Little Mike takes Turf at big price
Little Mike sprung a 17-1 upset over some of the world's top distance grass runners on Saturday in the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Ramon Dominguez settled Little Mike behind the pace dictated by Turbo Compressor. Turning for home, Little Mike moved to the front, getting the jump on Point of Entry, the 2-1 favorite on a five-race winning streak, and St Nicholas Abbey, the defending Turf champion.
The winner of the Arlington Million, Little Mike ran the 1-1/2 miles in 2 minutes, 22.83 seconds. Little Mike held off Point of Entry by a half-length for his 12th win in 21 starts. A 5-year-old gelding, Little Mike made a strong case for a division title with the victory in the second richest of the 15 Breeders' Cup races.
Little Mike, the longest shot of the first 12 championships this year, paid $36.60 for a $2 win bet.
St Nicholas Abbey finished third.
Fort Larned, a 9-1 long shot, led all the way to win the Classic by a half-length, capping a weekend of upsets at the Breeders' Cup. READ MORE
Wise Dan beat Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, on Saturday by 1-1/2 lengths while setting a course record in the Mile. READ MORE
Trinniberg, the 17th-place finishers in the Kentucky Derby, sprang an upset in the Sprint at 13-1 odds. READ MORE
Undefeated Shanghai Bobby held off a late charge by He's Had Enough to win by a head in the Juvenile as Rosie Napravnik joined Julie Krone as the only female jockeys to win a Breeders' Cup race. READ MORE
Filly Mizdirection beat the boys by a half-length in the Turf Sprint off a six-month layoff, giving sports talk radio host and co-owner Jim Rome his first Breeders' Cup victory. READ MORE
Tapizar took advantage of an early stumble by Shackleford to pull off a 15-1 upset in the Dirt Mile. READ MORE
Groupie Doll, the 3-5 favorite, charged down the middle of the track to win the Filly & Mare Sprint, restoring some order to a Breeders' Cup dominated by long-shot winners. READ MORE
At 9-1, George Vancouver found a narrow opening in the lane and shot through to win the Juvenile Turf. The colt was hopelessly boxed until jockey Ryan Moore found a seam. READ MORE