South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Authentic caps off strong year
Keeping an eye on the world of sports during the pandemic:
Authentic won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, going wireto-wire for a 2 1⁄4- length victoryover Improbable that gave trainer Bob Baffert a 1-2 finish Saturday atKeeneland.
TheKentucky Derby champion and Preakness runner-up broke out of the gate quickly and set the pace for others to follow. Stablemate Maximum Security pursued for a while before Global Security overtook him and then was passed by Improbable entering the stretch. Authentic, at 9-2, never letupwith JohnVelazquez aboard and extended his lead by the end.
Authentic, above, earned his fifth win in seven starts this year and made a strong case as the year’s top 3-year-old. It also bookendeda successful day for Baffert, whose filly Gamine opened the $31 million seasonending world championships with a dominant, record-setting victory in the $1 million Filly andMare Sprint.
Authentic’swinning time in the $6 million race over 1 1⁄
4 miles wasn’t immediately available because of a technical glitch.
Authentic paid $ 10.40,
$5.40 and $4.20. Improbable returned $4.80 and $3.30 while Global Campaign paid $8.80.
Just before that, even-money favorite Monomoy Girl blew by the leaders around the final turn and held off a challenge by 14-1 shotValiance to win the 1 1⁄8- mileDistaff for the top fillies and mares 3 years old and up.
The star 5-year-old won for the 13th time in 15th races, giving trainer Brad Cox his fourth win at this Breeders’ Cup to tie the record.
The Distaff was among the notable races leading up to the
$6 million Breeders’CupClassic at the season-endingchampionships. Monomoy Girl’s second Cupwin in three years followed a big upset in the Mile by Order of Australia.
The 73-1 longshot, in the race following a scratch and with a substitute rider aboard, won the $2 million race by a neck over CircusMaximus.
The Irish-bred colt entered the 15-horse field after One Masterwas scratched.
“Nobody plans for a bad season, that’s for sure. We’re still competing. Everything we want is still out there in front of us.”
— Running back James White as the Patriots sit at 2-5 heading into theirMonday night game against the winless Jets