After spending most of his career in the giant shadow of Fusaichi Pegasus, War Chant ran into the spotlight and the winner's circle on the first Saturday in November. With War Chant's compelling performance in the $1,071,720 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on the Churchill Downs turf course, Neil Drysdale will be remembered for one of the outstanding training feats in Breeders' Cup XVII despite the defeat of his Fusaichi Pegasus in the $4,690,000 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

The Mile was only the second race for War Chant since he finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on the first Saturday in May. He also was making only his second start on grass in a race that pitted him against 13 of the world's finest turf horses.

"This horse was hurt in the Derby," said Irving Cowan, who bred and owns War Chant with his wife, Marjorie. "He had a hairline fracture in the shoulder. I personally believe it happened in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). I had confidence in him (in the Kentucky Derby). When he never left the rail, I knew something was wrong.

"After the Derby and his injury, Neil said not to worry, that we'd have a start or two in the fall and then be in the Breeders' Cup.

"I asked: 'Isn't that ambitious?'

"Neil said, 'No, we'll train him up to the Breeders' Cup if we have to.

He'll run."

Not only did War Chant run, he ran the race of his life.

Drysdale chose to launch War Chant's comeback and introduce him to the turf in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes (G2) on October 14 at Santa Anita Park. He won by 1 1/4 lengths.

That triumph, combined with War Chant's excellent record and Drysdale's reputation as a trainer, was enough to persuade the betting public to make the colt the 3.50-to-1 favorite in the Mile.

'Ride him like the last time'

Gary Stevens, who had ridden the colt for the first time in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile, was back in the saddle.

War Chant drew the No. 11 post position, but Drysdale was not daunted when informed that only three previous Mile winners had started outside No. 8. "I prefer to be outside," he said. "The only danger is if someone blows the turn." In the paddock, Drysdale asked Stevens what his game plan was. "Ride him like the last time," answered Stevens, who chose not to use War Chant's trademark early speed in the race at Santa Anita and instead came from off the pace to win. "If we send him, I don't think we have a chance.

"I wanted to come away (from the starting gate) and settle in. The main thing was to be trouble free.

"I was further back than I wanted early in the race, but I had confidence he could run them down in the lane."

War Chant was 12th after a quarter-mile and the half-mile. He was ninth after three-quarters and was still there at the furlong pole.

Meanwhile, 42.30-to-1 longshot North East Bound was setting the pace, recording fractional times of :23.94, :47.93, and 1:11.42. "I thought when I got to the top of the stretch I had it won," said North East Bound's jockey, Jose Velez Jr. "I only hit my horse once and I thought I had plenty of horse left."

After making a six-wide move with War Chant, Stevens encountered traffic problems briefly at the head of the stretch. "I knew he was fast, but turning for home I didn't think he had a chance," admitted Cowan.

Stevens thought otherwise. With an eighth of a mile remaining, the jockey asked War Chant for his best, and the colt responded with a burst of acceleration.

It came down to a four-way fight to the finish line involving North East Bound, War Chant, the French invader Dansili (GB), and Affirmed Success.

Velazquez blames traffic jam

Dansili came out of the traffic jam at the top of the stretch, altered course to the inside, and closed tenaciously. "I had to wait and wait and wait," said jockey John Velazquez. "I didn't have anywhere to go. If I could have gotten out a little sooner I would have won."

Maybe yes. Maybe no.

The photo-finish camera declared War Chant the winner by a neck in the closing strides.

North East Bound salvaged second, finishing a nose ahead of Dansili, and it was another nose back to Affirmed Success in fourth.

Time of the race was 1:34.67.

"I'm truly elated," said Stevens after the eighth Breeders' Cup victory of his career. "I never pushed the button until we got to the furlong pole. Then he started flying. That last eighth-mile was unbelievable.

"I'm in shock just being here. The confidence shown in me by Neil says a lot and gave me a lot of confidence. This was a heck of an opportunity for me. I feel so fortunate. This was one of the most wonderful days of my life."

Stevens, who has won six Triple Crown races in addition to his eight Breeders' Cup victories, was alluding to his personal comeback that began October 4 on the opening day of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita. Plagued by knee problems, he had announced his retirement on December 26 after riding Desert Hero to a sixth-place finish in the Malibu Stakes (G1) on the opening day of the Santa Anita meeting.

Fortunately for Stevens, the Cowans' plans call for War Chant to continue his racing career next year.

This marked the second time the couple has gone to the winner's circle with Drysdale following a Breeders' Cup race. In 1993, their three-year-old filly Hollywood Wildcat nosed out Paseana (Arg) to win the Distaff (G1). Seven years later, Hollywood Wildcat still is having an impact on the Breeders' Cup, this time as the dam of War Chant. (Hollywood Wildcat is the second Distaff winner to produce a Breeders' Cup winner; the first was 1988 winner Personal Ensign, who produced 1995 Juvenile Fillies [G1] winner My Flag.)

War Chant a young three-year-old

The Kentucky-bred Mile winner was sired by Danzig, who has sired the winners of four other Breeders' Cup races-champion Chief's Crown in the 1984 Juvenile (G1), multiple champion Dance Smartly in the 1991 Distaff, and Lure in the Mile in both 1992 and '93. (Danzig is the leading Breeders' Cup sire in terms of races won with five. He is tied with Kris S., however, with four winners each.)

War Chant was a May 22 foal and, as Drysdale pointed out, "he actually was only a two-year-old when he ran in the Kentucky Derby."

"Circumstances somewhat forced our hand with War Chant," continued the Racing Hall of Fame trainer who has won six Breeders' Cup races in 21 attempts since the inception of the fall championship in 1984. "We had to give him some time off because he injured his shoulder. When we first started training him after the injury, I thought he'd come to hand much sooner than he did.

"When he turned the corner, it happened suddenly.

"Physically, he's starting to fill out. He's very athletic with a lovely turn of foot. He's also as good on the main course as he is on the turf." The Mile victory was the fifth in a seven-race career that began on November 28 when War Chant won a maiden race at Hollywood Park. He then won his next two races at Santa Anita, a January 16 allowance race and the San Rafael Stakes (G2), before finishing second behind The Deputy (Ire) in the Santa Anita Derby and ninth in the Kentucky Derby.

"It was like night and day," said Cowan, contrasting his emotional state on the first Saturday in November with his feelings on the first Saturday in May.

"Gary gave him a masterful ride, nothing short of brilliant," Cowan said. "And Neil did an incredible training job.

"We've signed a breeding agreement with Three Chimneys, but Marjorie and I are retaining a large portion. We're not about to retire War Chant. You'll see him next year, possibly longer. But you're going to have fun guessing where he will show up. You'll see him back on the dirt sometime.

"We're going to have a lot of fun with War Chant."