Raven Pass pays Gosden tribute. As worthy as were previous renewals, the 25th Breeders’ Cup broke significant new ground here on Saturday. It was cathartic from a British perspective: four winners from nine races redeemed what has otherwise been an eminently forgettable season. But the broader question concerns American reaction to an occasion when their horses were put to the sword.
Will Americans rise to the challenge in the spirit that has transformed the Ryder Cup into a leading sporting event? Or will they clamour for a return to a dirt surface on which their horses used to bloody European noses?
This was the first Breeders’ Cup at which a safe, synthetic track replaced traditional dirt, the surface on which George Washington gruesomely perished 12 months ago. The dividend was enormous. No serious injuries were reported for the first time in four renewals – and that within a programme that has swelled to 14 races.
Yet that will not stop some American horsemen squealing for their beloved dirt. The surface remains in place at prominent tracks such as Belmont Park and Churchill Downs, which hosts the Breeders’ Cup in 2010. What happens in the interim will determine whether the event evolves into a genuine end-of-year showdown between two continents whose racehorses are the envy of the world.
Never before has the sport been so close to uniting in such a way as to make a reality of truly global competition. As John Gosden, who saddled Raven’s Pass and Donativum to spine-tingling victories, put it: I would normally have run Raven’s Pass in the Mile , but we were tempted to go for the Classic because is a level playing field. It is neither dirt, nor turf. It is fair to both. From America’s perspective, however, it is not that simple. Racing here is in a state of flux. Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, had never galloped in earnest on the Pro-Ride surface before he was run down by Raven’s Pass on Saturday. He could only finish fourth on his first defeat in more than 12 months.
Curlin’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, had no doubt where the blame rested. It was a turf race, he said. It absolutely was the Pro-Ride surface . Asmussen’s words will have resonated with Curlin’s legion of fans. They were aghast to see their dirt champion humbled so comprehensively on a surface alien to him.
Similar experiences are assured as long as American racetracks remain divided on the dirt/synthetic debate. But several positives emerged from an event that will live long in European minds. The first is that Midnight Lute, a dazzling winner of the Sprint on dirt 12 months ago, was equally impressive in defending his crown on the Pro-Ride on Saturday.
And of course, there was Zenyatta, who stretched her unbeaten streak to nine when she humbled the Fillies’ Classic field. With eight of those victories gained on artificial surfaces, Zenyatta is the first synthetic star of the sport. Others will surely follow.
Raven’s Pass has an extra string to his bow in that he also thrives on turf. His triumph in the Classic, the signature Breeders’ Cup race, paid handsome tribute to Gosden’s skills in honing a once-wayward horse to perfection. Gosden’s years as a California native were characterised by his ability to get the best from his horses over time. Then, as now.
Now based in Newmarket, Gosden excelled in his reading of Donativum, another wayward soul who edged out Ballydoyle’s Westphalia in the Juvenile Turf. An operation to geld him in the summer has transformed this former hooligan into an intriguing prospect.
Donativum and Raven’s Pass, who is likely to be retired, run in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed’s wife, Princess Haya of Jordan. Sadly, neither was able to be present on an afternoon the sheikh will savour for some time. Denominations of his silks were prominent throughout Saturday, and in the Bob Baffert-trained Midshipman, winner of the Juvenile, he has a front-line candidate for the Kentucky Derby.
Sir Michael Stoute read the runes perfectly in respect of Conduit, whose wellbeing on Newmarket Heath demanded his inclusion in the party. Conduit’s victory in the Turf, which delivered a first Breeders’ Cup triumph for his jockey, Ryan Moore, suggested he will be a leading force next season.
Conduit’s rugged demeanour in the build-up was interpreted by many here as an indication of his greenness; he is anything but. Nor is Ralph Beckett, who embellished a fabulous season with his clever handling of Muhannak, winner of a poor inaugural running of the Marathon.
France hit the board through Goldikova, whose scintillating Mile Turf triumph made her handler, Freddie Head, the first man to ride and train a Breeders’ Cup winner. The daughter of Anabaa stays in training and will have her sights set on a second Breeders’ Cup triumph.
No Breeders’ Cup seems to pass without Frankie Dettori making an impact. It started badly for the Italian when he gave Sixties Icon a poor ride in the opening Marathon, and fortune deserted him in the Turf Sprint when Godolphin’s Diabolical burst clear in the final furlong – only to be run down at the finish.
Typically, however, Dettori responded with gusto. His control under pressure was pivotal in assuring Donativum of the spoils, and his inner calm was the key to a fine tactical ride on Raven’s Pass.
