Authentic on Saturday upstaged race favorite Tiz The Law to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, to give trainer Bob Baffert a record-extending fourth win in the US$6 million showcase.
In one of the deepest fields for this event in years, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez piloted Authentic to victory by a margin of two-and-a-half lengths in a race that was held in front of a mostly empty grandstand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authentic, who won the Kentucky Derby and finished runner-up at the Preakness Stakes, was in front by the first turn and never relinquished his lead as he pulled away during the final stretch.
Photo: AP
“We really were disappointed after the Preakness, I was sort of surprised, you know, but he’s a quirky horse,” said Baffert, who had a trio of entries in the race. “He’d been working unbelievable, they all were. I think Johnny really knows him well and once he got them in that rhythm, he’s just getting better and better.”
Improbable, also trained by Baffert, finished second, while Global Campaign was third in a field.
While Velazquez counts three Kentucky Derby wins among his five Triple Crown race wins, the victory marked the first time he triumphed in a Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“I’ve been chasing this race for quite awhile,” Velazquez said. “For me, it was just incredible. What a feeling. I don’t know what to say.”
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