Breeders' Cup - 2004

October 30, 2004

Host Site: Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie, TX

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas was the host for The 2004 Breeders' Cup marking the first time Lone Star and the great state of Texas have hosted the event.  As of postime for the first race, The D. R. Horton Metroplex Mile Stakes, on the undercard the main track was rated as good. The first Breeders' Cup race, The Distaff, was also held on a track rated as good before the main track was upgraded to fast prior to the second BC race, The BC Juvenile Fillies.  The turf course was listed as yielding the entire card as rains earlier in the week forced the less than firm conditions giving the European entries a slight bit advantage. 

As usual Monmouth Park was an influence on the Breeders' Cup races as twelve horses starting on racings richest day ran at Monmouth in either 2004 or 2003.  In the Distaff, Molly Pitcher third place finisher Bare Necessities was entered against the likes of Ashado, Elloluv and Storm Flag Flying.  In the BC Juvenile Fillies, Dance Away Capote, who broke his maiden in August at Monmouth in a Maiden $37,000 race and subsequently ran second in The Sorority Stakes, on September 4, 2004, was entered to run against Frizette Stakes winner Balletto, Alcibiades winner Runway Model and Monmouth Park's Mongo Queen Stakes winner Sis City.

Ken and Sara Ramsey's, Nothing To Lose, was entered in The BC Mile and was the third place finisher in Monmouth Park's, United Nations Handicap, run on July 3, 2004 as well as the UN's second place finisher, Mr. O' Brien, from the barn of Robin Graham.  The BC Sprint saw Rumson Stakes second place finisher, Abbondanza, owned by Germania Farms and trained by Timothy Tullock, face the likes of Speightstown, Cajun Beat and Midas Eyes.

Back on the grass in The BC Filly & Mare Turf, Film Maker, owned by Courtlandt Farms and trained by H. Graham Motion, second earlier this summer in The Little Silver Stakes, took on the likes of Moscow Burning and European superstar Ouija Board.  In the BC Turf, United Nations Handicap winner Request For Parole, trained by Stanley Hough, was entered to face Mrs. John Magnier’s, Powerscourt, Ken and Sara Ramsey's, Kitten's Joy, winner of her last three graded starts and Magistretti from the barn of conditioner Patrick Biancone.  Battlefield Stakes second place finisher, Better Talk Now, also was entered to meet the starter in the BC Filly & Mare Turf.

Breeders' Cup 2004 Card:

Breeders' Cup Distaff - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Mile - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Sprint - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Turf - Grade I

Breeders' Cup Classic - Grade I

Special thanks go to Cindy Pierson Dulay for her photo contribution to the archive and please make sure you visit her new site http://www.horse-races.net.

Breeders' Cup Distaff

Grade I

$2,000,000 Guaranteed

For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward

One and One Eighth Miles - Main Track

Track: Good 

Finish Wire:

Tamwheel led the field through three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.50 as Island Fashion stalked the leader a half-length back in second.  Indy Groove was also in challenging the leaders another head back in third while Ashado ran fourth.  Through the far turn the leaders started to tire as Ashado saved ground on the rail in fourth and waited for room, briefly checking near the quarter pole.  In the lane Ashado had split rivals and got clear passing the furlong marker and went on to win The 2004 Breeders' Cup Distaff by a length and one-quarter at the wire in a final time of 1:48.26.  Storm Flag Flying, after being far back early, saved ground and gained through the stretch to get up for second as Stellar Jayne was up for third.  Ashado is a three-year-old dark bay/brown filly owned by Starlight Stables LLC, Paul Saylor and Johns Martin, trained by Todd A. Pletcher and was ridden by John Velazquez.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Grade I

$1,000,000 Guaranteed

For Fillies, Two Years Old

One and One Sixteenth Miles - Main Track

Track: Fast

Finish Wire:

Sis City took the lead in the vicinity of the three-quarter marker getting the distance in 1:10.69 as Balletto was in second position, a half length back, while Culinary was trying to keep pace in third position.  As the field moved through the turn Sweet Catomine started her rally between horses moving toward the leader, Sis City, then the field moved into the stretch. In mid stretch Sweet Catomine ran to the leader nearing the furlong marker while drifting out and then took the lead passing the sixteenth pole and then drew off to win The 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies by three and three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:41.65.  Balletto ran close to the pace the entire race but was racing in tight company through the lane and finished second as Runway Model steadied in the lane in traffic and lost all chance finishing third.  Sweet Catomine is two-year-old bay filly owned by Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Wygod, trained by Julio C. Canani and was ridden by Corey Nakatani.

