Bayern Wins Breeders' Cup After Controversial Rough Start

Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic started with a crash, as right out of the gate Bayern, with jockey Martin Garcia, veered left into Shared Belief. This caused Shared Belief to step out of his lane and into the path of two other horses. Unable to recover from the shake up off the break, Shared Belief finished the race in fourth, despite entering as a 5 to 2 favorite. Hall of Famer jockey Mike Smith rode Shared Belief in the loss, and commented on the incident, “I think it cost me the race. I was never able to get comfortable after getting hit at the break.”

Bayern’s trainer Bob Baffert, on the other hand, was elated by the tight victory. Down the final stretch Bayern held a small lead over Toast of New York, while Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome made a worrying push from the outside in third place. “It’s been so long waiting,” said Baffert after Bayern crossed the line a nose ahead of Toast of New York. “I was like, ‘Lord, you can’t take it away from me now.’ I couldn’t breathe the last twenty yards.”

Following the result, the track’s three stewards convened to discuss the incident at the gate to decide if any of the horses involved would need to be disqualified. One of the stewards, Scott Chaney, made a statement after speaking with the riders and judges which confirmed their unanimous decision that the rough riding did not affect the race’s outcome. Their reasoning was that because it happened early in the race the horses had time to run.

Bayern’s track record includes wins at the Haskell Invitational and the Pennsylvania Derby. After sitting out the Kentucky Derby, he finished ninth at the Preakness. The victory at the Breeders’ Cup puts Bayern in strong position to be voted Horse of the Year, and has probably pushed California Chrome out of contention.

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