The World is Watching California Hosts Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship he Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship races return to Oak Tree this year on Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7. Once again, the eyes of the racing world will be on Oak Tree at Santa Anita for what is expected to be a thrilling two-day extravaganza. California has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships eight times since its inception. The inaugural event in 1984 was held at Hollywood Park, as were the 1987 and 1997 events. Oak Tree at Santa Anita is preparing to host its fifth Breeders’ Cup – having been the official site in 1986, 1993, 2003 and 2008. California connections won nearly half of the Breeders’ Cup races last year, with solid victories in six of the 14 events. In the inaugural Ladies’ Day, Zenyatta provided a dazzling performance to win the Ladies’ Classic (formerly known as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff) with jockey Mike Smith for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. T Smith also rode Stardom Bound to an impressive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for owner Charles Cono Owners' 12 Circle Photo © Katey Barrett. of Breeders’ Cup successes In 1985, Precisionist won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, completing the 6 furlongs in 1:08.4, just 1/5 off the Aqueduct track record – earning him an Eclipse Award as Champion Sprinter. Also that Horsephoto.com/NTRA year, California businessman Eugene Klein won his first Breeders’ Albertus Maximus and jockey Garrett Gomez win the 2008 Cup races with Life’s Magic (Distaff) and Twilight Ridge (Juvenile Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Fillies). and trainer Christopher Paasch. Midshipman, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Garrett Gomez for owner Darley Stable, captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by 1-1/4 lengths over Square Eddie. And the Baffert- trained Midnight Lute became the first repeat winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for owners Watson and Weitman Performances LLC and Pegram. Jockey Richard Migliore rode Desert Code, a 36-1 outsider, to a thrilling half-length victory in the Turf Sprint on Santa Anita’s famous downhill turf course. Trained by David Hofmans, Desert Code is owned by Susan Osborne’s Tarabilla Farms. Albertus Maximus took the Dirt Mile for owners/breeders Marianne and Brandon Chase and trainer Vladimir Cerin – their first Breeders’ Cup win. California Owners Have a Tradition of Breeders’ Cup Successes Since the inaugural running at Hollywood Park in 1984, Horsephoto.com/NTRA California horses and their owners have enjoyed a long tradition Midnight Lute and Garrett Gomez win the 2008 Breeders' Cup Sprint. Klein continued his winning streak in 1986 with Lady’s Secret in the Distaff and Capote in the Juvenile. Klein would then go on to take the 1987 Juvenile with Success Express and the 1988 Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies with Is It True and Open Mind, respectively. The 90’s was a showcase of California speed. Beginning in 1992 with Thirty Slews and the duo of Mike Pegram and Bob Baffert, California-based horses won nine of the next 11 renewals of the Breeder’s Cup Sprint. Cardmania won the 1993 running, and the mare Desert Stormer would take the 1995 edition under the tute- lage of on-air personality Frank Lyons. 1996 marked the first of four Sprint wins for California jockey Horsephoto.com/NTRA Zenyatta with Mike Smith up wins the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. wners' OCircle 13 Horsephoto.com/NTRA Desert Code with Richard Migliore up wins the 2008 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. and Pleasantly Perfect in the Classic. All four winners ran for California-based stables: B. Wayne Hughes, Wertheimer Farm, LLC., Thoroughbred Corp., and Diamond A Racing, respectively. Horsephoto.com/NTRA In more recent years, California’s success can be measured by Midshipman, with Garrett Gomez up wins 2008 Breeders' Sweet Catomine in the 2004 Juvenile Fillies for owners Marty and Cup Juvenile. Pam Wygod, Singletary in the 2004 Mile for Little Red Feather Racing, Stevie Wonderboy in the 2005 Juvenile for Merv Griffin, Folklore in the 2005 Juvenile Fillies for owners Bob and Beverly Corey Nakatani when he won aboard Lit De Justice for trainer Lewis, Thor’s Echo in the 2006 Sprint for owners Royce S. Jaime Jenine Sahadi. Sahadi and Nakatani would team up again the fol- and Pablo Suarez, and Midnight Lute in the 2007 Sprint for own- lowing year with Elmhurst, who won in stakes record time at ers Mike Pegram and Watson & Weitman Perfomance LLC. Hollywood Park. In 2000, Kona Gold won at Churchill Downs, With the Breeders’ Cup at Oak Tree again this year, California stopping the clock in a blistering 1:07.77. owners are sure to once more enjoy the sweet smell of victory, and California-bred phenomenon Tiznow was forging a path in his- a strong sense of pride in having participated in the greatest day in tory in 2000, when he won the Classic by Thoroughbred racing! a neck over European superstar Giant’s Causeway. He returned to the Breeders’ Cup in 2001 to become the first horse to win the Classic twice, again having to defeat a European superstar in Sakhee. In 2002, Azeri romped to a five-length victory in the Distaff after dominating her division in stakes at all three major Stardom Bound with Mike Smith Southern California tracks. up wins the 2008 Breeders' Cup The return of the Cup to Santa Anita in Juvenile Fillies. 2003 was the year of Richard Mandella. The Hall of Fame trainer won an unprecedented four races on the card, running 1-2 with Action This Day and Minister Eric in the Juvenile, and win- ning with Halfbridled in the Juvenile Fillies, Johar in a dead heat in the Turf, Horsephoto.com/NTRA wners' 14 OCircle.