The 38th Breeders’ Cup World Championships presented beautiful horse racing on the first day of the event, Future Stars Friday.
From a Canadian perspective, the victory by Bobby Flay’s PIZZA BIANCA (Fastnet Rock (Aus) – White Hot (Ire) by Galileo (Ire)) in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf was not only jaw-dropping since jockey Jose Ortiz guided the filly from last and through a pack of fillies to win, but was another good ad for Woodbine.
Pizza Bianca finished second in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 19, a Win and You’re In Race and parlayed that outing into Breeders’ Cup glory.
It was also the first Breeders’ Cup win for trainer Christophe Clement who came into the event with a 0-for-40 record.
Pizza Bianca was 9-to-1 and she is the first foal to race for the mare White Hot, whom Flay bought as a yearling in 2014 Tattersalls October for about $2 million. White Hot never made it to the races, so Flay bred her.
Scenes from Breeders’ Cup Championship Friday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on November 5, 2021: in Del Mar, California. Scott Serio/Breeders’ Cup/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM
TWILIGHT GLEAMING was a 5-to-1 winner of the Juvenile Turf Sprint for owner Barbara Banke and trainer Wesley Ward – Cindy Pierson Dulay – horse-races.net
Woodbine’s leading trainer MARK CASSE had a couple of juveniles race very well on Friday. PAPPACAP, a homebred for Rustlewood Farm, Inc. in Florida, finished a game second to favoured CORNICHE (Quality Road – Wasted Tears by Najran) in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles. Pappacap was making his fifth career start; he won his maiden at Gulfstream in May and then went to California where he won the Grade 2 Best Pal and was fourth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and second in the American Pharoah (G1). Pappacap is a son of Gun Runner, whose daughter ECHO ZULU rolled to an easy win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) for Winchell Thoroughbreds and L and N Racing and trainer Steve Asmussen, remaining undefeated in four races.
And Woodbine maiden winner GRAFTON STREET (War Front – Lahinch Classics (Ire) by Galileo (Ire)) made an exciting move to the lead in the stretch run of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and tired only late to finish fourth behind victorious MODERN GAMES (Ire), a fancy colt from Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby and a son of Dubawi (Ire).
About that Juvenile Turf.
MODERN GAMES acted up in the gate as the horses were loading, hit the back of the gate and caused Summer Stakes (G1) winner ALBAHR to rear up and fall backwards, getting stuck under the gate. It was quite a few scary moments as Albahr had to be extracted from the gate and Frankie Dettori got out of the way of harm. Albahr emerged essentially unscathed but was scratched. An assistant starter was reportedly injured and was tended to.
Meanwhile, Modern Games’ front stall door had been opened and he jumped out but was kept in control. From there, mass confusion ensued.
Buzz came through the TV simulcast channel that Modern Games was going to be scratched as well, a tweet from Daily Racing Form‘s Marcus Hersh noted that trainer Charlie Appleby, already rocked by the scratch of Albahr, was told Modern Games ‘had a nick’.
Except the colt was never unsaddled. He came off the tote as the 9-to-5 favourite for the race, leaving Dakota Gold the race favourite and the horse that everyone got in those horizontal wagers.
And then Modern Games was determined to be fine and that the scratch was a mistake. He was allowed to race for purse money only.
Well, of course Modern Games charged to victory, but everyone who had the colt in their Pick 3’s, 4’s, 5’s etc., some of us who had actually keyed him in such wagers, were left with torn tickets. TIZ THE BOMB popped out of nowhere to grab second place and was determined the winner for wagering purposes. Dakota Gold was back in fifth. As the race ran, Modern Games was listed at 7-to-2 and the tote board indicated there were still hundreds of thousands of dollars in the pool on the colt.
The boos rained down from the stands as Modern Games flew past the finish line – loud enough that it came across every TV channel and simulcast network. Social media lit up:
“Us horseplayers are known for overreacting here and there, but I have a feeling this one is gonna leave a mark for a long time with a lot of us.”
In the aftermath, offshore wagering hubs paid off on not only Tiz the Bomb, but ‘in good faith’ paid off on Modern Games as well.
Below is a press conference with the CHRB.
From Daily Racing Form‘s Matt Hegarty: Total handle for the five Breeders’ Cup races run on Friday was $42.31 million, according to charts of the races, up 12.7 percent over the five Breeders’ Cup races held at Keeneland Racecourse in Kentucky last year, despite a last-race incident that will potentially cost the game far more than the $5 million bump in wagering.
Indeed, in a year when horse racing still cannot tell us who actually won the Kentucky Derby, battering around horse racing lovers and players who love to bet the races simply will kill the sport.
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