Goldikova wins Mile; Uncle Mo becomes Kentucky Derby favorite

Reporting from Louisville, Ky. —  While the world waited for Zenyatta and the last dramatic race, two other horses grabbed their share of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup limelight.

The Irish mare, Goldikova, became the first to win three Breeders’ Cup races.

And the pride of trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Michael Repole, 2-year-old wonder Uncle Mo, emerged as next year’s Kentucky Derby favorite.

Goldikova rallied down the stretch, as she usually does, to win her third straight Breeders’ Cup Mile. The Irish horse, a five-year-old handled by French trainer Freddie Head, played nicely off an early pace set by California horse Sidney’s Candy, winner of last year’s Santa Anita Derby. Once she found space and her high gear, she was in total control of the race. Her closest competitor, Gio Ponti, who finished second to Zenyatta in last year’s Classic, had a nice run and finished second.

Uncle Mo, named not for a person but for the concept of sports momentum, won by four lengths and was chased only by Jay Em Ess Farm’s (Mace and Samantha Siegel) Boys of Tosconova, who also separated himself from the field en route home and will also be prominent in pre-Derby talk.

“This was as impressive as they get,” said Pletcher, who doesn’t impress easily after winning last year’s Derby with Super Saver. “I don’t get goose bumps very often, but I had them today.”

Repole said, “I thought about this moment for 30 years, 25 as a racing fan and five or six as an owner. Kids growing up want to be baseball players, want to be football players. I just wanted to own a special horse.”

Head was asked after Goldikova’s race if he and his team were rooting for Zenyatta.

“Absolutely,” he said.

The Goldikova team pointed out that, even had Zenyatta won, she could not top their record of winning the same Breeders’ Cup race three times. Zenyatta won the Ladies Classic in 2009.

Juvenile Turf

The Breeders’ Cup card began with a rough trip for the winner in the Juvenile Turf and a tragic ending.

Pluck, ridden by Garrett Gomez, stumbled near the start and then had to avoid Rough Sailing on the first turn when Rough Sailing went down, tossed jockey Anna Napravnik and ran on. Gomez had been thrown in a race the day before the Breeders’ Cup, suffering bumps and bruises, and his horse, Indy Bouquet, had to be euthanized.

This time, Gomez and Pluck got around Rough Sailing and went charging down the home straight to win. But Rough Sailing had injured his right leg and started to limp on three legs as he trailed the field around the turn, riderless. Eventually, he was put in an ambulance and had to be euthanized. Napravnik was OK after limping off the course.

For Gomez, it was a big win, but nothing compared to what would come his way aboard Blame in the Classic.

Sprint, and Turf Sprint

In the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the connections of Florida-bred Big Drama, shuddered earlier last week, when the 4-year-old colt drew the post position, worried that the field would drop down on him from the starting gate and leave him with an impossible trip.

Instead, jockey Eibar Coa got away cleanly and went wire to wire.

“He broke sharp, got the lead and kept going,” Eibar said.

Chamberlain Bridge, a 6-year-old gelding, won the Turf Sprint, getting a nice price for his ticket holders after many avoided him at the windows, fearing a recent foot abscess would slow him.

Castellano, Borel will wait

Race officials addressed the Friday incident in which jockeys Javier Castellano and Calvin Borel swung at each other in anger after the race while awaiting a stewards’ inquiry on their bumping in the opening race, the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

Steward John Veitch said that both were called in for the review, along with Martin Garcia, who had also been bumped and nearly lost his mount. Veitch said a formal ruling would be announced Sunday and penalties applied, although both could delay action and attend a hearing Nov. 13.

“They [Castellano and Borel] have indicated they will refuse [waive] the formal hearing,” Veitch said.

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Attendance at Saturday’s second day of competition at Churchill Downs was 72,739. Last year’s second day at Santa Anita was 58,845.

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