Goldikova wins Breeders' Cup Mile

ARCADIA, California (AFP) - Goldikova swept to victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile for the second straight year Saturday to take her place among racing's greats.

Goldikova emulated the feat of Miesque, who captured back-to-back Mile crowns in 1987-88.

Her trainer Freddy Head had been aboard Miesque for those victories, and Goldikova's win here last year had already made the 62-year-old the first man to win a Breeders' Cup race as both a jockey and a trainer.

"She's very special," said Head, who insisted all week that Goldikova was as good as if not better than Miesque.

"It has been a long season and now to make this long trip in November.

"To have ridden a filly like Miesque is one thing to have trained one like Goldikova is another.

"She (Goldikova) is extraordinary and what a burst of speed she had!" added Head, son of legendary trainer Alec and brother of well respected trainer Criquette.

Courageous Cat, a 33-1 shot trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Garrett Gomez, was second, and Justenuffhumor, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and ridden by Alan Garcia, was third.

Peslier had to overcome Goldikova's unfavourable draw in the outside 11th post. She was second-to-last after a quarter of a mile as Gladiatorus set the early pace.

When Goldikova at last made her move, she powered to the front for the win.

"The draw wasn't a big help," Peslier said. "I didn't want to make a run until the last turn. I came wide because that was the only place to go. She's lovely.

"She won last year. She won this year. I'm glad for my owners that they have a filly like this."

Courageous Cat headed the field coming into the final straight.

"I thought we might win it," Mott said. "He looked like a winner. He ran a winning race. He's a 3-year-old colt that is a little tender experience-wise and he nearly beat last year's Breeder's Cup Mile champion."

Added Gomez: "He ran his eyeballs out. He kept digging, but the filly was just too good."

In the Juvenile, Vale of York gave Godolphin an upset triumph.

Under Ahmed Ajtebi, Vale of York came on strong in the final straight snatching the victory at the wire.

The Bob Baffert-trained Lookin At Lucky went off the favorite with Garrett Gomez aboard, but was hampered by the outside 13th post in the 1 1/16-mile race for two-year-old colts and geldings.

Noble's Promise, trained by Kenneth McPeek and ridden by Willie Martinez, was third.

"He ran a huge race," said victorious trainer Saeed Bin Suroor.

"I fancied the horse before the race. He was improving all the time. He ran a big race last time when he finished second in a Group 1 (Gran Criterium) in Italy."

With the win, Vale of York established himself as an early favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby, although only Street Sense has pulled off the Juvenile-Derby double since the Breeders' Cup began in 1984.

"Every time he's come for a race he's handled everything really well. He's a tough horse, and next year we'll bring him for the Kentucky Derb," said bin Suroor.

Gomez said Lookin At Lucky was bumped a couple of times around the first turn, but Ajtebi had no such problems.

"I had a very good trip," Ajtebi said after his first Breeders' Cup win. "The last time I rode this horse (in the Gran Criterium) about three weeks ago in Italy he was very unlucky. We were going to win, and he saw the crowd and he stopped himself. By the time I got him going, we got beat. He was unlucky to lose the time before that also. Today it all went well. When I shifted him out, he just went and he was strong enough at the finish to get it done."

Baffert, convinced of his horse's quality, was disappointed.

"He showed today what a good horse he is," Baffert said. "It?s just frustrating to know you have much the best horse and to come up short like that. I didn?t give him any chance at all at the half-mile pole. At least you know that you can look forward to the Derby."

Godolphin, led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, have never won the Kentucky Derby.

They fielded two entries this year, Regal Ransom and Desert Party, who finished eighth and 14th.

Vale of York's connections said the horse will to back to Dubai and likely race a couple of stakes races prior to the Kentucky Derby next May.

"We need to make it through the next stage first before we can make any firm commitments," said Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager. "But of all the 2-year-olds we have right now, he would be the one we're looking at Churchill Downs."