Sports

Fort Larned fends off Mucho to capture the Cup’s grand prize

BRIAN HERNANDEZ
Big win on 27th birthday.

BRIAN HERNANDEZ
Big win on 27th birthday.

ARCADIA, Calif. — In another of the heart-pounding stretch duels that have been the hallmark of the Breeders’ Cup Classic since it was first run in 1984, the 4-year-old colt Fort Larned, dismissed at 9-1 in the field of 12, held off a gritty challenge from Mucho Macho Man to win the Grade 1, $5 million climax of the 29th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita by a half-length before a crowd of 55,123 yesterday.

Those two hooked up early as Fort Larned, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., emerged from a cavalry charge out of the gate to take the lead into the clubhouse turn, with Mucho Macho Man lapped outside him. Behind them, 6-5 favorite Game On Dude, expected to be on the early pace, was caught in traffic after a sluggish start, struggling to stay in contention.

Fort Larned edged to a daylight lead down the backside, then kicked to open a clear advantage around the far turn in a move reminiscent of the one that carried him to victory in the Aug. 4 Whitney Handicap, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge race.

“The horse came back to his Whitney form today,” said trainer Ian Wilkes, who credited the win to his former mentor, Hall-of-Famer Carl Nazfger, winner of the 1990 Classic with Unbridled. “That’s what we were looking for. This horse has always brought his ‘A’ game for us. When you got a horse that keeps getting better and better every time you take him over there, it makes my job easier.”

Mucho Macho Man — ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who owns a record 17 Breeders’ Cup wins — came after Fort Larned as they turned for home, and for a time it appeared he would reel him in. But in a long drive, as those two drew well clear of the rest of the field in the 1¹/‚„ -mile race, Fort Larned refused to let him pass. Flat Out finished another 6 1/2 lengths behind in third.

“Fort Larned gave me my greatest birthday present ever,” said Hernandez, who turned 27 yesterday. “I always had a lot of confidence in him. Ian told me, ‘Don’t take him out of his game.’ He has a good cruising speed and I just let him go.”

With a final time of 2:00.11 for the 1 1/4 miles, Fort Larned paid $20.80. The 1 exacta returned $62.60 for $1; the $1 trifecta paid $306.90. The pick 6 was hit for $419,245.

The victory likely earned Fort Larned, a homebred son of E Dubai owned by Janis Whitham, the Eclipse Award as champion older horse. In addition to the Whitney, he previously won the Skip Away and Cornhusker, and was third last out as the favorite in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“No one was worried about us coming off that race,” Wilkes said. “It’s always nice to play under the radar and not have the bull’s-eye on his back. That really helps.”

Game On Dude, who made a wide run after Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man around the far turn, flattened out to finish seventh.

“The first eighth of a mile cost him the race,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who was blanked in the Breeders’ Cup over his home track. “He wants to be right up there near the front, and when he wasn’t, that was it for him.”

Baffert’s assessment was in sharp contrast to the remarks of Game On Dude’s jockey, Rafael Bejarano.

“I got a good spot, right where I wanted to be, and he gave me his move,” he said. “Then all of a sudden, he was flat, totally out of gas.”