Away from the headlines after another superb Breeders’ Cup, take a look at some less well publicised facts and figures.
Very much a man’s world
Runners in the 13 races of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup: 159
Female trainers with runners: 3
Catherine Day-Phillips (Dixie Moon, 6th, Juvenile Fillies Turf)
Josie Carroll (Ami’s Mesa, 2nd, Filly & Mare Sprint)
Michelle Nevin (By The Moon, 10th, Filly & Mare Sprint)
Female jockeys with rides: 0
Let’s hear it for Puerto Rico (and France)
Where the winning jockeys were born: most successful countries (or territories)
Puerto Rico - 4 (John Velazquez 2, Irad Ortiz Jr. 1, Jose Ortiz 1)
France - 3 (Flavien Prat 1, Mickael Barzalona 1, Florent Geroux 1)
United States - 2 (Mike Smith 1, Kent Desormeaux 1)
Velazquez also won the G2 Goldikova Stakes earlier on Saturday’s card.
Star trainers
Americans Chad Brown (Rushing Fall and Good Magic) and Peter Miller (Stormy Liberal and Roy H) had two wins each, with Miller supplying the 1-2 in the Turf Sprint. Miller had not won a Breeders’ Cup race before. Brown trained the runner-up in the Longines Turf.
Miller had a third winner on Saturday - Belvoir Bay in a G3 earlier on the card.
The joy of ownership
Winningmost owners with two each were Godolphin (Wuheida and Talismanic), e Five Racing Thoroughbreds (Rushing Fall, and Good Magic, who is owned in partnership with Stonestreet Stables) and Rockingham Ranch (Stormy Liberal, and Roy H - in partnership with David A Bernsen).
Stallions of the moment
Sires with the most winners:
More Than Ready 2 (Rushing Fall, Roy H)
Medaglia D’Oro 2 (Bar Of Gold, Talismanic)
How can that be?
Dubawi is the second-ranked sire in the world and has been a leading stallion for years, yet amazingly Wuheida was his first winner at a Breeders’ Cup.
Mendelssohn was the first BC winner for the late Scat Daddy, who is world #13.
September, a luckless third in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, was the first ever runner at the Breeders’ Cup for the world’s third-ranked sire, Deep Impact.
Earnings milestones
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Highland Reel became the highest-earning European horse when he ran third in the Longines Turf, overtaking France’s Cirrus Des Aigles. Classic hero Gun Runner was an even bigger mover in the all-time money list.
Where were the favourites?
Just two obliged (Mendelssohn and World Approval). And only two others made the frame (Bolt D’Oro and Highland Reel, who were both third).
Here’s where they finished, in race order:
14, 8, 1, 4, 7, 10, 7, 7, 6, 1, 3, 3, 5
TRC Global Rankings snapshot
Jockeys: the top riders dominate
Kent Desormeaux was the only rider outside the world top 30 to ride a winner at the meeting. He ranks 76th.
Trainers: tough for the smaller stables
Just four trainers outside the top 30 got their names on the scoresheet:
Ralph Nicks (unranked, although that may change in this week’s update)
Peter Miller (#95 at present, but watch him rise this week after his BC double)
John Kimmel (unranked so far)
Dallas Stewart (#100)
Sires: big names show their quality
Five stallions outside the world top 30 were responsible for winners:
Quality Road (#32)
More Than Ready (#51 - two winners)
Smart Strike (#91)
Northern Afleet (#98)
Stormy Atlantic (#158)
Owners: a more even spread
Only four in the top 30 had winners:
Coolmore Partners (#1) (Mendelssohn)
Godolphin (#2) (Wuheida and Talismanic)
WinStar Farm Et Al (#11) (Battle Of Midway - in partnership with Don Alberto Stable)
Live Oak Plantation (#27) (World Approval)
International scoresheet
There were three non-U.S.-trained winners. Their home countries' all-time Breeders’ Cup totals now look like this:
Ireland: one winner (Mendelssohn), total now 29
Britain: one winner (Wuheida), total now 17
France: one winner (Talismanic), total now 8