DEL MAR — Sierra Leone’s popularity was as a proficient horse that by no means appeared to win. In his final 4 races he completed second twice and third twice. All that modified on Saturday when he charged to the entrance on the prime of the stretch and received the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Basic on the Del Mar Turf Membership.
The three-year-old colt beat the favored Fierceness, winner of the Travers Stakes, by 1½ lengths. Japanese horse Without end Younger was third and Newgate completed fourth.
Sierra Leone broke eleventh within the 14-horse subject and hung round midpack till far flip when he began to make his transfer. He was third on the mile mark. He engaged with Fierceness getting into the stretch however in the long run his late velocity was an excessive amount of for the competitors.
“For him to have this moment and to get over all the frustrations during the year [is unbelievable],” coach Chad Brown mentioned. [There were] races I went in there considering I’m lastly going to win the Derby or lastly win the Travers with this horse however then to stroll away and unsaddling him with out the win. This actually makes up for it.
“This is an unbelievable horse. Anyone could have trained him and he would have had a fine career because he’s just an outstanding-looking horse. He’s well bred and he makes your job easy.”
Sierra Leone paid $15.80 to win because the fourth selection.
Jockey Flavien Prat was using the 3-year-old colt for the fourth time. The horse’s final win was on April 6 within the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland with Tyler Gaffalione aboard.
All of the speak going into the race was about Metropolis of Troy, winner of six of seven lifetime. The one downside is he primarily runs in England and solely on the turf. The query was how he would do on the filth within the 1 ¼ mile race. The reply was he completed eighth.
The Basic is the signature occasion of the two-day Breeders’ Cup and in addition the richest race in america. It was run in the course of the cardboard for the second 12 months in a row in order that NBC might swap to a school soccer recreation. The primary 39 years it was run because the final Breeders’ Cup race.
The day took a tragic flip within the $5 million Turf when Jayarebe collapsed within the gallop out after the race. The preliminary motive, in line with a observe veterinarian, was sudden demise seemingly a coronary heart assault. He completed seventh within the race at odds of about 9-1.
It was the fifteenth demise on the Breeders’ Cup within the occasion’s 41-year historical past. The final demise was in 2021 within the Basic when Mongolian Gloom broke down on the prime of the stretch.
Jayarebe is a 3-year-old colt that primarily races in Europe. It was his eighth lifetime race.
Thorpedo Anna made her case for Horse of the Yr with a simple win within the $2 million Distaff, for feminine horses going 1 1/8 miles on the filth. She broke on the lead after which coasted to a 2 ½-length win. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. took benefit of a sluggish tempo to win in what amounted to little greater than a paid exercise.
The Distaff misplaced a whole lot of its firepower when Idiomatic, final 12 months’s champion, scratched from the race. Thorpedo Anna has received six of her seven races this 12 months. Her solely loss was by a head to Fierceness within the Travers Stakes, the place she ran in opposition to all male horses.
“She’s so special, makes it look so easy,” mentioned coach Kenny McPeek. “She really made our job easy all year long.
McPeek said the current plan is to bring her back year as a 4-year-old.
“We’ll put together a plan for that,” McPeek mentioned. “I think she’s been so much fun and she’s healthy. We’ll probably let her visit Dr. [Larry] Bramlage [of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.] and poke on her a little bit, make sure everything is in good order before we firmly make that decision.”
One of many early surprises was within the $1 million Turf Dash when heavy favourite Cogburn misplaced to Starlust ($69.20) within the five-furlong race. Cogburn had a 2 ½ size lead getting into the stretch after which simply ran out of gasoline. He completed sixth.
Starlust, who runs in England, was largely ignored having completed ninth, third and sixth in his final three races.
“I thought Cogburn at the top of the stretch had slipped me,” mentioned jockey Rossa Ryan. “They couldn’t hold up the frenetic gallop we had.”
The primary Breeders’ Cup race of the day was the $1 million Filly & Mare Dash, a seven-furlong race, which was received by Soul of an Angel ($41.60). The 5-year-old mare has been campaigned closely operating in her forty first lifetime race. It was her sixth lifetime win.
He’s educated by Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke.
Van Dyke, a staple in Southern California, took a while away from racing final 12 months so Saturday’s win was a welcome shot within the arm.
“I personally felt I needed it,” Van Dyke mentioned. “I’ve been going non-stop since I was 18. I lost my father at 18. I just kept going. I never took to really mourn and process everything. I took time off for myself.”
Insurgent’s Romance ($5.80) received the $5 million Turf for coach Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick.
There have been 4 different Breeders’ Cup races after the operating of the Basic.
