Frankie Dettori was at his brilliant best as he triumphed on Inspiral at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita.
The 52-year-old got up in the dying strides to edge out Ryan Moore on Warm Heart in the Filly & Mare Turf.
“He’s 52 and riding like a 32-year-old,” said John Gosden, who trains Inspiral with son Thady.
Master Of The Seas was another British-trained winner, and Auguste Rodin took the Breeders’ Cup Turf for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Auguste Rodin, given a brilliant ride up the rail by Moore, was adding to his victories in the English and Irish Derby as he won from Up To The Mark and Shahryar.
“He’s a super horse and it was a great ride,” said O’Brien after becoming the first trainer to win the same Breeders’ Cup race seven times.
Dettori, who will ride in the United States next year after a retirement U-turn, was unplaced on King Of Steel.
He had won on the horse owned by football advisor Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing in the Champion Stakes at Ascot a fortnight ago on his farewell to British racing.
Dettori claimed his 15th career Breeders’ Cup victory on Inspiral to cap a superb 2023 for the Italian rider.
“I retired for a week and then changed my mind – how can you beat this? It’s fabulous,” he said.
There was no fairytale for Epsom trainer Adam West as Live In The Dream led for a long way before finishing fourth behind winner Nobals in the Turf Sprint.
White Abarrio, ridden by Irad Ortiz, won the Breeders’ Cup Classic for trainer Rick Dutrow, who recently returned from a 10-year ban for medication violations.
It was a Godolphin one-two in the Breeders’ Cup Mile as Master Of The Seas just denied Mawj on the line.
Oisin Murphy looked to have sealed victory on Mawj, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, before Master Of The Seas came with a blistering late run under William Buick to take victory by a nose.
It was a third successive win in the race for trainer Charlie Appleby and among five European triumphs at the 2023 meeting, along with Big Evs, Unquestionable, Inspiral and Auguste Rodin.
There were emotional scenes as Cody’s Wish, a horse named after a boy with a rare genetic disorder, survived a stewards’ inquiry to win the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for the second year, running in his final race.
Cody Dorman, now aged 16, met the horse when he was only a foal and Cody’s Wish walked up and placed his head on the boy’s lap.
“I can’t talk and cry at the same time – how can you write something like that? How can you do that?” said Dorman’s father Kelly.
