The Breeders’ Cup is one of the standout events on the horse racing calendar, as
it pits the best runners from around the world against one another. It captures
the attention from around the globe, with runners traveling to the United States
from nations such as Japan, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
For that reason, there has been no shortage of standout moments at the event
throughout history, with some of the finest living long in the memory of the
majority of fans. You can find more information about this race here:
twinspires.com/breeders-cup
But, what are some of the most memorable Breeders’ Cup moments in history?
Enable Makes History
The top-level European runners at the Breeders’ Cup are often few and far
between, as the Breeders’ Cup Turf takes place fairly quickly after the richest
race on turf. However, few moments in the United States were as historic as
Enable landing victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf just weeks after scoring a
sensational victory in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The legendary mare would later add further Grade 1 victories in the forms of the
G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but her
2018 campaign remains one of the standout years in the history of racing.
Arcangeus’ Shock Classic Win
Every racing fans loves a huge upset, and there have been no shortage of shock
results in American racing in recent seasons. However, we are yet to see a bigger
upset in Breeders’ Cup history than Arcangeus’ win in the Classic in 1993. The
runner was proven back in France after landing the G1 Prix d’lspahan, Prix du
Prince d’Orange, and Prix Eugene Adam. However, few gave him a chance in the
United States on the dirt.
The Andre Fabre-trained runner was sent off at odds of 133/1 to land victory,
but he rallied on the home stretch to beat Bertrando by the narrowest of
margins. He would later remain in the States with Richard Mandella, winning the
John Henry Handicap on the turf, before finishing fifth in the Hollywood Gold
Cup.
Zenyatta Beats The Boys
We often see fillies and mares trying to take on their male counterparts with
limited success, but that was no issue throughout her career for the legendary
Zanyatta. In 2009, the John Shirreffs-trained runner would make history by
becoming the first mare to win the Classic. She was a dominant force on track
throughout her career, winning 17 consecutive graded races between 2008 and
2010.
Of those, 13 were at Grade 1 level. Aside from winning the Classic, Zenyatta
would also land the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic, and the Apple Blossom
Handicap on two occasions. She retired from the track after winning 19 of her 20
career starts, winning over $7.3 million in prize money.
American Pharoah Lands The Grand Slam
For many, American Pharoah is the best modern day race horse. The Bob Baffert-
trained was the 12 th Triple Crown winner in history, landing the Kentucky Derby
in May, before adding the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes later in the year.
The success saw him become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in
1978, and he would later achieve something that no other Triple Crown winner
has managed.
He was sent off as a short-priced favorite to land the Classic in 2015, as he
competed against older horses for the first time. American Pharoah was
dominant on track at Keeneland, as he stormed to a six and a half length victory
over his elders. He also completed the race in a track record time. The legendary
runner was retired soon after, having won nine of his eleven career starts, and
winning over $8.6 million in prize money.
