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In the final race of his career Goldencents displayed courage that will be remembered for years to come in winning the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Friday, Oct. 31 at Santa Anita Park, becoming the first horse to repeat in the race. Goldencents seized the lead along the rail in the first turn but was hounded by the speedy Vicar's in Trouble through a half-mile in :44.80 seconds. Goldencents put that one away through six-furlongs in 1:09.27, but Grade 2 winner Tapiture had launched his move at that point. Tapiture steadily reeled in Goldencents and cut the lead in half at midstretch, but the tired Goldencents would dig in, angling in and out to hold off Tapiture by 1 ΒΌ lengths at the wire. W. C. Racing's Goldencents is the first horse to win two editions of the Dirt Mile since the race was added to Breeders' Cup in 2007. With the victory, the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief surpassed $3 million in career earnings. He will stand next season at the same home as his sire, Spendthrift Farm in Lexington. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, Goldencents completed the mile race in 1:35.16 on a fast track. He was followed home by Tapiture in second and Pants On Fire five lengths back in third. Goldencents returned $3.40 to win, $2.60 to place, and $2.10 to show while Tapiture returned $3.80 and $3. Pants On Fire returned $4 to show. Jockey Rafael Bejarano guided Goldencents to victory for a second straight year as the Southern California-based rider earned his fifth career Breeders' Cup victory. Winning trainer was Leandro Mora, assistant to Goldencents' suspended regular trainer Doug O'Neill. "When Tapiture started coming up, I started to sweat cold again, but then it was all over," said Mora of his first Breeders' Cup victory. "But I had so much confidence in this horse this whole week. He's been so kind, so great, so grateful to everything." Out of the Banker's Gold mare Golden Works, Goldencents was bred in Kentucky by Rosecrest Farm and Karyn Pirrello. Like last year Goldencents prepped for the Dirt Mile with a runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes, this year finishing a nose behind Rich Tapestry, who is scheduled to start in the Nov. 1 Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint. Last year Goldencents finished second in the three races before the Dirt Mile before rising to the occasion, and this year he finished second in three of his four efforts before the Dirt Mile. For a second straight year, Goldencents led the race through a sub :45 half-mile and delivered a clear victory. "Okay, well, first of all, it's guts. That's him," Mora said, noting that he maintains his breathing through fast races. "He's an old pro." While Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Tapiture couldn't get by a determined winner, the 3-year-old son of leading sire Tapit did earn the first grade I placing of his career. George and Lori Hall's Pants On Fire, a 6-year-old son of Jump Start, improved on his seventh-place finish in last year's Dirt Mile. Two-time Grade 2 winner Vicar's in Trouble was vanned off after the race after a left front injury that was characterized as minor by the on-call veterinarian.
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