Authentic scores front-running Breeders' Cup Classic win

Five years ago Triple Crown winner American Pharoah stormed home to glory at Keeneland to earn the title of Breeders’ Cup Classic hero.

Running for the same trainer as that champion, and racing over the same course, Authentic became the first horse since American Pharoah to pull off a Kentucky Derby-Breeders’ Cup double.

The 2020 Derby winner Authentic went gate-to-wire Saturday at Keeneland to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic for trainer Bob Baffert. Just as he did two months ago at Churchill Downs, the 3-year-old Into Mischief colt found the lead under jockey John Velazquez and never relinquished it.

Authentic joined American Pharoah, Sunday Silence (1989) and Unbridled (1990) as the only runners to take the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same season. 

Authentic covered the 1 1/4 miles at Keeneland in a track-record 1:59.19, breaking the previous mark of 2:00.07 that American Pharoah posted in 2015. The track's timer failed, and fractions were not immediately available.

“When I saw him out there, he’s catching up with these older horses,” Baffert said. “That’s what they do at this time of year, what a horse. He’s the real deal.”

Baffert scored the fourth Breeders’ Cup Classic win of his career to go along with victories by 3-year-olds Bayern (2014), American Pharoah (2015) and Arrogate (2016). Now a three-time Grade 1 winner, Authentic returned $10.40 as a 4-1 choice.

Checking in behind Authentic were runner-up Improbable and third-place finisher Global Campaign. The 3-1 favorite Tiz the Law -- runner-up to Authentic in the Kentucky Derby -- came home sixth.

Authentic won the first three races of his career before taking a first career loss in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in June. He rebounded with a tight victory the following month in Monmouth Park’s Haskell Stakes (G1) and then gave Baffert a record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby triumph.

The colt nearly won another classic last month at Pimlico but finished a neck shy of the filly Swiss Skydiver. The Preakness Stakes loss might have contributed to Authentic running as a higher price than what would be expected of a Kentucky Derby winner, but those who backed him Saturday were rewarded.

Velazquez, a Hall of Fame jockey, earned his first Breeders’ Cup Classic win in 20 tries.

“The older I get the more emotional I get,” said Velazquez, who owns 18 Breeders’ Cup wins overall. “It worked out perfect. Bob said to take him to the lead, so he doesn’t wander so much and keep his mind on running. It worked out. He did everything I wanted him to do."

A partnership of Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing campaign the Kentucky-bred Authentic. He now boasts career earnings of $6,371,200 after taking the Grade 1, $6 million Classic.

Authentic’s stablemate Improbable was 2¼ lengths back in second. The 4-year-old City Zip colt won three Grade 1 stakes in 2020 – the Hollywood Gold Cup, Whitney and Awesome Again – and will have a strong claim to Older Dirt Male division honors even without a Breeders’ Cup Classic win.

“I had a good trip, a perfect trip,” Improbable jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said. “I had him in the clear. He just got beat. It was a great race.” 

Global Campaign entered the Breeders’ Cup off the strength of back-to-back wins, including last out at Saratoga in the Woodward Handicap (G1). The Stanley Hough trainee, who has battled injuries in the past, finished one length behind Improbable on Saturday at odds of 25-1 under jockey Javier Castellano.

“This horse has been through a lot in his career,” Hough said. “We got his foot problems behind him and today was the first time he was really able to show his potential. We are so proud of him and he ran a great race.”

Tacitus, who ran second to Global Campaign in September’s Woodward, was also one spot behind that one in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 4-year-old was seeking to become trainer Bill Mott’s third Classic hero.

“I was expecting a hot pace and to pick up the pieces and close and have a shot to win the race,” Tacitus jockey Jose Ortiz said of the fourth-place finisher. “I was expecting a fast fight. It didn’t happen that way, but he ran really, really good.”

Finishing fifth through 10th were, in order, Maximum Security, Tiz the Law, Title Ready, By My Standards, Tom’s d’Etat and Higher Power.