Sierra Leone’s reputation was as a talented horse that never seemed to win. In his last four races he finished second twice and third twice. All that changed on Saturday when he charged to the front at the top of the stretch and won the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at the Del Mar Turf Club.
The 3-year-old colt beat the favored Fierceness, winner of the Travers Stakes, by 1½ lengths. Japanese horse Forever Young was third and Newgate finished fourth.
Sierra Leone broke 11th in the 14-horse field and hung around midpack until far turn when he started to make his move. He was third at the mile mark. He engaged with Fierceness entering the stretch but in the end his late speed was too much for the competition.
“For him to have this moment and to get over all the frustrations during the year [is unbelievable],” trainer Chad Brown said. [There were] races I went in there thinking I’m finally going to win the Derby or finally win the Travers with this horse but then to walk away and unsaddling him without the win. This really makes up for it.
“This is an unbelievable horse. Anyone could have trained him and he would have had a fine career because he’s just an outstanding-looking horse. He’s well bred and he makes your job easy.”
Sierra Leone paid $15.80 to win as the fourth choice.
Jockey Flavien Prat was riding the 3-year-old colt for the fourth time. The horse’s last win was on April 6 in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland with Tyler Gaffalione aboard.
All the talk going into the race was about City of Troy, winner of six of seven lifetime. The only problem is he primarily runs in England and only on the turf. The question was how he would do on the dirt in the 1 ¼ mile race. The answer was he finished eighth.
The Classic is the signature event of the two-day Breeders’ Cup and also the richest race in the United States. It was run in the middle of the card for the second year in a row so that NBC could switch to a college football game. The first 39 years it was run as the last Breeders’ Cup race.
The day took a tragic turn in the $5 million Turf when Jayarebe collapsed in the gallop out after the race. The preliminary reason, according to a track veterinarian, was sudden death likely a heart attack. He finished seventh in the race at odds of about 9-1.
It was the 15th death at the Breeders’ Cup in the event’s 41-year history. The last death was in 2021 in the Classic when Mongolian Gloom broke down at the top of the stretch.
Jayarebe is a 3-year-old colt that primarily races in Europe. It was his eighth lifetime race.
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Thorpedo Anna made her case for Horse of the Year with an easy win in the $2 million Distaff, for female horses going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. She broke on the lead and then coasted to a 2 ½-length win. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. took advantage of a slow pace to win in what amounted to little more than a paid workout.
The Distaff lost a lot of its firepower when Idiomatic, last year’s champion, scratched from the race. Thorpedo Anna has won six of her seven races this year. Her only loss was by a head to Fierceness in the Travers Stakes, where she ran against all male horses.
“She’s so special, makes it look so easy,” said trainer Kenny McPeek. “She really made our job easy all year long.
McPeek said the current plan is to bring her back year as a 4-year-old.
“We’ll put together a plan for that,” McPeek said. “I think she’s been so much fun and she’s healthy. We’ll probably let her visit Dr. [Larry] Bramlage [of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.] and poke on her a little bit, make sure everything is in good order before we firmly make that decision.”
One of the early surprises was in the $1 million Turf Sprint when heavy favorite Cogburn lost to Starlust ($69.20) in the five-furlong race. Cogburn had a 2 ½ length lead entering the stretch and then just ran out of gas. He finished sixth.
Starlust, who runs in England, was mostly overlooked having finished ninth, third and sixth in his last three races.
“I thought Cogburn at the top of the stretch had slipped me,” said jockey Rossa Ryan. “They couldn’t hold up the frenetic gallop we had.”
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The first Breeders’ Cup race of the day was the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint, a seven-furlong race, which was won by Soul of an Angel ($41.60). The 5-year-old mare has been campaigned heavily running in her 41st lifetime race. It was her sixth lifetime win.
He is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke.
Van Dyke, a staple in Southern California, took some time away from racing last year so Saturday’s win was a welcome shot in the arm.
“I personally felt I needed it,” Van Dyke said. “I’ve been going non-stop since I was 18. I lost my father at 18. I just kept going. I never took to really mourn and process everything. I took time off for myself.”
Rebel’s Romance ($5.80) won the $5 million Turf for trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick.
There were four other Breeders’ Cup races after the running of the Classic.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.