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Of course it wouldn't be a Breeders' Cup if there wasn't a scandal of some sort or other but to rule Polydream lame probably takes the biscuit!
Polydream has a great record in France but the official vets didn't like her trotting action and declared her a scratching saying she was lame. Freddy Head, her trainer, was ropable saying that she has a funny action when trotting but this does not affect her gallop. He offered to demonstrate her galopping style to the vets but they did not accept his invitation. Head is from French racing royalty - there is no way he could have brought an unsound horse on a long journey and the race he has won several times both as a jockey and as a trainer had to see its favourite return home without making it on to the track.
Anyhow the races did produce some very good racing. On Friday there was a stunning run from Newspaperofrecord to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf by 6 lengths for Chad Brown and Irad Ortiz. No luck for the Europeans here - and we should mention that the French runners do NOT run on Lasix. Game Winner was a popular result in the Juvenile for Bob Baffert and Joel Rosario, likewise Rocketry in the Marathon.
Saturday's card started with the F&M Sprint which was won by the 20/1 shot Shamrock Rose. The Turf Sprint went to our selection Stormy Liberal.
The Dirt MIle went to City of Light from Seeking the Soul, and the F&M Turf saw another winner for Chad Brown with Sistercharlie who just pipped the Godolphin Appleby-Buick Wild Illusion, with A Raving Beauty running third at 10/1.
Our pick Roy H duly obliged in the Sprint, and then the Turf Mile minus Polydream went to Expert Eye for Sir Michael Stoute, defeating Catapult.
Monomoy Girl had drawn the outside in the Distaff but she broke cleanly and was easily able to put herself into the race and was too good for the Chilean-bred Wow Cat with Midnight Bisou in third and Blue Prize fourth.
Then the truly remarkable Enable took the BC Turf in style. Magical kept her honest and she had to dig deep to hold back the challenge but she has always been able to provide that little bit extra that is the gift of true champions. A first time that an Arc winner has won this race in the same year.
Accelerate also ran down the outside to win the Classic which apart from the winner was probably not the strongest field - he should get horse of the year for that performance. And a great reward for John Sadler who has been a stalwart of racing particularly in California for many years.