American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic in Lexington on Saturday.

AFP/Los Angeles

American Pharoah, who electrified US racing with his run to the first Triple Crown sweep in 37 years, capped his career with an emphatic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in Kentucky on Saturday.
Before a frenzied crowd at Keeneland, in Lexington, Kentucky, American Pharoah set the pace in the $5 million classic and pulled away in the final straight to beat Effinex by 6 ½ lengths.
It was the ninth win in 11 career starts for the three-year-old colt—a record that included the first sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes since Affirmed achieved the treble in 1978.
“What can I say? What a horse!” said owner Ahmed Zayat. “He is a once-in-a-lifetime horse. This race was only about American Pharoah and we wanted him to go out a winner.
“It was so emotional. I didn’t even see the final eighth (of a mile) because I had my eyes closed the whole time.”
After piloting American Pharoah to one last win, jockey Victor Espinoza said he was happy to see the horse heading into retirement.
“He’s run so many times this year and I think it’s time for him to step out and have a nice life,” Espinoza said.
The two-day, 13-race thoroughbred extravaganza provided no fairytale ending for European superstar Golden Horn.
Found, the filly trained by Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien denied Golden Horn in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf to spoil the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner’s swansong.
Golden Horn was the star of a strong European contingent, coming off victories at the Epsom Derby and Eclipse Stakes as well as the Arc.
But trainer John Gosden worried the loose, sand-based turf course at Keeneland wouldn’t suit him and he was right.
Although Golden Horn was the first to get past early pace-setter Shining Copper in the 1 ½-mile race, jockey Ryan Moore had Found perfectly positioned and the filly came out on top in a dramatic stretch duel.
With the win Found turned the tables on Golden Horn after finishing runner up to him at the Irish Champion Stakes and at Ascot on Champions Day.
“She really deserved this,” said Moore.
Gosden was relieved that the race produced a European one-two, after stunning disappointment for the trans-Atlantic raiders in the $2 million Mile.
Four-year-old filly Tepin, trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Julien Leparoux, seized the win over Mondialiste and Grand Arch as a string of talented European turf runners—including defending Mile champion Karakontie, French hopes Esoterique and Make Believe and the Roger Charlton-trained Time Test failed to produce.
Fame Game seeks Japanese win in Melbourne Cup
Melbourne, AFP: Pre-post favourite Fame Game will bid to emulate Delta Blues and become the second Japanese horse to win Australia’s greatest race the Melbourne Cup at Flemington tomorrow.
The Yoshitada Munakata-trained six-year-old, to be ridden by Zac Purton, impressed with a fast-finishing sixth in the Caulfield Cup lead-up race a fortnight ago and appears suited to the extra 800 metres (half-mile) and long finishing straight of the 3200m (two mile) Melbourne Cup.  
Delta Blues, trained by Katsuhiko Sumii and ridden by Yasunari Iwata, beat stablemate Pop Rock by a nose in the 2006 race to further globalise the 154-year-old Melbourne Cup.
Ireland’s Vintage Crop became the first overseas-trained runner to win the Melbourne Cup in 1993 and in recent years international horses have dominated the race, with Germany’s Protectionist winning last year’s event.
Fame Game, drawn well in 12, is aiming to join that select group in Tuesday’s Aus$6.2 million ($4.4 million) two-miler.
Trainer Munakata believes Fame Game will be better suited over the longer stretches of Flemington to emphasise his staying ability.
“Hopefully, he runs up to expectations,” Munakata said through an interpreter. “He will be ridden similar to Caulfield—perhaps a little closer.
“I think he will be better suited over the longer distance of the Melbourne Cup. It’s been a nice, smooth preparation all the way through.”
Japan will have another runner in the Cup field with Hokko Brave, trained by Yasutoshi Matsunaga and to be ridden by local hoop Craig Williams, but is not helped by the wide 20 starting gate.
It was a Japanese tragedy in last year’s race when favourite Admire Rakti collapsed and died in his stall after finishing last, while another runner Araldo was put down after injuring himself. The second favourite Trip To Paris, trained by Englishman Ed Dunlop, gets his chance from gate 14 and won this year’s Group I Ascot Gold Cup (4000m).
Dunlop’s second runner is Red Cadeaux, who has been a three-time runner-up in the Melbourne Cup and has a big following among Australian racegoers.
“It surprises me what a long price Red Cadeaux is,” Dunlop said. “I know he never wins but he normally runs pretty well and if the boys are right he’ll run well again.”
Irishman Aidan O’Brien has two runners, Bondi Beach and Kingfisher, while the global Godolphin stable will look to finally break through.