Racing Dudes Three Stars of the Week: Stars of the Cup

That’s a wrap for the 2019 Breeders’ Cup. As always, there is plenty to talk about after two great days of racing. It was tough to narrow it down this season; however, here are the three horses that we believe stood out the most when all was said and done:  

1. Bricks and Mortar

Anytime you lock up Horse of the Year honors, you should be the number one star. That is exactly what Bricks and Mortar was able to do in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on Saturday, just like he has done all season long. Like normal, Bricks and Mortar took back towards the middle of the pack, before releasing a furious rally down the lane to edge out United at the wire. The victory makes him a perfect 6 for 6 on the season, with 5 of those wins coming in Grade 1 events. 

2. Mitole 

For months we thought the Sprint could be the race of the Breeders’ Cup, which ended up being the case. In the end, it was Mitole who capped off a tremendous season, winning the race in the final stages over a stubborn Shancelot. Despite blazing early, Shancelot kept to task downs the lane, making Mitole work extra hard to get past him, which he was finally able to do by 1 1/4-lengths. Mitole earned a 112 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory, which was the highest number of this year’s Breeders’ Cup. 

3. Vino Rosso

There is no doubt this year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) was not the strongest on paper; however, we got a very strong winning performance from Vino Rosso. After stalking the early pace, Vino Rosso moved to the outside for his closing kick down the lane, where he had McKinzie to catch. That proved to be no problem, as he zoomed by McKinzie with ease in mid-stretch, on his way to a 4 1/2-length victory. The win likely will make him a finalist for Horse of the Year, which is a solid feat considering he was winless since May before this start.   

https://youtu.be/LrFWJbRZCmA