Girl Power! Zenyatta, Goldikova Beat the Boys at Breeders' Cup

Goldikova, Santa Anita paddock, Breeders' Cup 2009

Although the majority of the filly and mare races were contested on Friday, Day One of the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championship, Saturday was clearly ladies' day at Santa Anita.

In a historic repeat victory, 4-year-old filly Goldikova won the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile over 10 male rivals. Ridden by Olivier Peslier for French trainer Freddie Head and owners Wertheimer and Frere, Goldikova rallied strongly to a half-length win over Courageous Cat.

Zenyatta, winner of the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic

In the marquee race, the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, history was made when Zenyatta prevailed in a much anticipated contest against some of the best male runners in the world. Pink and white "Zenyatta" signs flashed throughout the saddling paddock and stands, and were later waved from car windows by exuberant fans leaving the track at the end of the day.

You Go Girls!

Complete Breeders' Cup 2009 Race Results

Seasoned Handicapper Jimmy "The Hat" (far left) alongside a racing fan of a younger generation.

Breeders' Cup Marathon
1 - #9 Man of Iron (Murtagh) 14.80, 7.20, 4.40
2 - #4 Cloudy's Knight (Homeister Jr.) 7.40, 4.60
3 - #6 Mastery (GB) (Dettori) 2.40
4 - #10 Gangbuster
5 - #2 Muhannak (IRE)
6 - #5 Father Time (GB)
7 - #8 Eldaafer
8 - #3 Nite Light
9 - #1 Black Astor
10 - #7 Sir Dave

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
1 - #10 Tapitsfly (Albarado) 21.60, 8.60, 6.00
2 - #4 Rose Catherine (Castellano) 6.80, 5.80
3 - #7 House of Grace (Luzzi) 5.00
4 - #9 Hatheer
5 - #6 Jungle Tale
6 - #5 La Nez
7 - #1 Potosina
8 - #8 Lillie Langtry (IRE)
9 - #3 Smart Seattle
10 - #12 Lisa's Kitten
11 - #2 Elusive Galaxy (IRE)
12 - #11 Junia Tepzia (IRE)
(Scratched: Dad's Crazy, In the Slips)

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
1 - #8 She Be Wild (Leparoux) 16.80, 9.00, 5.00
2 - #4 Beautician (Albarado) 9.40, 6.00
3 - #3 Blind Luck (T. Baze) 3.00
4 - #12 Biofuel
5 - #11 Always a Princess
6 - #10 Negligee
7 - #1 Zilva
8 - #6 Connie and Michael
9 - #2 Ms Vanenzza
10 - #5 Bickersons
11 - #7 Devil May Care
12 - #9 Champagne d'Oro

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf
1 - #6 Midday (GB) (Queally) 6.60, 4.80, 3.00
2 - #5 Pure Clan (G. Gomez) 7.80, 4.00
3 - #2 Forever Together (Leparoux) 2.40
4 - #1 Visit
5 - #4 Magical Fantasy
6 - #8 Maram
7 - #3 Rutherienne
8 - #7 Dynaforce

Conduit and Sir Michael Stoute, Breeders' Cup 2009

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
1 - #7 Informed Decision (Leparoux) 8.80, 3.00, 2.80
2 - #9 Ventura (G. Gomez) 2.60, 2.20
3 - #1 Free Flying Soul (Smith) 7.40
4 - #2 Sara Louise
5 - #4 Only Green (IRE)
6 - #5 Silver Swallow
7 - #6 Evita Argentina
8 - #8 Seventh Street
9 - #3 Game Face

Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic
1 - #2 Life Is Sweet (G. Gomez) 18.20, 8.00, 5.00
2 - #3 Mushka (Desormeaux) 12.80, 6.40
3 - #7 Music Note (Maragh) 3.20
4 - #5 Proviso (GB)
5 - #8 Rainbow View
6 - #6 Cocoa Beach (CHI)
7 - #4 Lethal Heat
8 - #1 Careless Jewel

Bob Baffert in the paddock, Breeders' Cup 2009

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
1 - #4 Pounced (Dettori) 6.80, 4.80, 3.20
2 - #7 Bridgetown (Landry) 6.60, 4.20
3 - #11 Interactif (Desormeaux) 3.20
4 - #6 Awesome Act
5 - #12 Buzzword (GB)
6 - #13 Dean's Kitten
7 - #5 Gallant Gent
8 - #2 Viscount Nelson
9 - #10 Becky's Kitten
10 - #8 King Ledley
11 - #1 Zip Quik
12 - #3 Codoy
(Scratched: Kera's Kitten, Summer Movie)

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
1 - #3 California Flag (Talamo) 8.80, 5.60, 3.80
2 - #7 Gotta Have Her (T. Baze) 8.80, 5.60
3 - #6 Cannonball (Dominguez) 4.80
4 - #14 Delta Storm
5 - #10 Canadian Ballet
6 - #2 Silver Timber
7 - #1 Noble Court
8 - #11 El Gato Malo
9 - #5 Get Funky
10 - #8 Square Eddie
11 - #9 Diamondrella (GB)
12 - #4 Lord Shanakill
13 - #13 Desert Code
14 - #12 Strike the Deal
(Scratched: Tenga Cat, Cherokee Heaven)

