BREEDER’S CUP : MILE : Series’ First Male Repeater : Trouble on the first turn can’t prevent well-traveled Lure from winning for the second year in a row.

Except for Arcangues’ upset victory in the Classic, all that kept California from a clean sweep of Breeders’ Cup X on its home court was Lure.

Fifty-three weeks after winning the $1-million Mile at Gulfstream Park, the 4-year-old Danzig colt became the first male repeat winner in Breeders’ Cup history with a 2 1/4-length victory over 18-1 shot Ski Paradise and 11 others. Miesque and Bayakoa also won two Breeders’ Cups.

To the surprise of no one, there was plenty of trouble in the Mile, which is to be expected with 13 horses running on the tight Santa Anita course. Ski Paradise, one of five Europeans making their first American starts, didn’t handle the first turn and bothered Flawlessly, Paradise Creek, Lech and Lure.

This led to plenty of excuses afterward, but the bottom line is that the best miler in the world added Santa Anita to the list of tracks where he has won. Besides Gulfstream Park, Lure has also won at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Pimlico, Saratoga and Belmont Park in the last year.

Lure, the 13-10 favorite, has won six of eight starts in 1993 and eight of 11 during his career on turf. He and Turf winner Kotashaan now appear to be the front-runners for horse-of-the-year honors.

Already wide going into the first turn because of his No. 12 post position, Lure was forced out because of the first-turn trouble, but was able to get to the lead before a half-mile had been run. In front by a length after six furlongs in 1:09 2/5, the Claiborne Farm’s colt extended his lead through the stretch under Mike Smith to win in 1:33 2/5.

Ski Paradise, who dropped back on the far turn, rallied to finish second, nearly two lengths in front of 74-1 shot Fourstars Allstar. Toussaud, who was victimized by traffic problems, was fourth, a head behind Fourstars Allstar.

“He’s just a very, very good horse,” trainer Shug McGaughey said of Lure. “He always does what he has to do. His record on grass is unbelievable and he runs fast every time he goes out there.

“He blew out well (over the turf course) on Thursday, so the course wasn’t a concern. People might not give him the credit he deserves, but he’s a fantastic horse.”

Kent Desormeaux, who went on to win his first Breeders’ Cup race later with Kotashaan, bemoaned his luck on Toussaud. The contrary filly had trouble against only four opponents in an allowance race two weeks before, so it had to be expected she wouldn’t find clear sailing in this field.

“She could have won,” said Desormeaux. “If we get through, she would have won. It was a very unlucky race for us. At the three-eighths pole, I had to wait on a horse and see what he was going to do before deciding what I could do. The horse was a half-length off the fence and took the path of two horses. I elected to go inside because it looked like the other horse was getting out, but as I did, he came back down, so I got shuffled back.”