Net Jets Breeders' Cup Mile

Grade I

$1,000,000 Guaranteed

For Three-Year-Olds and Upward

One Mile - Turf Course

Turf: Yielding 

Finish Wire:

Soaring Free led the field through the opening six panels in 1:12.71 as Special Ring and Domestic Dispute ran in second and third.  Through the turn and into the stretch Soaring Free was overtaken by Singletary, who had split horses and moved clear on the outside, and then took command in mid-stretch before holding off a closing Antonius Pius for the win in The 2004 Breeders' Cup Mile.  Antonius Pius checked late after lugging in and finished second as Six Perfections rallied late for third.  Singletary is a four-year-old bay colt owned by Little Red Feather Racing, trained by Donald Chatlos, Jr., and was ridden by David Flores.

Breeders' Cup Sprint

Grade I

$1,000,000 Guaranteed

For Thoroughbreds Three Years Old and Upward

Six Furlongs - Main Track

Track: Fast 

Finish Wire:

Abbondanza went right to the front after the break and drilled the opening half-mile is a torrid 43.47 while maintaining a one length lead over Gold Strom chasing the leader in second while Speightstown saved ground on the turn in third.  Entering the lane Speightstown cleared through an opening on the inside and edged clear at the eighth pole under right handed urging holding on for a one and one-quarter length win The 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint at the wire in a final time of 1:08.11.  Kela finished well after running far back early on and finished second while My Cousin Matt was up for third.  Speightstown is a six-year-old chestnut horse owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk, trained by Todd A. Petcher and was ridden by John Velazquez.

VO5 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Grade I

$1,000,000 Guaranteed

For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward

One and Three-Eighths Miles - Turf Course

Turf: Yielding

Finish Wire:

Moscow Burning led the field through the first eight furlongs in 1:42.36, a length and one-half in front of Film Maker who was tracking intently in second position.  Aubonne was in third but starting to weaken.  In the stretch Moscow Burning was desperate to maintain the lead as it shrunk to a head before finally being passed by the oncoming presence of Ouija Board and Film Maker in deep stretch.  Inside the eighth pole Ouija Board took command and accelerated nearing the wire winning The 2004 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf by one and one-half-lengths at the wire in a final time of 2:18.25.  Film Maker couldn't get to the winner but was second best as Wonder Again Finished well for third.  Ouija Board is a three-year-old bay filly owned by Lord Derby, trained by Edward Dunlop and was ridden by Kieren Fallon.

Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Grade I

$1,500,000 Guaranteed

For Two Year Old Colts and Geldings

One and One Sixteenth Miles - Main Track

Track: Fast

Finish Wire:

Sun King was on the lead at six furlongs getting the distance in 1:11.25 as Consolidator was pressing him a head behind in second while Afleet Alex stalked the leaders in third position.  Through the turn and into the stretch Afleet Alex was four wide but on the lead passing the quarter pole and took the lead to the sixteenth pole looking like the winner.  However, Wilko was moving quicker on the outside and finished gamely for a three-quarter-length victory in The 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in a final time of 1:42.09.  Afleet Alex ran a game second while Sun King finished third.  Wilko is a two-year-old chestnut colt owned by J. Paul Reddam, and Susan Roy, trained by Jeremy Noseda and was ridden by Lanfranco Dettori.

John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf

Grade I

$2,000,000 Guaranteed

For Thoroughbreds Three Years Old and Upward

One and One Half Miles - Turf Course

Turf: Yielding

Finish Wire:

Powerscourt took the lead from Star Over The Bay a mile and a quarter into the race traveling the distance in 2:04.15, two lengths in front of Magistretti in second and Kitten's Joy in third. In the stretch Powerscourt's lead diminished as Better Talk Now had moved five wide into the lane and charged to the front while slightly drifting in while Kitten's Joy was trying to move off the rail but ran out of running room and had to wait for Better Talk Now to clear before getting around Powerscourt.  At the wire Better Talk Now had moved clear to score the victory in The 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf by a length and three-quarters in a final time of 2:29.70.  Kitten's Joy finished second after the incident in mid-stretch while Powerscourt finished third.  Better Talk Now is five-year-old bay gelding trained by Bushwood Racing Partners, trained by H. Graham Motion and was ridden Ramon Dominguez.

Breeders' Cup Classic

Grade I

$4,000,000 Guaranteed

For Thoroughbreds Three Years Old and Upward

One and One Fourth Miles - Main Track

Track: Fast

Finish Wire:

Ghostzapper went to the lead and never looked back going wire to wire in winning The 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic by three widening lengths in a final time of 1:59.02.  Roses In May contested the leader for the opening mile but could not stay with and was clearly second best while Pleasantly Perfect got up for third.  Ghostzapper is a four-year-old bay colt owned by Stronach Stables, trained by Robert J. Frankel and was ridden by Javier Castellano.

Lone Star Park

October 30, 2004