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Some great European horses have won the Breeders’ Cup Turf run at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
Enable created history last year. The 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf (2414m) at Santa Anita Park on Saturday will be another top race for stayers.
2019 BREEDERS' CUP TURF - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Grade 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for three year olds and up at Churchill Downs conducted by the Breeders' Cup Limited.
The Breeders' Cup Turf is run over a mile and a half (2414m) on turf. It was first run in 1984 and won by Lashkari.
The concept of the Breeders' Cup was inaugurated in 1984. It was an idea based around being a so-called World Championships and is moved around leading American race tracks on a rotational basis.
The Breeders' Cup has been held at many tracks since its inception in 1984. Hollywood Park, Aqueduct, Santa Anita Park, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, Belmont Park, Woodbine, Arlington Park, Lone Star Park, Monmouth Park, Keeneland and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have all held the meeting.
The Breeders' Cup Turf, like the other international features, is designed to see mainly the Europeans take on the locals. The issue of running on the anti-bleeding medication Lasix is always a factor. This race sees most European success.
The race record is held by Little Mike at Santa Anita Park at 2:22.83.
Races around the world that gain a horse automatic entry include the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (Argentina), the Grande Prêmio Brasil (Brazil), the Takarazuka Kinen (Japan), the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (England), the Arlington Million (USA), the Juddmonte International (England), the Del Mar Handicap (USA), the Sword Dancer Invitational (USA), the Grosser Preis von Baden (Germany), the Irish Champion Stakes (Ireland) or the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (USA).
The only multiple winners of the race are Conduit and High Chaparral, who dead heated second time around with Johar.
Enable became the first Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner to follow up with success at a Breeders' Cup fixture.
Frankie Dettori went past Ryan Moore with most wins with five just last year.
The trainer with most wins is Aidan O'Brien with six of them.
The Breeders' Cup Turf is worth US$4,000,000 in 2019. It is the second richest race on the Breeders' Cup weekend.
Some famous Breeders' Cup Turf winners include Pebbles (1985), In The Wings (1990), Pilsudki (1996), Daylami (1999), Kalanisi (2000), Fantastic Light (2001), High Chaparral (2002), High Chaparral/Johar (2003), Red Rocks (2006), Conduit (2008/2009), St Nicholas Abbey (2011), Found (2015), Highland Reel (2016), Talismanic (2017) and Enable (2018).
The 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf was won by Enable from Magical and Sadler's Joy.
