2009 Breeders' Cup

Last updated
2009 Breeders' Cup
Championship Event Series race
Location Santa Anita Racetrack
Race typeThoroughbred
Website www.breederscup.com
Race information
DistanceSee individual races
SurfaceTurf, synthetic dirt
TrackLeft-handed
PurseVaries by race; Between $1,000,000 – $5 million

The 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships were the 26th edition of thoroughbred racing's season ending premier event, and took place on November 6 and 7 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event was telecast by ESPN. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December.

Contents

The highlight of the weekend was Zenyatta's victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, marking the first time a female horse had won the race. Horses from Europe and California won the majority of races.

Highlights

Zenyatta (turquoise cap) saves ground around the far turn Final turn 2009 Breeders Cup Classic (4087751332).jpg
Zenyatta (turquoise cap) saves ground around the far turn

The Breeders' Cup Classic was the most anticipated race of the 2009 event, especially because of the decision by the connections of mare Zenyatta to enter her against male horses in the race instead of attempting to defend her title in the Ladies Classic (aka the Distaff). Zenyatta would face eight grade/group I-winning males, including horses who had won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes (in both 2008 and 2009), Jockey Club Gold Cup, Santa Anita Handicap, Pacific Classic, Arlington Million, Man o’ War, Champion Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and Manhattan Handicap. [1] Zenyatta ran in last for most of the race then starting making up ground on the far turn, racing on the inside to save ground. When her path along the rail was blocked, she angled sharply to switch paths to the outside, then started closing again, eventually defeating Gio Ponti by a length. She became the first female to win the Classic in its 26-year history. [2] "I was able to cut the corner with her off the turn, and that made the difference," said jockey Mike Smith. "She started to get to them in the stretch, and the crowd started screaming. Then she started looking at the crowd, so I had to get after her a little bit, but she still won within herself." [3]

European horses enjoyed success with two wins on Friday (Midday in the Filly & Mare Turf and Man of Iron in the Marathon), [4] followed by four wins on Saturday (Pounced in the Juvenile Turf, Vale of York in the Juvenile, Goldikova in the Mile, Conduit in the Turf). [5] [6] California-based horses won several of the remaining races, including Zenyatta in the Classic, her stablemate Life Is Sweet in the Ladies Classic, California Flag in the Turf Sprint and Dancing in Silks in the Sprint. The relatively poor showing by horses from the East Coast was attributed by some to the synthetic dirt surface of the main track, with which horses from the East Coast had little experience. Noted turf writer Andrew Beyer wrote, "If the Breeders' Cup is a championship race, it's the championship of California, Britain and a few scattered tracks that have installed synthetic surfaces. But it is not a championship event in the way its creators intended." [4]

The total handle (amount bet) at the Breeders' Cup exceeded $150 million for the first time, up by over 4% from 2008. In addition, an estimated $24.75 million was wagered through Betfair. There was one winning Pick-6 ticket on the Saturday card, which paid $1,838,305. [7] The television ratings on ESPN were also up, particularly for the segment covering the Classic, which increased from a 1.1 rating in 2008 to a 3.1 in 2009. [8]

Friday

The Friday attendance was 37,651. [9]

Race nameSponsorDistance/SurfaceConditionsPurseWinner
Marathon 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km)– synthetic dirt3 yrs+$500,000 Man of Iron
Juvenile Fillies Turf 1 mile – turf2-year-old fillies$1 million Tapitsfly
Juvenile Fillies Grey Goose 1+1⁄16 miles (1.7 km)– synthetic dirt2-year-old fillies$2 million She Be Wild
Filly & Mare Turf Emirates Airline 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km)– turfFemales$2 million Midday
Filly & Mare Sprint Sentient Jet 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km)– turfFemales$1 million Informed Decision
Ladies' Classic 1+1⁄8 miles (1.8 km)– synthetic dirtFemales 3 yrs+$2 million Life Is Sweet

Saturday

The Saturday attendance was 58,825. [1]

Race nameSponsorDistance/SurfaceConditionsPurseWinner
Juvenile Turf 1 mile – turf2-year-old males$1 million Pounced
Turf Sprint about 13⁄16 mile (1.3 km)– turf3 yrs+$1 million California Flag
Sprint Sentient Jet 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km)– synthetic dirt3 yrs+$2 million Dancing in Silks
Juvenile Grey Goose 1+1⁄16 miles (1.7 km)– synthetic dirt2-year-old males$2 million Vale of York
Mile TVG Network 1 mile – turf3 yrs+$2 million Goldikova
Dirt Mile 1 mile – synthetic dirt3 yrs+$1 million Furthest Land
Turf Emirates Airline 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km)– turf3 yrs+$3 million Conduit
Classic 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km)– synthetic dirt3 yrs+$5 million Zenyatta

