Major Racing Events > Breeders’ Cup > Dirt Mile
| 2020 Dirt Mile Contenders | History | Records | Past Results
2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
The 2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile will be held at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Saturday, November 6th.
Information and winners of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series races for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile:
| DATE | RACE | COUNTRY | WINNER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/5/21 | Metropolitan Handicap | USA | Silver State |
| 8/28/21 | Pat O'Brien Stakes | USA | Ginobili |
2020 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Results and Payouts
Below are the final results and payouts for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile:
| POST | HORSE | JOCKEY | WIN / PLACE / SHOW |
| 5 | Knicks Go | Joel Rosario | $5.60 / $5.00 / $3.80 |
| 11 | Jesus’ Team | Luis Saez | $33.60 / $11.80 |
| 2 | Sharp Samurai | Irad Ortiz Jr. | $4.60 |
| 10 | Complexity | Jose Ortiz | |
| 12 | Owendale | Florent Geroux | |
| 9 | Mr Freeze | Manuel Franco | |
| 7 | Rushie | Javier Castellano | |
| 1 | Art Collector | Brian Hernandez Jr. | |
| 4 | War of Will | Tyler Gaffalione | |
| 3 | Silver Dust | Adam Beschizza | |
| 6 | Mr. Money | Gabriel Saez | |
| 8 | Pirate’s Punch | Jorge Vargas Jr. |
Exotic Payouts:
- $1.00 Exacta (5-11) Paid: $109.80
- $0.50 Trifecta (5-11-2) Paid: $616.15
- $0.10 Superfecta (5-11-2-10) Paid: $729.80
The BC Dirt Mile History
The Dirt Mile started in 2007 with the addition of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series offering more races during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Goldencents is the only two-time winner of the Dirt Mile (2013, 2014). The 1-mile race record was set by Albertus Maximus in 2008 in a time of 1:33.41.
In the 10 runnings of the Dirt Mile, the post-time race favorite has won just two times, and both at less than 4-5 odds: Goldencents in 2014 at Santa Anita and Liam’s Map in 2015 at Keeneland. The longest shot to win the race is Dakota Phone in 2010 when he pulled of the upset at 37-1 odds at Churchill Downs.
In a race with very fast fractions, Dakota Phone closed from the very back of the pack in a field of 12 and caught the leader in the deep stretch to win by a head for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer with top jockey Joel Rosario aboard.
Goldencents, ridden by Rafael Bajarano, won both his Dirt Miles wire-to-wire by more than a length for trainer Leandro Mora and Doug O’Neal. Goldencents retired following his 2014 victory, winning a total of 7 races and 7 runner-up finishes in 18 career starts with earnings of more than $3 million.
The 2016 winner was impressive as Tamarkuz settled off the pace and jockey Mike Smith made a bold move along the far turn. As they turned for home, Tamarkuz caught the favorite Dortmund and the future dominant colt Gun Runner, passing them with a furlong to run and drawing clear to finish 3 1/2 lengths in front of Gun Runner.
Tamarkuz was retired after the race to stand at Shadwell Stud near Lexington, KY. He finished his racing career with 8 wins in 20 starts, and the Breeders’ Cup 1st place prize of $920,000 doubled his career earnings to $1.84 million.
Tamarkuz owns the biggest upset in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile history with his incredible victory in 2016. While his 11/1 odds aren’t considered all that cavernous, he bested 6/5 favorite Dortmund, 3/1 second choice Runhappy and 9/2 third choice Gun Runner. At six-years-old, Tamarkuz was also the oldest horse to ever win the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, He retired following his 2016 win to Shadwell Stud.
The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile has just two prep races which offer automatic berths. These are the Metropolitan Handicap, which is also known as “The Met Mile”, and the Pat O’Brien Stakes. Goldencents won both the 2014 Pat O’Brien and the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. No horse that has won the Met Mile has scored in the Dirt Mile.
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Historical Records:
Corinthian was the first winner of the race in 2007 and also ran the slowest recorded time ever, with a one-mile pace of 1:39.06. Albertus Maximus set the speed record at Santa Anita with a time of 1:33.41.
Goldencents is the most prolific winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and is also the only horse to have won the event twice. After finishing 17th in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and 5th in the Preakness Stakes, he would go on to win the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as a 4/1 shot. He would repeat the feat the following season in 2014 before retiring.
