by Tom Law
Designed in the early 1980s by John Gaines to truly showcase racing’s best and particularly to reward breeders for their efforts, the first of two Breeders’ Cup World Championships programs on Friday at Santa Anita Park turned out to be a day for homebreds to shine in the spotlight.
Five of the six championship events were won by homebreds, including Life Is Sweet in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1). The lone winner on Friday’s card that was not owned by their breeder was Informed Decision, who is owned by prominent breeder George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable.
Life Is Sweet capped the big day for breeders and gave Martin and Pam Wygod their second Breeders’ Cup winner with a powerful closing run in the stretch to win the Ladies’ Classic under jockey Garrett Gomez. Bred in Kentucky, the four-year-old filly is by Storm Cat out of the Kris S. mare Sweet Life, who is also the dam of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and champion Sweet Catomine.
Susan Magnier’s, Derrick Smith’s, and Michael Tabor’s Man of Iron kicked off the day for the breeders with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. Bred in Kentucky in the name Shell Bloodstock, Man of Iron is a three-year-old by Giant’s Causeway out of Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister. Better Than Honour is the dam of champion and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Rags to Riches and Belmont Stakes winner Jazil.
The other homebred winners on the program were Tapitsfly (owned and bred by Frank Jones) in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, She Be Wild (Nancy Mazzoni) in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and Midday (GB) (Juddmonte Farms) in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1).
Tom Law is managing editor of Thoroughbred Times.