Knicks Go wins Breeders’ Cup Classic as O’Brien misses out in the Turf

Knicks Go made every yard of the running to win the Breeders' Cup Classic for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Joel Rosario.

Cox saddled two leading contenders in the eventual winner and Essential Quality, with the latter being sent off favourite but he always looked further back than ideal and ended up finishing a creditable third.

Splitting the pair was Bob Baffert’s Medina Spirit.

Cox had repeatedly stated he could not split his two runners and there was not much between them ultimately, however, Knicks Go’s ability to control the tempo proved crucial.

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Rosario was left to his own devices and for a horse with slight stamina doubts, he was able to just set steady fractions.

Hot Rod Charlie briefly looked a threat turning into the straight but he could never quite get on terms, while Medina Spirit and Essential Quality just stayed on for minor honours.

Knicks Go had finished only fourth behind Mishriff in the Saudi Cup in February, but that was a rare reverse since the five-year-old joined Cox at the beginning of last year.

Meanwhile, Yibir capped an incredible Breeders' Cup for Charlie Appleby and William Buick when flying home late to pip Broome in the Turf.

Aidan O’Brien’s Broome, ridden by Irad Ortiz, looked to have put the race to bed with a decisive move turning into the short home straight, taking a couple of lengths out of the field.

Yibir had been settled at the rear by William Buick, who along with last year’s winner Tarnawa, had a posse of horses in front of him with just two furlongs to run.

But once Buick pulled the Great Voltiguer winner out into the home straight, Yibir hit his full stride and ran down Broome comfortably in the end.

Roger Varian’s Teona was not far back in third, with O’Brien’s Japan in fourth. Tarnawa found little in the finish and was well beaten.

Appleby and Buick won the Juvenile Turf with Modern Games on Friday and the Mile with Space Blues earlier on Saturday’s card.

Buick said: “Once I turned halfway down the back straight, I was in a better position. I followed Tarnawa but she was never going as well as I thought she would.

“It was the one race I didn’t know how to assess. Yibir is a complex character, as you saw last time he ran over here, I was just hoping he saved a bit for the finish.

“Halfway round the turn I could see Broome had gone, but my horse picked up in a way you rarely see. It was a great performance from a young, up and coming horse.”

Appleby said: “As you’ve seen he’s run some quite indifferent races this season, like at Goodwood, but then he ran well at York.

“The key was getting him to settle and Jamie Spencer did that at Belmont.

“It was a hard ride for William, he was taking him on but it all worked out.”

As well as saddling three winners, Appleby also had two withdrawn at the start over the course of the meeting and said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend, I can even take a couple home fresh!

“There were lots of emotions (on Friday) and I felt sorry for the crowd that winning tickets didn’t come off.

“I knew the right horse was left in the gate in Space Blues and Yibir was the icing on the cake — he’s been galloping with all our best middle-distance three-year-olds.

“Next year this horse brings experience to the table in middle-distance races. We won’t be taking anything to Hong Kong, they will all have well-earned vacations.”

O’Brien said of his three runners: “Broome ran a great race and we thought he was in good form. He was just a bit lazy in front, while Ryan (Moore on Japan) got chopped and Frankie (Dettori) said Bolshoi Ballet was too babyish.”

Varian was pleased with Teona’s effort and said: “David gave her a great ride.

“It’s not an ideal track for her, but she ran a race of real credit. She’s a lengthener and we had to angle out, and didn’t have the acceleration to put the race to bed.”

Earlier, Oisín Murphy registered his first Breeders' Cup winner as Japanese mare Marche Lorraine prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Distaff.

Having created history just a few hours earlier with Loves Only You in the Filly & Mare Turf, trainer Yoshito Yahagi doubled his and Japan’s tally at the meeting as Britain’s three-times champion jockey just got up by the tightest of margins.

With the local favourites all chasing a red-hot early tempo and fading even before the home turn, it was Dunbar Road and Marche Lorraine who fought out the finish.

As the pair crossed the line, a dead heat looked a real possibility but Murphy was overjoyed to learn his mount had edged it at the line.

“I wasn’t sure (if I’d won), it was very hard to tell in the shadows at this time of day,” said Murphy.

“This is a dream come true for me personally to win at the Breeders’ Cup, on dirt, on a Japanese horse. It’s the biggest stage in the world.

“Honestly did I think I could win? No, I didn’t, but Mr Yahagi has now had two winners today, Loves Only You and this one. That’s an unbelievable training performance.

“I try hard to get on the best horses I can around the world, I’m only 26 and these are the opportunities I crave.”

He added: “I didn’t know a whole lot about this filly. I rode a lot for Mr Yahagi in Japan, Dubai and Hong Kong and I tried to give her every chance.

“I sat out the back and was a hostage to fortune. I had enough speed to get a pitch. Maybe I moved a bit too early, but she was tough up the straight.”

Life Is Good posted an impressive all-the-way success in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

An early favourite for the Kentucky Derby before injury struck, he seized the initiative under Irad Ortiz, who was already on a high having won the Turf Sprint on Golden Pal, and the result was never in doubt.

Life Is Good ran out a near six-length winner and his trainer Todd Pletcher said: “We were anticipating an outstanding performance and it was extremely impressive. He’s one of those rare horses that can breeze and gallop at high speeds and then go faster.

“When you train a horse as good as this, you feel you are sitting on a big day.

“He has the ability to handle two turns going as straight as an arrow. I think our job now is to try to teach him how to ration out that speed and then learn to relax.”

Hot favourite Gamine could finish only third behind Ce Ce in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Winner of the race 12 months ago, Gamine had gone unbeaten leading into the race this season but she was not allowed to dictate matters this time and had nothing left to give as Ce Ce came with a late rattle under Victor Espinoza to provide trainer Michael McCarthy with a second Breeders’ Cup win.

McCarthy said: “It was almost too good to be true the way the pace stacked up and Victor has done a really great job keeping her away from those two fillies.

“When she got the heads up in the stretch and reached the quarter-pole I certainly got excited, and at the eighth it was over.”

Aloha West was another to get the best of a photo as he came from the clouds to give Jose Ortiz a second Breeders' Cup winner of the weekend in the Sprint.

Dr Schivel appeared to have them all beaten with 100 yards to run but Aloha West, representing the same Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners who won the Queen Mary with Quick Suzy, got up in the final strides for Wayne Catalano.

Owner Aaron Wellman said: “Wayne has done such a fantastic job. He told me two months ago when he was second in the Phoenix that he would win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“Wayne rode 3,000 winners as a jockey and has trained 2,000 and is for me a worthy Hall Of Famer.

“There’s no telling how good this horse could be.”