Breeders' Cup Sprint
1 - #6 Dancing in Silks (Rosario) 52.60, 19.20, 12.00
2 - #4 Crown of Thorns (Bejarano) 13.20, 8.60
3 - #2 Cost of Freedom (T. Baze) 9.20
4 - #5 Gayego
5 - #1 Zensational
6 - #3 Fatal Bullet
7 - #9 Fleeting Spirit (IRE)
8 - #8 Capt. Candyman Can
9 - #7 Join in the Dance

Breeders' Cup Juvenile
1 - #7 Vale of York (IRE) (Ajtebi) 63.20, 24.40, 12.40
2 - #13 Lookin At Lucky (G. Gomez) 4.40, 3.00
3 - #4 Noble's Promise (Martinez) 4.60
4 - #2 Piscitelli
5 - #9 Aikenite
6 - #3 Beethoven (IRE)
7 - #11 Radiohead (GB)
8 - #12 William's Kitten
9 - #8 Eskendereva
10 - #1 Alfred Nobel (IRE)
11 - #6 Pulsion
12 - #10 Aspire
13 - #5 D'Funnybone

Red Rocks (IRE) in the paddock, Breeders' Cup 2009

Breeders' Cup Mile
1 - #11 Goldikova (IRE) (Peslier) 4.80, 4.00, 2.60
2 - #6 Courageous Cat (G. Gomez) 12.80, 8.00
3 - #10 Justenuffhumor (A. Garcia) 8.00
4 - #1 Court Vision
5 - #4 Delegator (GB)
6 - #5 Karelian
7 - #7 Ferneley (IRE)
8 - #2 Whatsthescript (IRE)
9 - #9 Gladiatorus
10 - #3 Cowboy Cal
11 - #8 Zacinto (GB)

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
1 - #2 Furthest Land (Leparoux) 44.60, 18.40, 9.60
2 - #10 Ready's Echo (Borel) 18.20, 9.40
3 - #3 Midshipman (G. Gomez) 4.20
4 - #1 Mastercraftsman (IRE)
5 - #6 Mambo Meister
6 - #5 Neko Bay
7 - #8 Mr. Sidney
8 - #9 Chocolate Candy
9 - #4 Bullsbay
10 - #7 Pyro

Breeders' Cup Turf
1 - #2 Conduit (IRE) (R. Moore) 3.80, 3.00, 2.20
2 - #6 Presious Passion (Trujillo) 5.00, 3.80
3 - #5 Dar Re Mi (GB) (Dettori) 3.00
4 - #7 Spanish Moon
5 - #3 Red Rocks (IRE)
6 - #8 Monzante
7 - #1 Telling
(Scratched: Allegre)

Spanish Moon in the paddock, Breeders' Cup 2009

Breeders' Cup Classic
1 - #4 Zenyatta (Smith) 7.60, 5.60, 3.80
2 - #7 Gio Ponti (Dominguez) 9.20, 6.60
3 - #5 Twice Over (GB) (Queally) 7.00
4 - #3 Summer Bird
5 - #2 Colonel John
6 - #6 Richard's Kid
7 - #13 Awesome Gem
8 - #11 Regal Ransom
9 - #1 Mine That Bird
10 - #10 Rip Van Winkle (IRE)
11 - #8 Einstein (BRZ)
12 - #9 Girolamo
(Scratched: Quality Road)

Breeders' Cup 2009 Day One And Tweeters Cup

Laffit Pincay Jr. and Art Wilson of the Los Angeles Times

Breeders' Cup 2009 Day One is in the record books, and what a day it was! Attendance showed a considerable increase over the corresponding day last year -- also at Oak Tree, which hosted the event for a second consecutive year -- with 37,651 on track, compared to 31,257 last year. Mutuel handle was $7.1 million on track, up 4%, and total handle was $48.4 million, up 1% from last year.

Trainer John Shirreffs saddled the Ladies' Classic winner for the second straight year with Life Is Sweet; in last year's running he saddled Zenyatta, who runs in the $5 million Classic against males tomorrow.

The highlight of my day was the inaugural Tweeters Cup, an event that brought together Twitter users, bloggers and social networking fans of horseracing, marking the first time a "tweet-up" has been held onsite during a Breeders' Cup Championship event. It was a fabulous social gathering for horseracing fans who are active on Twitter, who were treated to various presentations throughout the day on horse racing content.

Tweeters Frank Corigliano, Kevin Stafford (NTRA) and Gene Kershner (NTRA)

In a "Betting the Breeders' Cup Handicapping" session, Joe Drape of the New York Times, Ed DeRosa of the Thoroughbred Times and Tom Quigley of Horseplayer Magazine were featured speakers. Participants also heard Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. discuss his all-time favorites of racing and picks for Breeders' Cup with Art Wilson of the Los Angeles Times.

Julie Stewart, Breeders' Cup Tweet Up 2009

The best part of it all for this blogger/twitterer was the opportunity to meet and greet some of the people behind the Twitter handles I'm so familiar with. It was super to meet up with fellow tweeters Joe Drape, Gene Kershner and Kevin Stafford of the NTRA blogs, Jonathan Pollinger from Cheltenham, Chris Hernandez , Julie Stewart, and Sally Cruikshank.

Jason Howarth and Jenna Browning of Conover Tuttle Pace

Well done everyone! And many, many thanks go to the extraordinary on-site event organizers, Jason Howarth and Jenna Browning of Conover Tuttle Pace, whose warmth, enthusiasm and energy made the day a success. This is just the type of event horseracing needs to encourage the tech-savvy fans in the trenches to do what they do best to promote our great sport. Together we can spread the word about the greatest game!