Jockey Rafael Bjearano was aboard Goldencents for his two victories and shares the record for the winningest jockey with Javier Castellano, who claimed victories in 2015 and 2018.. W.C. Racing, who owned Goldencents, is also the owner with the most victories. Incidentally, Goldencents was trained by two different hands for his victories. He was first saddled by Doug O’Neill before changing hands to trainer Leondro Mora. Jerry Hollendorfer is the only trainer to visit the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner’s circle twice.
| YEAR | HORSE (AGE) | JOCKEY / TRAINER | TIME / VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Knicks Go (4) | Joel Rosario / Brad H. Cox | 1:33.85 / Keeneland |
| 2019 | Spun to Run (3) | Irad Ortiz Jr. / Juan Carlos Guerrero | 1:36.58 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2018 | City of Light (4) | Javier Castellano / Michael W. McCarthy | 1:33.83 / Churchill Downs |
| 2017 | Battle Of Midway (3) | Flavien Prat / Jerry Hollendorfer | 1:35.20 / Del Mar Racetrack |
| 2016 | Tamarkuz (6) | Mike Smith / Kiaran McLaughlin | 1:35.72 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2015 | Liam's Map (4) | Javier Castellano / Todd Pletcher | 1:34.54 / Keeneland |
| 2014 | Goldencents (4) | Rafael Bejarano / Leandro Mora | 1:35.19 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2013 | Goldencents (3) | Rafael Bejarano / Doug O'Neill | 1:35.12 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2012 | Tapizar (4) | Corey Nakatani / Steven M. Asmussen | 1:35.34 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2011 | Caleb's Posse (3) | Rajiv Maragh / Donnie K. Von Hemel | 1:34.59 / Churchill Downs |
| 2010 | Dakota Phone (5) | Joel Rosario / Jerry Hollendorfer | 1:35.29 / Churchill Downs |
| 2009 | Furthest Land (4) | Julien Leparoux / Michael J. Maker | 1:35.50 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2008 | Albertus Maximus (4) | Garrett Gomez / Vladimir Cerin | 1:33.41 / Santa Anita Park |
| 2007 | Corinthian (4) | Kent Desormeaux / James A. Jerkens | 1:39.06 / Monmouth Park |
Historical Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Results:
2019 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Entries & Morning Line Odds
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Morning Line Odds | Jockey |
| 1 | Giant Expectations | Peter A. Eurton | 12-1 | Jose Ortiz |
| 2 | Improbable | Bob Baffert | 3-1 | Rafael Bejarano |
| 3 | Spun to Run | Juan Carlos Guerrero | 6-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |
| 4 | Mr. Money | W. Bret Calhoun | 6-1 | Gabriel Saez |
| 5 | Omaha Beach | Richard E. Mandella | 8-5 | Mike Smith |
| 6 | Ambassadorial | Jane Chapple-Hyam | 30-1 | Jamie Spencer |
| 7 | Coal Front | Todd A. Pletcher | 6-1 | Javier Castellano |
| 8 | Blue Chipper | Kim Young Kwan | 20-1 | Flavien Prat |
| 9 | Diamond Oops | Patrick L. Biancone | 15-1 | Julien Leparoux |
| 10 | Snapper Sinclair | Steven M. Asmussen | 30-1 | Ricardo Santana, Jr. |
2016 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Results
The 2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships took place at the Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California on November 4th to the 5th. It was the 33rd edition of the premier North American horse racing event and featured a number of exciting races and finishes. One of the highlights of the card was the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile presented by the City of Las Vegas (G1).
The 2016 Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) featured a field of nine older horses competing in a one-mile race on the main Santa Anita track. Dortmund, who was coming off a second-place finish in the Awesome Again Stakes (G1), was installed as the pre-race favorite at odds of 7-10. His top challengers included Gunner Runner (4-1 odds) and 2015 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Runhappy (7-1 odds).
Runhappy set the pace early with fractions of 22.45 and 45.37. Gun Runner would take the lead after ¾ of the way in and led after 7/8 with fractions of 1:10.00 and 1:22.64, respectively. However, Tamarkuz would circle the field five wide and win by 3 ½ lengths in a time of 1:35.72. Gun Runner would finish second, while Accelerate would come in third.
“I had really a good trip. It set up. There was a lot of pace. Tamarkuz has speed himself and right away they opened 2, 3, 4 (lengths), so I knew they were going fast. After that it was just a matter of getting him into a comfortable rhythm and a happy place. When I called on him, he finished like he’s been finishing for me. I really thought he had a good shot today,” said Tamarkuz jockey Mike Smith.
Tamarkuz paid $25.00, $9.40, and $8.00 across the board. Gun Runner returned $5.20 to place and $4.60 to show. Accelerate paid $16.00 to show.