The 2020 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland was an event that we’ll never forget. Several performances made us excited and there was no shortage of the feel-good stories that make the Breeders’ Cup special every season.
Let’s put a bow on the weekend by ranking the 14 races from the 37th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland.
14. MileÂ
Winner: Order of AustraliaÂ
This was the craziest result of the weekend! A 73/1 Also Eligible won?! Are you kidding me?! That’s something you just can’t make up. What a performance from Order of Australia.Â
13. Juvenile TurfÂ
Winner: Fire At Will
For some reason, this horse was ignored in the betting despite winning 2 straight heading into this race. At 30/1, the Mike Maker trainee flew home for a dominant win over a trio of European invaders.Â
12. Turf SprintÂ
Winner: Glass Slippers
We knew all along that this was a wide-open race, so we weren’t surprised to see a double-digit winner come home on top. Glass Slippers was just too much to hold off down the stretch, displaying an amazing turn of foot.Â
11. Juvenile Fillies TurfÂ
Winner: Aunt PearlÂ
She left no doubt right from the start, taking the lead early and never looking back for a crushing gate-to-wire score. Aunt Pearl was the first of 4 Breeders’ Cup winners for trainer Brad Cox over the weekend.
10. Juvenile FilliesÂ
Winner: VequistÂ
Thanks to a sneaky ride up the rail by Joel Rosario, Vequist came home strong for a convincing victory that most likely sealed the Eclipse Award for 2-Year-Old Female of the Year.Â
9. Dirt Mile
Winner: Knicks Go
Since moving to the barn of trainer Brad Cox, this horse has turned into a monster. The gray colt went straight to the lead out of the gate, blazed through fast fractions, yet still came home as a clear-cut winner.Â
8. JuvenileÂ
Winner: Essential Quality
We have our very early 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite after he impressively won this race. He sat the perfect trip in mid-pack while several speed horses battled it out on the front through fast fractions. When the real running began, he proved easily the best of them all and looked like a horse who could get even better as the distance gets longer.Â
7. Filly and Mare Turf
Winner: AudaryaÂ
The European invader played spoiler to Rushing Fall’s party, wearing down the Chad Brown trainee at the wire. Audarya sat the perfect trip in the early stages in the race, saving ground before swinging out for an amazing stretch run.Â
6. ClassicÂ
Winner: AuthenticÂ
While the race failed to live up to its billing as the greatest showdown of the weekend, you can’t say the same for Authentic, who won the race right out of the gate. You knew he’d be almost impossible to catch once he got a comfortable early lead, and he cruised home with ease for victory.Â
5. Sprint Â
Winner: WhitmoreÂ
The old man did it! This was without a doubt the biggest feel-good story of the Breeders’ Cup. After losing this race each of the past 3 years, Whitmore closed impressively with a furious rally, making the fourth time a charm. You won’t see too many runaway winners like what he did.Â
4. Juvenile Turf SprintÂ
Winner: Golden Pal
He kicked off the Breeders’ Cup with a bang! Breaking from the 14 post didn’t bother him one bit, as he broke like a monster and was on the lead within a split-second. From there, he led pretty much every step of the way, earning an ultra-impressive gate-to-wire victory.Â
3. Filly and Mare SprintÂ
Winner: GamineÂ
This was just a monster performance. After watching Serengeti Empress set a fast pace, the stalking Gamine ranged up at the top of the stretch, then blew her away for a 6 3/4-length romp. This race never felt in doubt as Gamine proved that she is a total monster in one-turn races.Â
2. Turf
Winner: TarnawaÂ
This is one special filly. The superstar sat at the back of the pack for most of the race, and at times, it didn’t seem like she was going to fire. At the top of the stretch, she was still nearly last, but within a few strides, you could tell there was no way they could hold her off. She took the lead in mid-stretch before cruising home for an effortless victory.Â
1. DistaffÂ
Winner: Monomoy Girl Â
The super-mare did it again, winning this race for the second time. Florent Geroux kept her wide and out of trouble up the backside before unleashing her in the stretch. From there, the queen did her thing, cruising past her rival with ease and holding off a late charge from Valiance. She was sold the next day for $9.5 million to Spendthrift Farm, who will campaign her again next year AND keep her with trainer Brad Cox. Stay tuned!Â
