San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Classic win for dominant Authentic
LEXINGTON, Ky. — From start to finish, Authentic left no doubt he was the horse to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
His dominant performance on another big stage should also end the debate about this year’s top 3yearold, strange as the season has been because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Authentic won the Classic in the same fashion he took the rescheduled Kentucky Derby two months ago, going wiretowire for a 21⁄ victory over Improbable that gave trainer Bob Baffert a 12 finish on a warm, sunny fall Saturday at Keeneland.
And perhaps erased Baffert’s regret over Authentic’s narrow runnerup finish to filly Swiss Skydiver in last month’s Preakness, also shifted to the fall because of the pandemic.
“He just struggled that day,” Baffert said, “but we got him back and I’ve got a great team and we just tightened the screws on him.
“He’s just matured. He’s maturing right now and this … is the time of the year they catch up.”
There wasn’t any catching up to Authentic on Saturday as he broke quickly out of the No. 9 gate between stablemates and set the pace for the 10horse field to follow. Maximum Security, last year’s 3yearold champion, pursued for a while before Global Security overtook him and then was passed by Improbable entering the stretch.
Authentic, at 92, never let up with John Velazquez aboard and extended his lead by the end.
“I didn’t think it was that much speed in the race, other than the other horse that Bob had on outside,” said the Hall of Fame jockey, referring to Maximum Security. “And I thought we were going to be quicker than him anyway.
“Once we got in front and I passed the wire for the first time, I mean, it was pretty easy from there, yeah.”
Authentic earned his fifth win in seven starts this year, strengthening his case as the year’s top 3yearold. The victory bookended a successful day for Baffert, whose filly Gamine opened the $ 31 million seasonending world championships with a dominant, recordsetting win in the $ 1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.
Both horses will certainly be named in any Eclipse Award discussion, and Baffert’s bias for Authentic was obvious.
“There was a lot on the line,” he said. “What he did today was pretty amazing.”
Authentic covered 11⁄ miles in 1: 59.19 in the $ 6 million marquee event and paid $ 10.40, $ 5.40 and $ 4.20. Improbable returned $ 4.80 and $ 3.30 while Global Campaign paid $ 8.80.
There was tragedy just before the ninerace card began, when colt Absolutely Aiden had to be euthanized following an injury that occurred during a scary chainreaction incident in the $ 150,000 Lafayette that toppled mount Chris Landeros and fellow riders Tyler Gaffalione and David Cohen from Dinar and Strike That.
Optimum weather and conditions on the dirt and turf led to not only several recordbreaking runs but also an impressive showing by European horses, a seasoned veteran and two wins by a substitute jockey.
Just before the Classic, evenmoney favorite Monomoy Girl blew by the leaders around the final turn and held off a challenge by 141 shot Valiance to win the 11⁄ Distaff for the top fillies and mares 3 years old and up. The 5yearold won for the 13th time in 15th races, giving trainer Brad Cox his fourth win at this Breeders’ Cup to tie the record.
In the Mile, 731 longshot Order of Australia, entered following a scratch and with a substitute rider aboard, won the $ 2 million race by a neck over Circus Maximus.
The Irishbred colt entered the 15horse field after One Master was scratched. Jockey PierreCharles Boudot was riding in place of Christophe Soumillon, who tested positive for the coronavirus during the week. Earlier, Boudot rode 171 French bred Audarya to victory in the Filly & Mare Turf.
In other races, another Irish bred, Tarnawa, won the $ 4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf; Britishbred filly Glass Slippers earned a halflength victory over Wet Your Whistle in the 51⁄ Turf Sprint; Knicks Go broke a track record, winning the Dirt Mile by 31⁄ lengths over Jesus’ Team and running 1: 33.85; and 7yearold 181 choice Whitmore showed there was plenty left in the tank with a stunning stretch run to win the $ 2 million, 6furlong Sprint.
Gary B. Graves is an Associated Press writer.