Breeders' Cup 2019: Five best performances

Breeders’ Cup Classic 2016 – Arrogate (Timeform rating 139) and Californa Chrome (138)

The 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita brought together three of the highest-rated horses in North America in recent times, namely Kentucky Derby/Dubai World Cup hero California Chrome, wide-margin Metropolitan Handicap winner Frosted and the three-year-old Arrogate, who had produced a remarkable performance for one so inexperienced to win the Travers Stakes by 13 and a half lengths on his previous start.

In the event, however, the finish concerned only two as Arrogate and California Chrome drew well clear in the straight. The latter made the better start of the pair before Arrogate began to eat up the ground once levelling for home, putting his long stride to good use to run down a rival who had had the run of the race in front, getting on top in the shadows of the post.

A remarkable horse and performance. ✨🐎

Happy Birthday to our 2016 #BreedersCup Classic Champ, ARROGATE! pic.twitter.com/aDp24ghiYx

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) April 11, 2019

That performance established Arrogate as the highest-rated horse in North America since Timeform started collating ratings for that jurisdiction, and he went on enhance his reputation with wins in the following year’s Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup, in the process becoming the highest-earning racehorse in history at that time (since surpassed by Winx).

Admittedly, his fortunes took a turn for the worse in the second half of that campaign, failing to win again in three subsequent starts before retiring to Juddmonte Farms, but that did little to detract from his extraordinary three-year-old campaign and a Classic battle that will live long in the memory.

Breeders’ Cup Classic 2015 – American Pharoah (138)

Despite the high-profile withdrawal of Beholder, the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland was still a strong one, with Effinex being the only contender in the eight-runner field not to have previously won at Grade 1 level.

However, it’s fair to say that all eyes were on Triple Crown hero American Pharoah. He dictated even (but still sound) fractions at the head of affairs, before widening on demand when asked in the straight to beat Effinex by six and a half lengths, producing a career-best performance in his last race before heading to stud. His rating equalled that of Timeform's previous highest-rated US-trained horse, Cigar, before the pair of them were surpassed by Arrogate the following year.

One year ago today American Pharoah made history with a Grand Slam victory in the @BreedersCup Classic at #Keeneland. Relive the excitement! pic.twitter.com/I7vPJSYwM2

— Keeneland (@keeneland) October 31, 2016

American Pharoah retired as the winner of nine of his 11 races, the first horse to take the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, and his first crop of two-year-olds have made quite an impact on the track this season, with Monarch of Egypt and Sweet Melania – a leading contender for Friday’s Juvenile Fillies Turf – amongst those to have struck in Group/Graded races.

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile 2018 – City of Light (129)

The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile has played host to its fair share of high-class performances since its inception in 2007, including that of Liam’s Map (ran to 128 in 2015), but the best of them all came 12 months ago, with City of Light running out a convincing winner.

City of Light had been a model of consistency in his career to that point, never out of the places in 11 starts, but he wasn’t even sent off favourite at Churchill Downs, with that honour instead falling to Catalina Cruiser, who came into the race unbeaten in four starts. In the event, however, that rival proved a big disappointment and City of Light never looked in any real danger of defeat, making all the running and finding plenty in the straight to win by two and three quarter lengths.

Procession - City Of Light opens up in quick time to romp to victory in the @BreedersCup Dirt Mile! #BC18 pic.twitter.com/h2hfEBmVZE

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 3, 2018

The son of Quality Road was only seen once more after his Breeders’ Cup success and ended his career in the best possible style, producing a career best to win the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January. He was retired to Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky in the aftermath and stood his first season at a fee of $35,000.

Breeders’ Cup Turf 2016 – Highland Reel (129)

The first three places in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf were filled by the trio that stood out on form and dominated the betting. Highland Reel was not challenged for the lead and once jockey Seamie Heffernan sent him clear soon after halfway the writing was on the wall.

Some of his main rivals were left with too much to do, among them his Arc-winning stablemate Found, whose jockey Ryan Moore told trainer Aidan O’Brien afterwards that he knew from a long way out that he wouldn’t be able to peg back Highland Reel. Driven along turning for home, having slipped his field, Highland Reel kept on in the short finishing straight at Santa Anita to win by a length and three quarters from Flintshire, with Found a further two and a quarter lengths away in third.

Highland Reel may have been seen to maximum advantage given how the race developed, but he was still full value for his high-class effort, just one of many highs in an illustrious globetrotting career. Incidentally, it was also a record sixth win in the race for O’Brien, who will attempt to bring up the seven-timer with Anthony Van Dyck and Mount Everest on Saturday.

Breeders’ Cup Classic 2010 – Blame (129) and Zenyatta (126)

The 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs is remembered not only for the great Zenyatta's first defeat, but also for the way in which it occurred, doing well to finish as close as she did after trailing the second-last horse by seven lengths going past the winning post for the first time. She was nearly 15 lengths behind the leader and it was looking like she might even be pulled up.

The race changed complexion quickly just before the home turn as the leaders began to fall back, with Blame – the winner of three of his four previous starts that season – coming through to lead over a furlong out. All eyes were drawn to Zenyatta, though, who had made relentless headway from the back straight and continued to respond to a hard ride, staying on strongly but ultimately finding the post coming two strides too soon.

2010: Zenyatta and Blame battle to the finish of the @BreedersCup Classic under the Twin Spires.#tbt pic.twitter.com/4uEVoCbpnO

— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) November 2, 2017

Blame was the winner and a high-class one at that, given he was conceding 3 lb to Zenyatta, but all the attention in the aftermath was on the horse suffering her first defeat in 20 races, with everyone blaming Mike Smith, including the emotional jockey himself.

Smith, of course, has enjoyed plenty more success at the Breeders’ Cup since – see Arrogate – but this race will always be the one that got away. For her part, Zenyatta bowed out subsequently as the winner of 13 Grade 1s and one who left a lasting impression on North American racing.