Breeders’ Cup of a Lifetime

A Look Back On The 2015 Breeders’ Cup

By: Ciara Bowen

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships are always one of my favorite parts of the year – typically more so than the Triple Crown. Don’t get me wrong; the three-year-old series is extremely thrilling, especially this year, but there’s just something about seeing the top horses from all over the world come to the same track to contest each other. No other day will you see Tepin versus Golden Horn, or Gleneagles versus Honor Code. Despite the love I feel for the weekend of racing, though, I never really imagined that I would be able to attend the 31^st rendition.

When it was announced that Keeneland would host the 2015 Breeders’ Cup, I hoped to be able to purchase tickets, but I was hardly holding my breath. That was a good thing, too! The day tickets went on sale they were snatched up as fast as a person could blink, and there were practically none available by the time I was able to log onto the website.

Fast forward a few months and not only did we have our first Triple Crown winner in 37 years but I received the news that I would be able to attend his racing finale. The weeks approaching the end of October simultaneously dragged and flew by; by the time I arrived in Lexington last Wednesday, I felt like I had waited a year instead of just a month. I believe I’m not alone when I say that the wait was worth it.

After dinner and drinks with friends, Editor-in-Chief Claudia Ruiz and I were exhausted, but as we industry professionals know, during Breeders’ Cup, sleep is for the weak. There was work to do! I handicapped my race, the TwinSpires Sprint, so slowly that Zippy Chippy could have beaten me. Still, I managed to get a short nap in before Claudia was telling me that it was time to get up to go to the track.

For those of you who aren’t aware, before the time change, mornings in Kentucky are dark. There was practically no light until nearly 8am, which made for some fun shooting. At home in Arkansas it is light an hour earlier (thank you central time!), so I was especially confused. My frustration about the dark shifted to frustration about not seeing Beholder or American Pharoah on the track that morning, as both went to the training track, and my legs weren’t working fast enough that morning to get me down there in time. Still, there were plenty of Breeders’ Cup contenders out on the track, including some of my sentimental favorites such as Tapiture and Stonetastic.

After a short trip back to the hotel for another round of naps, Claudia and I woke to the news that Beholder had been scratched out of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. We were both in denial for a while, though the news was evidently worse for her than it was for me. As much as I wanted to see the showdown, I was also happy that I wouldn’t have to be disappointed by the loss of either horse against each other.

Friday dawned faster than expected, and I could practically taste the excitement in the air when we reached the track that afternoon. People all throughout the crowd were just genuinely happy to be there, smiling in every direction around us, and no wonder! Race Day thrilled the crowd before the Breeders’ Cup action started, and then came the big races so to speak. As much as we hated to miss some of the races, the EverythingEQ team headed down to Rice Road to spend some time by our favorite barn. We were rewarded with familiar faces in both horses and humans alike as American Pharoah strolled through the shed row with Bob Baffert and then Jimmy Barnes and Hopportunity came back from his nice second place effort to Race Day. We passed the Dirt Mile field as we walked to Rice Road and stopped to admire the handsome faces of the entrants; half an hour later we heard cheers erupting from where Todd Pletcher’s horses were stabled – the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile field was approaching the gate. We pulled the race up on TVG in time to watch the field break. As the race progressed, I grew more and more excited because we were finally getting to see a different sort of race from Liam’s Map. He overcame many difficulties in the Dirt Mile and even lucked out a little with Mr. Z finally learning how to run straight.

We made it back to the press room just a little before the Distaff, and as I made my way to the paddock to watch the field of speedy ladies, I couldn’t help but tip my imaginary hat to Keeneland. Granted, not as many people typically come to races on Fridays as Saturdays, but they were doing a pretty fantastic job from a fan perspective. It was crowded, but there was plenty of room to move, and the hospitality was fantastic.

I overheard many people saying that they hated the shuttling to the track, but I heard even more people saying that they actually liked it because it made everything easier for them. Instead of fighting for parking spots in Keeneland’s more limited lots, people could purchase tickets to park on The Hill or opt for tickets to take the shuttle from locations such as Rupp Arena and the Kentucky Horse Park. Personally, I appreciated being able to shuttle. It tacked a little extra time on the itinerary, but not having to worry about my vehicle was an added bonus throughout the day.

Saturday was the day I was especially thankful for the shuttle. I arrived at the track around 8:30am and set my stuff down in the pressroom before going outside to catch up with a couple of friends who were working in different capacities. Before I knew it, it was 9am, the gates opened, and in came the crowd. People all around me were literally running down to the rail like their lives depended on it. Thankfully, some friends of mine made it down there and secured a spot with the aid of few other nice people.

The day flew by from there. I was super pumped about all of the races, but mainly the Juvenile Fillies, the Sprint, and the Classic. The Juvenile Fillies featured Songbird and Rachel’s Valentina, the daughter of one of my favorite race horses, Rachel Alexandra. My best friend, Danica Cochran, is the biggest Rachel fan that I know and her excitement about the race made everything more enjoyable. I mean, how incredible is to see the second foal of your favorite horse in a Breeders’ Cup race in just their third start – She was thrilled!

I was glad to see Stephanie’s Kitten finally get her big win. She’s a spectacular mare and, seriously, who doesn’t love that face?! Following her race, I decided to run to the bathroom so that I wouldn’t have to move again before the Classic. I was surprised at the amount of people I saw as I headed inside the grandstand. There were a lot of them, and it was a little difficult to navigate, but it definitely didn’t feel overwhelming; and the bathroom line wasn’t bad at all. It was much worse at the Arkansas Derby.

I got through the line in time to get back to the rail for the Sprint, where we were all treated to Edgar Prado and Runhappy delivering a well-deserved win. Seeing the smile on Maria Borell’s face made me smile even more! I could not have been happier for either her or Edgar.

The rest of the afternoon flew by, and I swear that I could feel the anticipation in the crowd. Everyone was excited for American Pharoah to come out, and rightfully so. I’ve been so lucky this year in getting to see him so much, and he never fails to take my breath away. I was scared that the Triple Crown was a feat that wouldn’t be accomplished during my lifetime, but this handsome bay colt made it happen, and he definitely knows how special he is.

A video tribute to American Pharoah and his connections began playing in the downtime before the race, and my eyes prickled with tears. I didn’t want to cry at all, but I couldn’t help it; the horse of my lifetime was about to close out his racing career and the video made it real. After that, I tried to find other things to focus on, and one of the big topics was the lighting. It was getting darker, which makes for a difficult time getting pictures. I adjusted the settings on my camera and before I knew it, it was post time.

Victor was all smiles during the post parade. He and Pharoah both exuded confidence. I knew they had it in the bag then, and they hadn’t even neared the gate. There was just something about them. We all know how that turned out; they became the first Triple Crown winners to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic – the fourth leg of what is now known as thoroughbred racing’s Grand Slam.

Here’s to you for a job well done, Keeneland.
And here’s to you, American Pharoah, for the magic you’ve given to all of us.

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