Vino Rosso storms to Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic victory at Santa Anita

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Vino Rosso came home first over four lengths clear of McKinzie in second and Higher Power in third, in doing so giving trainer Todd Pletcher his first success in the race.

When Joel Rosario sent market leader McKinzie past War Of Will as they motored out of the back stretch, it looked as though Bob Baffert’s decision to swap Mike Smith for last year’s winning rider might be an inspired choice.
However 26-year-old Puerto Rican Ortiz had charted a wide course in midfield on Vino Rosso, a position which ultimately would prove decisive.

When McKinzie slipped the field out of the back, Vino Rosso had most of five lengths to find but Ortiz had it covered. Gradually he guided Vino Rosso to make up the ground with some ease as they rounded the final bend.
Although the two horses battled things out initially on straightening up, Vino Rosso broke McKinzie’s spirit inside the final furlong. It was at this point McKinzie’s stamina failed him, leaving Vino Rosso to go clear for a resounding four-and-a-quarter length success. Higher Power took third, with the filly Elate in fourth.

Ortiz, who came into the meeting with two Breeders’ Cup wins to his name and completed a memorable treble on the card, said afterwards, “I’m blessed. Thank God for everything, for keeping me in one piece, keeping me healthy. I really work to do what I love to do, which is riding horses.”
After finally conquering the Classic, Pletcher said, “It was the one thing that was missing and it feels great.

“It’s not very often you come into race and feel a horse is just doing so well. We were on pins and needles all week as we felt he was sitting on a big race.”
Of the race, he added: “It was one of those times where pretty much the race unfolded exactly like we had all discussed beforehand. We were able to get the trip we had talked about trying to get. Irad was very confident coming in the paddock. We had a game plan in place. Mike [Repole] asked him, ‘Is there one particular horse you’re afraid of?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m just going to let my horse run his race’ – which he did.”

The second part of Ortiz’s treble came in the preceding race, the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, as Bricks And Mortar enhanced his claims for the American Horse of the Year accolade by sweeping to glory.

There was high hopes for Aidan O’Brien’s Anthony Van Dyck ridden by Ryan Moore but they had to settle for third behind outside United who took second.

Bricks And Mortar was trying 12 furlongs for a first time, but never looked like he would struggle for stamina and so it proved. He ran right through the line to extend his unbeaten run in 2019 to six, holding off the persistent challenge of United with a more authority than the winning margin otherwise suggests.

The prospects looked promising for the British contender Anthony Van Dyck but its run was checked badly at a crucial point in the straight. As Ryan Moore angled his Investec Derby-winning mount off the rail, he looked to manoeuvre through a gap between Bandua on his inner and United on his outer. However, the door was promptly shut, and his partner’s run was impeded just as the race was beginning to unfold.

At the time, Bricks And Mortar was in behind Anthony Van Dyck, but Ortiz swept wide on the Chad Brown-trained five-year-old with a decisive move to maximise the opportunity he was presented with. Anthony Van Dyck was a length and a quarter further back in third, and Aidan O’Brien indicated afterwards that the colt would remain in training next year. Bricks And Mortar, on the other hand, is off to stud in Japan.

As well as the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Breeders’ Cup Turf and also having won Friday’s Juvenile Turf Sprint on Four Wheel Drive, Ortiz landed the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Spun To Run. The winner enjoyed a comfortable success, coming in almost three lengths clear of race favourite Omaha Beach in second, with Blue Chipper a further length back in third.