The 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic
Winner: Bayern
The 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic fittingly hosted a field of 14 horses, but this was always meant to be more of a four-horse race. The world championships were hosted by Santa Anita Park with the main event taking place on Saturday, November 1st. The race was worth $5 million and would be tense right through to the very end.
The ever popular California Chrome entered as the 4/1 favorite who had captured the hearts of Americans all over with wins in the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. California Chrome would eventual fall to 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, who was inserted as a 5/1 third choice.
Sandwiched between the two rivals was the undefeated Shared Belief at 9/5. There was no way of ignoring this young horse with momentum building wins in the 2013 Los Alamitos Derby, Pacific Classic and the Awesome Again Stakes.
Bayern was also a very strong consideration at 6/1 because of his roaring summer which include wins in the Woody Stephens, the Haskell Invitational and the Penn Derby. A tough run at the Travers Stakes, where he fell to last after opening as the favorite, was the only glaring red flag on his otherwise strong record.
Breaking right of the gate, Bayern seemed to have cutoff Shared Belief right away while he took up the lead as the pace setting frontrunner. The opening quarter mile went in :23.12 with Bayern, Toast of New York, California Chrome and Cigar Street holding as the top-four. Shared Belief would rally to sit in sixth place behind Moreno. The field hit :46.44 for the half-mile with the order remaining virtually unchanged.
Still holding the lead, Bayern bore in for the final homestretch and held the rail as Toast of New York continued to be the surprise of the Breeders’ Cup Classic in second place. California Chrome streamed along the outside and made his move as the three battled relentlessly down the final seven furlongs.
It was a nail biting finish as Bayern, Toast of New York and California Chrome finished in that order layered on top of each other tightly. Bayern delivered a final time 1:59.88 and delivered a hefty $14.20, $8.00 and $5.20 across the board.
Toast of New York came out of nowhere to take second place and earn his backers $18.00 and $10.80 while California Chrome was worth only $5.40 to show as the favorite.
The ending of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic was fraught with controversy that lasts to present day. Bayern’s early break shuttered off Shared Belief, who also knocked the front running Moreno off course as well. Rules in California Thoroughbred racing indicate that the determination was subjective, and officials refused to admit that the early break by Bayern impacted the eventual outcome of the race.
This ruling was contested by Shared Belief’s part owner and noted sports radio host Jim Rome, but to no avail. The ending overshadowed an exciting race that also delivered Bob Baffert his first win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic Results – Santa Anita
|
FINISH |
HORSE |
ODDS |
|
1st |
Bayern |
6-1 |
|
2nd |
Toast of New York |
12-1 |
|
3rd |
California Chrome |
4-1 |
|
4th |
Shared Belief |
9-5 |
|
5th |
Tonalist |
5-1 |
|
6th |
Candy Boy |
20-1 |
|
7th |
Cigar Street |
12-1 |
|
8th |
Zivo |
15-1 |
|
9th |
Imperative |
30-1 |
|
10th |
Footbridge |
30-1 |
|
11th |
V.E. Day |
20-1 |
|
12th |
Prayer for Relief |
30-1 |
|
13th |
Majestic Harbor |
20-1 |
|
14th |
Moreno |
20-1 |