They didn’t. Cody’s Wish confirmed as the winner, prompting chants of “Cody’s, Cody’s” from the stands.
They came very close in the stretch, and the rules here can seem quite harsh to a European eye. Local journalists meanwhile are wondering whether the stewards will “have the b*lls” to take down the hugely popular favourite.
Cody’s Wish gets the verdict by the narrowest of margins BUT there is an inquiry. HOLD ALL BETS!
Here comes Cody’s Wish, taking on National Treasure, who fights back right on the wire …. PHOTO!
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile!
National Treasure making the running, Cody’s Wish well off the pace
Approaching the gates for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile …. Cody’s Wish still odds-on as they begin to load up, right in front of the stands.
Can’t really let this race pass without the traditional mention of the fact that its full name is the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, because the firm that sponsors it is a supplier of very big fans. Not that anyone in the UK is likely to be needing one of those for a while.
One other horse that might warrant consideration is Charge It, whose overall record is distinctly in-and-out but does include the odd performance, like his win in the Suburban Stakes earlier this year, that would put him there with a chance.
National Treasure, meanwhile, is a without a win in three starts since the Preakness, but that included races at 12 and 10 furlongs and he is dropping back to a mile here, which could be in his favour.
Cody’s Wish is a 3-5 chance on the track tote, with Brad Cox’s Zozos and the Preakness winner, National Treasure, next in at 7-2 and 6-1 respectively.
Zozos earned his place in the field with a win in the Ack Ack at Churchill:
Personally, I’ll be steering well clear of this race from a betting perspective. If forced to give a tip, it would have to be Cody’s Wish, who has plenty in hand on ratings, but that is based on his best form and he has looked some way below his peak this year. He was a 1-9 chance for the Grade 2 Vosburgh at Aqueduct, for instance, but distinctly workmanlike in victory:
The runners have just crossed the line in the second race on the card, which is, a little oddly, the Grade 2 Twilight Derby – a race that used to be run, as the name suggests, at the end of the card.
That switch highlights a new running order for proceedings this year, with the Classic shifted from its traditional slot as the final Breeders’ Cup race to a new position as the third-from-last. The Turf Sprint and then the Sprint, at midnight UK time, will bring the card to a close.
This is probably a good time to start thinking about the first Breeders’ Cup race, the Dirt Mile, and if we’re being honest, it’s been an ill-starred contest already this year. Practical Move, the likely second-favourite, suffered a fatal heart attack on the way back from exercise earlier in the week, while Algiers, the runner-up in the Dubai World Cup earlier in the year, was ruled out with an injury soon afterwards.
That leaves a field of seven, headed by the likely odds-on favourite, Cody’s Wish, who will bid to repeat his win in this race 12 months ago:
Hello from Santa Anita in southern California, where the sun is shining, the track looks immaculate and, thankfully, the track seem to have sorted out the tech issues that effectively made it impossible to live-blog Friday’s opening card. So, fingers crossed that I’ll be able to share with you the giddy roller-coaster that is the nine-race Saturday card at the Breeders’ Cup.
And there is so much to look forward to as the day unfolds, including a renewal of the Turf (21.50GMT) which is quite possibly the best I can recall in 30 years of following and reporting on the Breeders’ Cup, while the Filly & Mare Turf (19.10GMT), the Mile (20.30GMT) and the Turf Sprint (23.25GMT) are also rich with promise for the European team.
On the dirt, the Classic (22.40) looks very open (if you’re being polite) and a little sub-standard (if you’re not), which could leave the way open for Ushba Tesoro to give Japan a historic win in the $6m feature.
The weather, needless to say, is set fair with temperatures set to peak at around 28C. The setting, beneath the San Gabriel mountains, is as timeless and magical as always (I even spotted a couple of hummingbirds flitting in and out of the flowers on the walk across the parking lot earlier).
And the action is underway in about 50 minutes, at 18.30GMT, with the Dirt Mile. I’ll be looking to get previews and video form up well in advance so that everyone can make their picks as the evening goes on, my thoughts about several of the days main events are here – though after Fierceness & Big Evs yesterday, the tipping can probably go only one way – and it should be fantastic ride whether it is morning, afternoon or night in your timezone. Buckle up, let’s do this!