Related Research Articles

Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2023. In 1984, Santa Anita was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics. Since 2011, the Stronach Group are the current owners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breeders' Cup</span> Grade I Thoroughbred horse racing

The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breeders' Cup Classic</span> American Thoroughbred horse race

The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2,000 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October or early November. All of the races to date have been held in the United States except for the 1996 edition held at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of Thoroughbred horse races in which the winner earns an automatic spot in a specified Breeders' Cup race. The challenge races change somewhat each year. The Challenge series began in 2007 with 24 "Win and You're In" races from 2 countries. By 2014, the series had grown to 71 races across 13 countries. During that period, 24 winners of Breeders' Cup races had qualified via the challenge series.

Medaglia d'Oro is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won several major stakes races including the 2002 Travers Stakes and the 2003 Whitney Handicap. He also finished second in the 2002 Belmont Stakes, the Breeders' Cup Classic in both 2002 and 2003, and the 2004 Dubai World Cup. Since retiring to stud, he has become an excellent stallion whose progeny include 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, two-time champion filly Songbird and two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty.

Kris S. was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zenyatta</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Zenyatta is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Distaff and 19 of her 20 starts. She was the 2010 American Horse of the Year, and Champion Older Female in 2008, 2009 and 2010. She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016.

The 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 25th edition of the premier event of the North American Thoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on October 24 and 25 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2008 Breeders' Cup results were influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.

Gio Ponti is an American Thoroughbred race horse who was the Champion Turf Horse in 2009 and 2010, and finished second to Zenyatta in the 2009 Breeder's Cup Classic. He was sired by Tale of the Cat, a son of Storm Cat, out of the stakes-placed Alydar mare Chipeta Springs, making him half-brother to stakes-winner Fisher Pond.

Life Is Sweet is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in early 2009 was thought to be a threat to her unbeaten stablemate, Zenyatta, after winning three straight stakes races. Though beaten by Zenyatta.

Cocoa Beach is a notable Chilean-bred thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2008 Chilean Horse of the Year and won races in the United Arab Emirates, Chile, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blame (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Blame is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, a winner of nine races in 13 starts including the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2012 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 29th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year, which took place November 2 and 3 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The winners were bred in the United States except where indicated. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North American racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2012 Breeders' Cup results were highly influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.

The 2013 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 30th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on November 1 and November 2 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2013 Breeders' Cup results were highly influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.

The 2014 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 31st edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on October 31 and November 1 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North American racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2014 Breeders' Cup results were highly influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.

The 2016 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2016 Breeders' Cup. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key prep races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Breeders' Cup</span> Horse race

The 2016 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 33rd edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. A total of 185 pre-entries were announced on October 26 in what was considered a highly competitive year in most divisions. The races, all of which were Grade I, took place on November 4 and 5 at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California and were telecast by NBC. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December.

The 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic was the 27th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, part of the 2010 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships program. It was run on November 6, 2010, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky with a purse of $5,000,000. In a highly publicized race, the mare Zenyatta was attempting to defend her victory in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic and retire undefeated. Running well behind in the early portion of the race, she made a sustained drive but came up a head short of the winner, Blame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Breeders' Cup Classic</span>

The 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic was the 26th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, part of the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships program. It was run on November 7, 2009, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California with a purse of $5,000,000.

The 2022 Breeders' Cup Challenge series was a series of horse races that provided the respective winners with an automatic "Win and You're In" berth in the 2022 Breeders' Cup, held on November 4 and 5. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world. The Breeders' Cup organization paid the Breeders' Cup entry fee for the challenge race winners, provided they had been nominated as foals. They also provided travel allowances for out of state competitors

References

  1. 1 2 Haskin, Steve. "Haskin's BC Wrapup: Z One and Only". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Drape, Joe (7 November 2009). "Zenyatta Beats the Boys in the Breeders' Cup Classic". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships Results". www.horse-races.net. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 Beyer, Andrew (7 November 2009). "Andrew Beyer: A very Euro-friendly Breeders' Cup". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships Results". www.horse-races.net. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Zenyatta takes Breeders' Cup win". BBC Sport. 2009-11-08. Archived from the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
  7. ↑ "Breeders' Cup Handle $150 Million and Rising". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Breeders' Cup Television Ratings Up From 2009". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Law, Tom (November 4, 2011). "Breeders' Cup reports Friday attendance of 40,677". Thoroughbred Times. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.