| Breeders' Cup Classic | |
| Location | Belmont Park |
|---|---|
| Date | October 29, 2005 |
| Winning horse | Saint Liam |
| Winning time | 2:01.29 |
| Jockey | Jerry Bailey |
| Trainer | Rick Dutrow |
| Owner | William and Suzanne Warren |
| Conditions | Fast [1] |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Attendance | 54,289 [2] |
The 2005 Breeders' Cup Classic was the 22nd running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, part of the 2005 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships program. It was run on October 29, 2005 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York with a purse of $4,000,000. It was won by Saint Liam, who was subsequently named American Horse of the Year.
The Classic is run on dirt at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (approximately 2000 m). It is run under weight-for-age conditions, with entrants carrying the following weights:
The Classic drew a full field although some of the most highly regarded horses of 2005 (Ghostzapper, Roses in May and Afleet Alex) were retired early due to injury. [3] The leading contenders for the Classic were: [4] [5]
In the absence of Afleet Alex and Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, Flower Alley (Travers Stakes) was the most highly regarded three-year-old. [3] The New Zealand-bred horse Starcraft, who won the 2004 Australian Derby and 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, was supplemented to the Classic at a cost of $800,000 as he had not been nominated as a foal. [5]
Due to the dimensions of Belmont Park, the starting gate for the Classic was located on the clubhouse turn. This placed horses who drew outside post positions (especially Saint Liam and Starcraft) at a disadvantage as they would have to run somewhat farther. [6] Rock Hard Ten drew post position one, which was also disadvantageous as he risked getting caught in traffic along the rail. [5]
Rock Hard Ten was scratched shortly before the race due to a hoof injury. [4]
After breaking poorly, Saint Liam settled into fifth place behind a moderate early pace set by Sun King and Suave. Flower Alley stalked the early leaders then took command rounding the turn. Racing four wide, Saint Liam moved alongside Flower Alley at the top of the stretch and gradually pulled away, winning by a length. Perfect Drift closed late to finish third. [7]
Saint Liam was the first major winner for trainer Rick Dutrow, who was highly emotional after the race. "I can't explain the feeling. He gives me a feeling I've never had before. I owe him everything. He is my boy. I see him every night before I go to bed. And I'm going to miss him so much. Words just can't describe this horse." [8]
It was jockey Jerry Bailey's fifteenth win at the Breeders' Cup, then a record. [7] Bailey felt that Saint Liam had cemented Horse of the Year honors with the win, pointing out how much ground Saint Liam had lost at the start due to his outside post position and a poor break that shifted his course even further outside. "He took the worse of it today, and still was very authoritative in winning." [6]
| Finish | Program Number | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Final Odds | Margin | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Saint Liam | Rick Dutrow | Jerry Bailey | 2.40 | 1 length | $2,433,600 |
| 2 | 9 | Flower Alley | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 10.00 | 1 length | $936,000 |
| 3 | 5 | Perfect Drift | Murray Johnson | Mark Guidry | 4.20 | 1⁄2 lengths | $514,800 |
| 4 | 7 | Super Frolic | Vladimir Cerin | Eibar Coa | 69.25 | 2+3⁄4 lengths | $266,760 |
| 5 | 8 | Suave | Paul McGee | Edgar Prado | 16.40 | 3 lengths | $140,400 |
| 6 | 3 | Choctaw Nation | Jeff Mullins | Victor Espinoza | 13.00 | 6+1⁄4 lengths | |
| 7 | 14 | Starcraft (NZ) | Luca Cumani | Patrick Valenzuela | 8.50 | 7+1⁄2 lengths | |
| 8 | 6 | Sir Shackleton | Nick Zito | Javier Castellano | 36.50 | 8 lengths | |
| 9 | 2 | Sun King | Nick Zito | Rafael Bejarano | 30.50 | 8+1⁄4 lengths | |
| 10 | 11 | Borrego | C Greely | Garrett Gomez | 2.60 | 10+1⁄4 lengths | |
| 11 | 4 | Oratorio (IRE) | Aidan O'Brien | Kieren Fallon | 9.40 | 1⁄2 lengths | |
| 12 | 10 | Jack Sullivan | Gerard Butler | Lanfranco Dettori | 51.25 | 18 lengths | |
| 13 | 12 | A Bit O'Gold | Catherine Day Phillips | Jono Jones | 51.75 | 18+1⁄4 lengths |
Times:1⁄4 – 0:23.98; 1⁄2 – 0:47.68; 3⁄4 – 1:12.23; mile – 1:36.87; final – 2:01.49.
Fractional Splits: (:23.98) (:23.70) (:24.55) (:24.64) (:24.62)
Source: Equibase Chart [1]
Payout Schedule: [1]
| Program Number | Horse | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Saint Liam | 6.80 | 5.10 | 4.20 |
| 9 | Flower Alley | 8.70 | 7.10 | |
| 5 | Perfect Drift | 7.80 | ||