Anniversary presents opportunity to look at best Breeders' Cup moments

One of the most emotional moments in racing history occurred when Personal Ensign overcame muddy track and Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors to get up in the final strides after looking hopelessly beaten in the stretch. With that win, champion Perfect Ensign became the first horse in 80 years to retire undefeated and sound, a perfect 13 for 13 for her career. See VIDEO of the win.

In a race that gave the new Breeders' Cup event instant drama and credibility, Wild Again won the first ever Breeders’ Cup Classic in a thrilling 3-horse photo over Gate Dancer and favorite Slew o’ Gold. See video of the win.

Defending Turf champion High Chaparral and upstart Johar recorded the first dead heat for victory in Breeders’ Cup history, hitting the wire just ahead of international star Falbrav. Stewards took more than 10 minutes to decide on the dead heat after examining the photo. For Johar, the win was the best race of his life. For High Chaparral, his second straight Turf triumph also earned him a second Eclipse Award as champion turf male. See video of the win.

In near darkness, Alysheba dispatched arguably the best Breeders’ Cup field of all time to seal Horse of the Year honors and retire as the then-richest racehorse of all time, moving ahead of the legendary John Henry. See video of the win.

Despite being written off after suffering three losses in his five previous starts that year, Tiznow became the first two-time winner of the Classic when he – for the second straight year – comes out on top of a narrow photo finish, this time defeating top European star Sakhee by a nose. See video of the win.

In the defining race of his career, champion Cigar drew off for a 2 ½ length win in a stakes record time of 1:58 2/5 to complete a perfect 10-for-10 season and cement Horse of the Year honors. See video of the win.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence defeated his Belmont Stakes conquerer Easy Goer by a neck in the fourth and final meeting of their careers to earn a 3-1 edge and end what was considered the best rivalry since Affirmed and Alydar. Sunday Silence went on to be named Horse of the Year. See video of the win.

In what announcer Tom Durkin called “the greatest comeback since Lazarus”, Da Hoss - winner of the 1996 Mile – edged out Hawksley Hill after a stretch drive to capture the race for a second time after having just one start in two years. See video of the win.

In a rare meeting, between two Kentucky Derby winners, 1986 winner Ferdinand withstood a furious rally from 1987 victor Alysheba to hold on by a nose and claim the Horse of the Year crown from his younger rival. Alysheba won the Classic one year later. See video of the win.

Ouija Board, one of the most accomplished racemares in history, dispatched a field that included Grade I winners Film Maker, Honey Ryder and Wait a While by 2 ¼-lengths to win her second Breeders’ Cup in three outings. That win helped cement Ouija Board’s second Eclipse Award for champion turf female and a rare second Cartier Award for European Horse of the Year. See video of the win.

The largest upset in Breeders’ Cup history takes place when French-based Arcangues stuns the field at odds of 133-to-1 by two lengths under Jerry Bailey, who only saw the horse for the first time when he got to the paddock. Arcangues had raced only on turf prior to the Breeders’ Cup and won only four of 15 starts. See video of the win.

The champion race mare Miesque became the first back-to-back Breeders’ Cup winner when she dominated males for the second consecutive year, winning by four lengths over Steinlen, who came back to win the race a year later. See video of the win.

Azeri capped off an undefeated campaign with a rousing five-length win en route to becoming just the third female since 1971 to be named Horse of the Year. Azeri would retire two years later as the richest North American-based female racehorse of all time. See video of the win.

Proving once again one can never count out the Phipps family on Breeders’ Cup day, its champion mare Inside Information defeated a star-studded field that included Heavenly Prize and Serena’s Song to win by a record 13 ½ lengths in her final career start. Inside Information was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. See video of the win.

With a perfect, rail-skimming trip from Calvin Borel, Street Sense picked his way through the field on his way to a record 10-length triumph and the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. Street Sense would go on to become the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner to win the Kentucky Derby the following season. See video of the win.

Singletary, a $3,200 purchase as yearling, pulled off a stunning upset when he defeated a field that included reigning Mile champion Six Perfections to earn the win for his small-time owners, a 13-member syndicate known as Little Red Feather Racing. See video of the win.

Flanders and stablemate Serena’s Song engaged in a duel for nearly the entire 1 1/16 miles with Flanders prevailing to give trainer D. Wayne Lukas a 1-2 finish in the race. Flanders pulled up lame after the race and was retired several months later. Serena's Song went on to be named champion 3-year-old filly the following year. See video of the win.

Favorite Trick dominated by 5 ½ lengths to cap off an undefeated season and become the first 2-year-old in 25 years to be named Horse of the Year. Favorite Trick would go off as the second choice in the Kentucky Derby the following year but finished eighth behind winner Real Quiet. See video of the win.

Safely Kept, second in the Sprint a year earlier, became the second filly to win the race after favorite Dayjur jumped his shadow just as he was pulling ahead during the stirring stretch duel, allowing the bay filly to best him by a neck. See video of the win.

In one of the best fields ever assembled in Breeders' Cup history, Awesome Again prevails over champion Silver Charm by three-quarters of a length to finish a perfect 6 for 6 on the year. Among those vanquished by Awesome Again that day included Belmont Stakes winners Touch Gold and Victory Gallop as well as Skip Away, winner of the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic. See video of the win.

Pleasantly Perfect outruns favored Medaglia d'Oro to give trainer Richard Mandella his fourth Breeders' Cup win of the day. Pleasantly Perfect would also go on to win the Dubai World Cup the following year to become, at the time, just the second horse to capture the Classic and the World Cup. See video of the win.

Go For Wand, a future Hall of Famer, stamped herself as one of the best 2-year-old fillies of the decade with her 2 ¾-length win that earned her divisional honors in Eclipse Award voting. Go For Wand would win seven of nine starts as a 3-year-old before fatally breaking down in the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. See video of the win.

Despite being taken wide on the first turn, Claiborne’s Lure recovered to set a hot pace and hold on down the lane to notch a 2 ¼ length win over Ski Paradise and defend his title in the Mile. Lure had won the race a year earlier by three lengths over Paradise Creek. See video of the win.

The lightly raced but brilliant Ghostzapper easily dismissed a field that included defending Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect and former Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide when he kicked home by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. Despite only making four starts that year, Ghostzapper was named Horse of the Year thanks to his spectacular Breeders’ Cup win. See video of the win.