents and spaced out over the course of the course of the year, the challenge series offers winners of pre-specified races fees paid, automatic berths into the race corresponding with their division. This year, seven races were part of the challenge series leading up to the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic. With all but one race already in the books, this year’s “Win and You’re In” events have resulted in six different winners for the six races heretofore run.
Noble Bird won the first challenge race of the year when he just held off Lea to capture the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap. Previously in the year, the Birdstone colt just missed to Protonico in the G2 Alysheba Stakes, losing by the same margin, a head, by which he won the Stephen Foster. Unfortunately, Noble Bird’s next start, the G1 Whitney, did not have the desired result. Noble Bird finished an inexplicable 9th. It was later determined that the colt had injured his left hip during the running of the Whitney. As a result, Noble Bird will sit out the rest of the year, missing the Classic along with other important races.
Out on the West Coast, Hard Aces out-finished Hoppertunity to steal the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita by a nose. Racing last and second last through the first three-quarters of the 1 ¼-mile event, Hard Aces revved up his engine and moved into fifth at the quarter pole and second in the stretch. From there, he overtook Catch A Flight and just held on for the win. Since then, Hard Aces has finished 6th in his last two races, both “Win and You’re In” events.
American Pharoah is likely the most exciting horse of the year. The first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, the Zayat owned colt continued his dominance over his division with a paid workout in the Grade 1 William Hill Haskell Invitational. A second to Keen Ice in the G1 Travers has done little to diminish the colt’s luster or popularity. Unfortunately for fans, the Classic will be American Pharoah’s swan song.
Honor Code won his second different divisional challenge race when he triumphed at the wire in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes. A late closer, Honor Code overtook pacesetting Liam’s Map in the final strides to post the victory by a neck. Back in May, Honor Code also earned a fees paid berth in the Dirt Mile by virtue of his Met Mile win. As of now, it looks like Honor Code will target the Classic rather than the Dirt Mile.
Brilliant two-time champion mare Beholder stepped outside her division and put on quite the show in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. Like Honor Code, she had already captured a “WAYI” event for a different division, but after beating up on the same group time and again, her connections decided it was time to up the mare’s game and see what she could do against her male peers. Beholder did not disappoint, taking over in the far turn of her own volition and easily pulling away to an 8 ¼-length victory in near track record time. Though she also has a spot in the gate in the Distaff, trainer Mandella has already indicated that his star mare will target the Classic.
A lightly raced new comer, Smooth Roller posted a mild upset in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes this past weekend. It was expected that last year’s Classic winner Bayern would finally rebound and get back to his winning ways, but even after getting things all his own way, Bayern tamely folded when confronted by Smooth Roller in the stretch. From there, Smooth Roller continued to pull away, finishing 5 ¼-lengths ahead of runner-up Hoppertunity. With just 4 career starts, the Hard Spun gelding is a unknown entity and could really throw a kink in the expected complexion of the Classic.
With five weeks to go to Breeders’ Cup weekend, there is just one more race left in the Classic “WAYI” series: the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. If things continue to play out the way they have so far, fans can expect a seventh different winner for the seventh and final race of the series. The likely winner, should things play out according to prediction, will be the King of Belmont, Tonalist. Last year’s JCGC winner has not had much luck this year in terms of finding the winner’s circle, but he loves Big Sandy and he should his appreciation with a long overdue second win in 2015.
Others targeting the Breeders’ Cup Classic include Liam’s Map, Keen Ice, Frosted, Wicked Strong, Effinex, Coach Inge and Gleneagles.