ACCELERATE DELIVERS AS FAVORITE IN WINNING $6 MILLION BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

BC NOTES —-

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 3, 2018) – Hronis Racing’s Accelerate ($7.40) took command at the head of the stretch, turned back a bid from Thunder Snow at the three-sixteenths pole and then held off Gunnevera by a length to win the 35th running of the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) for 3-year-olds and up before a crowd of 70,423 to climax the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Trained by John Sadler and ridden by Joel Rosario, Accelerate covered the 1 ¼ miles in 2:02.93 over a fast main track.

The victory gave Sadler his first Breeders’ Cup triumph. “It was the ninth for Rosario and first in the Classic. It was the third victory of this year’s Championships for Rosario who won Friday’s Sentient Jet Juvenile on Game Winner and the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Juvenile Fillies on Jaywalk.

Accelerate is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Lookin At Lucky out of the Awesome Again mare Issues. It was the fourth consecutive Grade 1 victory for Accelerate who has compiled a 7-6-1-0 record in 2018.

Mendelssohn led the field of 14 through fractions of :22.68, :46.46 and 1:10.61 with McKinzie and West Coast stalking to his outside and Thunder Snow saving ground along the rail.

Rosario had Accelerate in the clear and approaching the far turn made his move at the leaders. At the head of the stretch, Accelerate swooped to the lead with Thunder Snow moving to second to mount a short-lived challenge.

Gunnevera closed late to get second by three-quarters of a length over Thunder Snow, who saved third place by a nose over Yoshida.

Race Quotes:

Winning trainer John Sadler (Accelerate) – “He ran a great race and Joel (Rosario) rode him perfectly. We were really thrilled. He did such a good job, kept him clear.
“We thought that post might be a bonus on the outside. He never got in trouble and never had anything in front of him. He just stayed a little wide and won the race.”

Winning jockey Joel Rosario (Accelerate) – “That was about as good as it gets That horse is simply unbelievable. I’m so happy for the owners and John. It was a great performance. He has so much heart.”

Second-place trainer Antonio Sano (Gunnevera) – “I’m so happy for this horse. He ran second and had lost a couple lengths at the start. They sandwiched my horse. Every time we are closer and closer to winning a Grade 1. He’s going to race in 2019 and will point to the Pegasus.”

Second-place jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Gunnevera) – “I had a good trip. I never had to check. I just got beat by a nice horse. My horse ran huge.”

Third-place trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Thunder Snow) – “He’s run a really big race. I’m very pleased with that. The winner is a very good horse. This race is special as it brings together the best horses in the world. We have better horses this year and we’ve had a better season. He could go to the Dubai World Cup again.”

Third-place jockey Christophe Soumillon (Thunder Snow) – “Great job. I was trying to stay in behind Ryan Moore and he ran on really well. It was a great ride.”

Fourth-place trainer Bill Mott (Yoshida) – “I thought he ran his butt of and ran a super race. The plan is, right now, to keep him in training (in 2019).”

Fourth-place jockey Jose Ortiz (Yoshida) — “I didn’t want to be as far back early as I was but I felt in the first quarter of a mile that they were running away from me. I felt like they were going very fast and I didn’t want to rush him too early. I saw Gunnevera inside of me and I used him as a target and he took me to the three-eighths pole. I thought I was going to win the race when I was in the clear at the quarter pole but then I saw Gunnevera came back and beat me. It took him a while to get going but when he did, he got rolling.”

Trainer Aiden O’Brien (Mendelssohn, fifth) – “He ran a great race so we’re delighted with him. We did our best, but weren’t quite good enough.”

Trainer Tom Amoss (Lone Sailor, sixth) – “I’m really proud of Lone Sailor’s performance today. He’s just a 3-year-old and that was a big, big effort. I’m very, very excited about his 4-year-old year. We’ll talk to the owner and make some decisions, but that was a big race for a young horse and I think he’s going to be a very good 4-year-old.”

Jockey James Graham (Lone Sailor, sixth) –– “He needed to break a little better. He gets to be a big baby in there sometimes too. He ran a good race. I was running late, just couldn’t get back to them.”

Trainer Bob Baffert (West Coast, seventh & McKenzie, 12th) – “They looked good for about a mile. They just tired and they just didn’t have it today. (McKinzie) is lightly raced and playing catch-up. I thought West Coast would run a little better than that. Accelerate is a good horse and he was the best horse.”

Jockey John Velazquez (West Coast, seventh) – “He was in perfect position and right where we thought he was going to be. When Accelerate went by me at the three-eighths pole, I had nothing. He didn’t stop but he didn’t run on.”

Trainer Uriah St. Lewis (Discreet Lover, eighth) – “It has been a great experience and I am happy we came.”

Jockey Manny Franco (Discreet Lover, eighth) – “I was riding him like he likes to be ridden – near the back. When I came to the half-mile pole, I was looking for something from him and he didn’t do anything.”

Mario Gutierrez (Pavel, 10th) – “He was looking good most of the race. At the quarter pole, the two Baffert horses just started stopping. I had to check big time and lost all my momentum. Until then the horse was with me all the way.”

Trainer Chad Summers (Mind Your Biscuits, 11th) – “It was not our day. Congrats to Joel, John Sadler and Accelerate.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Mind Your Biscuits, 11th) – “He had good position, but he had trouble getting his feet under him and he never picked it up.”

Jockey Mike Smith (McKenzie, 12th) – “I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know what happened. I was in great position, but when it came time to go, he wouldn’t go.”

Trainer Jonathan Thomas (Catholic Boy, 13th) – “It looks like we got eliminated at the start.”

Jockey Javier Castellano (Catholic Boy, 13th) – “I’m very disappointed. The break cost us the race and then we had to fight to get through. Down the backside, he just gave up.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy (Roaring Lion, 14th) – “He’s absolutely fine. The early part of the race didn’t quite work out for him and we were on the backfoot from then on. He now deserves a nice break before embarking on hopefully what will be a great stallion career.”

Cover Photo: Accelerate; Santa Anita Photo