The 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic

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The 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic

Winner: Tiznow

The 2000 Breeders’ Cup World Championships took place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on November 4. It was the 17th edition of the premier North American horse racing event and featured a number of exciting races and finishes. One of the highlights of the card was the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Heading into the race, Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus was tabbed as the pre-race Classic favorite at odds of 6-5. The sire of Mr. Prospector was having an excellent 2000 campaign, having won four of his five races, all of which were graded stakes contests, with his only loss a second-place finish in the Preakness Stakes.

However, it was Tiznow who stole the spotlight and the came away with the win. Ridden by Chris McCarron and trained by Jay Robbins, Tiznow would either lead or be in second for most of the race, dueling with Albert the Great for the lead. The duo set the pace with fractions of :23.52 and :47.55 after the first half-mile. Tiznow would take the lead and not give it back after a mile. He would cross the finish line in a winning time of 2:00.75, a neck ahead of Giant’s Causeway. Captain Steve finished third. Pre-race favorite Fusaichi Pegasus came in sixth.

Tiznow paid $20.40, $8.20, and $6.20 across the board for the win. Giant’s Causeway paid $7.80 and $5.20, with Captain Steve returning $7.40. The win earned Tiznow and his connections a payout of $2,438,800. His owners paid a $360,000 supplemental fee to get Tiznow entered into the race. Tiznow improved his record to five wins out of nine starts, and raised his career earnings total to $3,404,350.

For jockey McCarron, the win was his eighth career Breeders’ Cup victory and fourth Classic win. Like Tiznow, the win was trainer Robbins’ first Breeders Cup win.