Upsets rule on 2nd day of Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita
ARCADIA, Calif. - Upsets dominated three of the first five races on the second day of the Breeders' Cup, with Tapizar pulling off the biggest surprise at 15-1 odds in the $1 million Dirt Mile.
Rosie Napravnik joined Julie Krone as the only women jockeys to win a Breeders' Cup race when she guided 6-5 favourite Shanghai Bobby to a head victory over He's Had Enough, owned by J. Paul Reddam of Windsor, Ont., in the $2 million Juvenile.
Shanghai Bobby dug in along the rail after it looked as if he was beaten in the stretch, setting himself up as the winter book favourite for the Kentucky Derby.
Later Saturday, Game On Dude was the early favourite for the $5 million Classic, to be shown for the first time on prime-time TV as the highlight of the 15-race world championships at Santa Anita.
A day earlier, Royal Delta defended her title in the $2 million Ladies' Classic, the only favourite to win in six races on opening day.
Tapizar beat a talented field that included 5-2 favourite Emcee, Shackleford and Fed Biz. He won by 2 1/4 lengths and paid $32.60 to win for trainer Steve Asmussen. Rail Trip was second and Delegation third. Delegation is based at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack and is trained Mark Casse.
"This never gets old," said jockey Corey Nakatani, who earned his 10th BC win. "Winning a race on Breeders' Cup day is special."
In the $1 million Juvenile Turf, 9-1 shot George Vancouver found a narrow opening in the lane and shot through to win by 1 1/4 lengths. He paid $20.60. Trainer Aidan O'Brien, jockey Ryan Moore and owner Coolmore Stud teamed to win for the second straight year.
Filly Mizdirection beat the boys by a half-length in the $1 million Turf Sprint off a six-month layoff, giving sports talk radio host and co-owner Jim Rome his first Breeders' Cup victory after several years of owning thoroughbreds.
"I'm numb," he said. "Having a hard time believing that that happened."
Sent off at 6-1 odds, Mizdirection paid $15.80, $7.40 and $5. She dropped back to 11th before rallying over 6 1/2 furlongs in a mad scramble on the downhill turf course and was timed in 1:11.39. Hall of Famer Mike Smith won his 17th Breeders' Cup race and second of the weekend, extending his record for wins among jockeys.
"She ran like a true champion to lose that much ground and still beat a field as talented as this," said trainer Mike Puype, who notched his first BC win. He gave Mizdirection a long rest to freshen her up.
Unbridled's Song, the 9-2 Turf Sprint favourite, returned $5.80 and $4.40. Reneesgotzip paid $7 to show.
Groupie Doll came through as the 3-5 favourite in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint, winning by 4 1/2 lengths. She ran 7 furlongs in 1:20.72 and paid $3.40 to win. Jockey Rajiv Maragh won his second BC of the weekend, having taken the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint on 15-1 shot Hightail on Friday.
In the Juvenile, Shanghai Bobby ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.58 and paid $4.60, $3.40 and $2.60. He's Had Enough returned $12.60 and $7.40 for trainer Doug O'Neill, jockey Mario Gutierrez and owner J. Paul Reddam, the same connections behind Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another.
Capo Bastone paid $5 to show.
Shanghai Bobby raced for the first time without Lasix, a diuretic that was banned by the Breeders' Cup from all 2-year-old races. He didn't arrive at Santa Anita until Wednesday after being stuck in New York because of Superstorm Sandy and he couldn't train for two days there because Belmont's track was closed.
The colt is owned by Starlight Racing and Ireland-based Coolmore Stud, which bought a half-interest in Shanghai Bobby before Monday's entry deadline.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's duo of Power Broker and Title Contender finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
