2020 Breeders' Cup Classic

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic was the 37th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic, part of the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships program. It was run on November 7, 2020 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky with a purse of $6,000,000.

37th Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
LocationKeeneland
DateNovember 7, 2020 (2020-11-07)
Winning horseAuthentic
Winning time1:59.60[lower-alpha 1]
JockeyJohn Velazquez
TrainerBob Baffert
OwnerSpendthrift Farm, Myracehorse Stable Et Al
Conditionsfast[3]
SurfaceDirt
Attendance[lower-alpha 2]

The Classic is run on dirt at one mile and one-quarter (approximately 2000 m). It is run under weight-for-age conditions, with entrants carrying the following weights:

  • Northern Hemisphere three-year-olds: 122 lb
  • Southern Hemisphere three-year-olds: 117 lb
  • Four-year-olds and up: 126 lb
  • Any fillies or mares receive a 3 lb allowance

The race was broadcast on NBC.

Contenders

The Breeders' Cup Classic is open to up to 14 starters, with automatic berths for horses that win one of the designated "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge races. Other horses are ranked by their performances in graded stakes races and by the judgement of a panel of racing experts.[4]

Entries were taken on November 2. The leading contenders include:[5][6][7]

The filly Swiss Skydiver qualified for both the Classic and Distaff by winning the Preakness Stakes and Alabama Stakes respectively. But her connections decided to enter her in the Distaff.[5]

Race description

On a very fast track that appeared to favor front runners, Authentic went to the early lead, followed by Maximum Security. Tiz the Law also broke well but was taken back and was never a factor. Improbable broke to the inside, bumping into several horses to his inside. He then rated in midpack until the final turn, moving to within a length of Authentic as they entered the stretch. Authentic responded to the challenge and drew away down the stretch to win by 2 14 lengths. His time[lower-alpha 1] broke the track record set by American Pharoah in 2015.[1][3]

It was the fourth classic win for Authentic's trainer Bob Baffert, and the first for veteran jockey John Velazquez. Baffert had sharpened up Authentic's training after being defeated in the Preakness, telling Velazquez, "The horse you're riding this week is the horse that you rode in the Derby. You can ride him with confidence. You can be aggressive. You can do what you want. And he's just a really top horse."[8]

Authentic became the fourth Kentucky Derby winner to also take the Classic in their three-year-old campaign, after Sunday Silence in 1989, Unbridled in 1990, and American Pharoah in 2015.[1] Derby winners Ferdinand and Alysheba won the Classic in their four-year-old campaign.

Authentic broke the track record set by American Pharoah five years ago in the same race. The teletimer did not function properly so the race was hand-timed, initially in 1:59.16 based on the video and then in 1:59.60 using additional camera angles. Note that races in North America typically have a "run-up" between where the stating gate is placed until the official starting point at which the timer starts (50 feet in this case), which complicates hand timing.[2][3]

Results

Finish Program
Number
Horse Jockey Trainer Morning Line
Odds[5]
Final Odds Winnings Margin
19AuthenticJohn VelazquezBob Baffert9-54.20$3,120,000
28ImprobableIrad Ortiz Jr.Bob Baffert5-23.70$1,020,0002 14 lengths
37Global CampaignJavier CastellanoStanley Hough20-125.20$540,0003 14 lengths
41TacitusJose OrtizBill Mott20-121.20$300,0005 14 lengths
510Maximum SecurityLuis SaezBob Baffert7-24.40$180,0005 14 lengths
62Tiz the LawManuel FrancoBarclay Tagg3-13.20$120,0005 12 lengths
75Title ReadyCorey LanerieDallas Stewart30-166.40$60,00012 34 lengths
83By My StandardsGabriel SaezBret Calhoun10-116.30$60,00014 lengths
94Tom's d'EtatJoel RosarioAlbert Stall Jr.6-14.20$60,00015 34 lengths
106Higher PowerFlavien PratJohn Sadler20-143.40$60,00030 lengths

Times: 14 – 23.20; 12 – 46.84; 34 – 1:10.32; mile – 1:34.64; final – 1:59.60.[lower-alpha 1]
Splits for each quarter-mile: (23.20) (23.64) (23.48) (24.32) (24.96)

Source: Revised Equibase Chart[3]

Payout

Payout Schedule:[3]

Program
Number
Horse Win Place Show
9 Authentic $10.40 $5.40 $4.20
8 Improbable $4.80 $3.20
9 Global Campaign $8.80
Notes
  1. There was a timer malfunction and the race was hand timed by Equibase, originally in 1:59.19. Equibase revised the time to 1:59.60 after viewing additional sources from multiple angles. The time recorded by a different timing system, Trakus, was 1:59.82. In any event, Authentic set a new track record[1][2]
  2. The 2020 Classic did not have any paid attendance due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. Privman, Jay. "Breeders' Cup Classic: Authentic likely clinches Horse of the Year with victory". www.drf.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  2. "Authentic's Classic time changed, still track record". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. "Chart of the Breeders' Cup Classic". Equibase. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  4. "How It Works | Breeders' Cup". www.breederscup.com. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  5. "Breeders Cup Classic odds: Favorite, positions, horses, favorite, entries". NBC Sports. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  6. "Authentic Vaults To Fourth In Weekly Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings". Paulick Report. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  7. "Improbable Tops Final Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  8. "Authentic wires field to win Breeders' Cup Classic". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
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