Invasor, 2005 Horse of the Year in Uruguay, upset even-money favorite Bernardini to win the $5 million Breeders Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old colt, owned by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stable and sent off at 7 to 2, was piloted by 18-year-old Fernando Jara, the youngest rider to ever win any division of a Breeders Cup Championship.
On a sad note, Pine Island, a favorite to win the Breeders Cup Distaff, broke down in the final turn and had to be euthanized. Fleet Indian, the slight public favorite over Pine Island, injured her ankle shortly after the start of the race and was taken off the track in an ambulance, but is expected to recover.
Javier Castellano, Pine Island’s rider, was thrown to the track when his filly went down, but he recovered to ride Bernardini an hour later.
“We were beaten by a better horse today,” said Tom Albertrani, who trains Bernardini for Sheikh Hamdan’s brother, Sheikh Mohammad of Dubai. “Invasor had more left at the end than we did.”
“It was a dream trip,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who watched Jara deftly maneuver Invasor from the 11-hole to settle three-wide, then advance 7-wide in the stretch and overtake Bernardini by a full length. McLaughlin and Jara had previously teamed to win the Belmont Stakes with Jazil, also owned by Sheikh Hamdan.
Invasor, an Argentine-bred sired by Candy Stripes, had spiked a fever following a win in the $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, last August. It was his last start before coming into the Classic, and there was concern among handicappers that without a more recent race, he might be under par. But McLaughlin felt his colt was coming into the big race in top form.
With the impressive win, his fourth in as many starts this year in the U.S., Invasor is in a good position to claim the Horse of the Year title.
In an ironic turn of events, Round Pond, who paid $29.80 to win the Distaff, was trained by Michael Matz and ridden by Edgar Prado, who won the Kentucky Derby with Barbaro. As Prado headed back up the track after his victory and spotted the ambulances for Castellano and Pine Island, he looked grim rather than jubilant.
Barbaro, who shattered his hind leg in the Preakness Stakes and required extensive reconstructive surgery with a less than favorable prognosis, is expected to have his cast removed next week, according to Matz.
Breeders Cup photo