Home Horses What happened in the Breeders’ Cup 2018

What happened in the Breeders’ Cup 2018

November 4, 2018

By Austin Johnson

Who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic?

Accelerate was the 5-2 favorite in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and he did

not disappoint. Accelerate started the race on the out-most gate and settled in the fifth spot after the opening 1/4 mile. At this point the field was running three wide. Accelerate maintained his position as the pack elongated to accommodate the first turn. Entering the back stretch the leader Mendelssohn, who ran in the Derby, controlled the pace of the pack allowing the second through seventh horsed to all be within two and a half lengths

Accelerate in the home stretch of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Photo by Trevor Booker/Ace)

from the leader. At the 1/2 mile point Accelerate and Pavel were nose to nose for fifth position. As the pack hit 3/4 mile mark Accelerate made his move. Entering the turn the horses were four wide trying to over take Mendelssohn. At one point Mendelssohn, McKinzie, West Coast, and Accelerate were all aligned as if they had just broke from the starting gate. Entering the home stretch Accelerate had overtaken McKeinzie and West Coast form the out side and Mendelssohn was only half a length in front. Mendelssohn was soon overtaken by Accelerate and Thunder Snow. At this point Accelerate made a hard cut inside and forced Thunder Snow into the second position. At the same time Gunnevera pushed hard on the outside pulling past Thunder Snow at the wire. Accelerate finished with a winning time, for the mile-and-a-quarter, of 2:02.93.

After the race, owner of Accelerate, Kosta Hronis said, “To win it with John Sadler is an honor for the Hronis family. We are very proud we owe all this to John and his team and every thing he has done for horse racing.”

The Official Results

Accelerate
Gunnevera
Thunder Snow (IRE)
Yoshida (JPN)
Mendelssohn
Lone Sailor
West Cost
Discreet Lover
Axelrod
Pavel
Mind Your Biscuts
McKinzie
Catholic Boy
Roaring Lion

Who won the Longines Turf in the Breeders’ Cup?

Enable the 4/5 favorite proved why she was the favorite horse. Golorious Empire pushed hard out of the gate to take an early lead followed directly by Channel Maker. Hi Happy quickly started to push Channel Maker for the second position. Entering the first turn Enable was running in sixth a hair behind hunting Horn. Entering the stretch for the first time Glorious Empire lead followed by Channel Maker, Hi Happy, Talismanic, and Enable in the fifth spot. Entering the clubhouse turn Enable was three wide with Talismanic and Hunting Horn. As the pack pushed onto the back stretch Enable was pressed between Hi Happy and Hunting Horn forcing Enable back to the sixth position. Entering the far turn Hi Happy took the lead from Glorious Empire. Enable pushed hard on the outside moving up to third. Entering the home stretch the two fillies Magical and Enable pulled out in front and centered themselves in the turf track. Coming to the wire it was Enable and Magical well clear of the rest of the competition with Enable winning by no more than half a length. Jockeys, Dettori and Moore shook hands as the fillies slowed down after a hard ran race.

Enabled won the famous Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s most prestigious horse race and is now the only horse to win the Arc and the Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same season.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing Manager at Juddmonte Farms, “to have a fourth generation Juddmont bred filly to do this, and be into history is just really special.”