Breeders’ Cup Champions Saturday Recap

The 2018 Breeders' Cup is in the books with some of the top horses in the world providing exceptional performances. Although Triple Crown winner Justify couldn't participate due to his retirement after the Belmont Stakes, two-time Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Enable did show up at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old filly provided the star power that the Breeders' Cup needed.

Enable wasn't the only star female horse that hit the grounds under the Twin Spires. Monomoy Girl entered into the Distaff to provide even more women power. The females ran lights out on Champions Saturday with Enable winning the Breeders' Cup Turf and Expert Eye winning the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Check out my recap of the 2018 Breeders' Cup.

Breeders’ Cup Champions Saturday Recap

Top Performance - Enable, Breeders' Cup Turf

She decimated a group of male runners and even though she was supposed to win after exiting the gate as the odds-on favorite, the fact that she won so easily had to impress. Enable won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as a 3-year-old filly. She repeated that performance this year.

Another female horse, Found, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe a year after winning the Breeders' Cup Turf. Enable's the first horse to win the Prix de l'Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year. Will she run in 2019? Her connections haven't decided. Hopefully, she will because although she only ran 3 times in 2018, she so thoroughly dominated her opponents in all 3 races that right now she's the best horse on either dirt or turf in the world.

Public Had It Right - Accelerate, Breeders' Cup Classic

If there was one horse that seemed destined to burn money on Saturday, it was Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Accelerate. The John Sadler trainee didn't look that great when winning the Awesome Again Stakes, his prep for the BC Classic. He didn't calm any nerves after drawing post-position 14. Some talented horses broke right to the inside of him and many felt Accelerate's chances of winning the Breeders' Cup Classic had ended before they began after he drew the far outside post.

But, Accelerate had no problems winning from post-position 14. In fact, he put a beating on his more heralded rivals, including dominating Catholic Boy, McKinzie, and West Coast. What's crazy is that up until the Classic, the favorites were McKinzie and Catholic Boy.

The public bet Accelerate down to favoritism and he responded by handing John Sadler his first Breeders' Cup victory. It doesn't look like he's headed for the breeding shed just yet, either. That's awesome news for racing fans.

The Chalk Award - Monomoy Girl, Breeders' Cup Distaff

Monomoy Girl ended up the 8/5 chalk to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She impressed mightily by defeating Beldame winner Wow Cat, the highest-rated older filly or mare in Abel Tasman, and turning the tables on rival Midnight Bisou who had beaten her in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx.

Monomoy Girl looked like a winner from the outset, settling about a length off front runner Wonder Gadot before taking over and pulling away. She was the likely key horse on most winning Pick 4 tickets. The Pick 4 and Pick 6 produced light payouts for the Breeders' Cup, but that's okay.

All it means is that the champions that showed up to run, ran like champions. Now we're on to the Triple Crown Season, which pretty much started as soon as Game Winner won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.