Toast Of New York looks set to race next in the Dubai World Cup in March after pushing Bayern to within a nose in an epic Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita late Saturday night.
Both three-year-old colts were involved in a tussle that lasted the entire stretch of the Californian track and were only a neck clear of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome at the wire.
Toast Of New York won the UAE Derby at Meydan in March and trainer Jamie Osborne had stated before the race that should his charge perform with credit on his first competitive attempt on dirt, the world’s most valuable race would be next on the agenda.
In his post-race interview Osborne made it clear that the doubts about Toast Of New York’s ability to handle dirt were unfounded before owner Michael Buckley confirmed the World Cup was the ultimate target.
“This has brought me to tears,” Buckley told reporters.
“We can carry on dreaming, because the Dubai World Cup is only five months away, but he has got to get there in good shape.
“This is an amazing horse and is the toast of lots of things in my heart.”
Jamie Spencer rode Toast Of New York in Dubai and last night but announced in August that he was to retire from race riding at age 34. It was unclear after the race whether Toast Of New York’s latest run might reverse his decision.
The Classic was not without drama after the race, either. A stewards’ enquiry was called as Bayern broke poorly from the gates under Martin Garcia and shunted straight into Shared Belief, the unbeaten favourite who subsequently hampered Moreno. Shared Belief eventually finished fourth, while Moreno was last.
Jockey Mike Smith struggled to get a handle of Shared Belief in the first 200 metres and the 49-year-old rider was convinced that the episode had prevented him from winning a fourth Classic.
Understandably the Bayern camp refused to countenance that they were to blame.
“He broke pretty sharp so I was pretty sure I hadn’t bothered anybody,” was Garcia’s synopsis.
It was trainer Bob Baffert’s first win in the Classic from 13 previous attempts and the silver-haired handler found it difficult to get excited at landing America’s most lucrative contest while the stewards were deliberating his fate.
Baffert famously had to wait a seeming eternity to discover that Cavonnier had lost the 1996 Kentucky Derby to Grindstone by a nose in a photo finish. He was relieved at not having to suffer the same fate once again.
“I’m glad it is over and we won it,” he said. “It was missing from my resume.”
Baffert’s CV is one of the most distinguished in world racing. He has won the Dubai World Cup twice, the Kentucky Derby three times, the Preakness five times and the Belmont Stakes once.
He had suffered disappointment in the Classic for the past two seasons when Game On Dude was sent off favourite, only to finish 11th last season and seventh two years ago.
When Game On Dude ran in the Dubai World Cup in 2012 Baffert suffered a heart attack a few days beforehand but quickly recovered enough to post a video from his mobile phone of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attending him by his bedside.
“Drama seems to follow me everywhere I go,” he added. “I am so proud of this little guy, He ran an unbelievable race. I just hoped we might win this race without the drama.
“Once in a while we deserve one of these.”
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