It’s Reign for Spain as 55-1 Shot

While Tiznow’s owners profited handsomely from their $360,000 supplementary investment in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a $400,000 payment to make Riboletta eligible in the $2-million Distaff went up in smoke Saturday as the Brazilian-bred mare’s seven-race winning streak on dirt ended with a sluggish seventh-place finish.

Riboletta might have won the horse-of-the-year title with a win, but she never threatened as trainer Wayne Lukas ran 1-2 with the 55-1 shot Spain, and Surfside, who was beaten by 1 1/2 lengths.

Beautiful Pleasure, winner of last year’s Distaff, also ran a poor race, finishing sixth.

Eduardo Inda, Riboletta’s trainer, and the 5-year-old’s owner, Aaron Jones, both complained about the hard Churchill Downs dirt track that produced fast times all day.

“The track was like a highway,” Inda said. “It wasn’t like this the rest of the week.”

Jones and Inda hurried off the track after the race, anxious to check out Riboletta at the barn.

“I was very surprised the way she ran,” Jones said. “I didn’t think she broke very well. The track was very hard, but I don’t want to make excuses.”

In a nine-horse field, Riboletta raced wide and was never closer than fourth. She was beaten by 8 3/4 lengths, losing on dirt for the first time since Feb. 13 at Santa Anita.

“She never tried to run,” jockey Chris McCarron said. “At no time was she on the bridle. She usually pulls me out of the saddle. I’m even more shocked than the fans. I’ve felt the power in her all year, but it just wasn’t there today.”

Spain was Lukas’ 16th Breeders’ Cup winner, adding to his record. Owned by Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corp., Spain was ridden by Victor Espinoza, who registered his first Breeders’ Cup win. Spain went into Saturday with three wins in 10 starts this year.

“Both of my fillies trained well all week,” Lukas said. “We thought we brought over two wonderful fillies. When I saw those two white bridles together at the top of the stretch, I knew we were going to win.”

After spending the entire year in California, Riboletta went to Belmont Park for convincing wins in the Ruffian Handicap and Beldame Stakes.

“I still thought she was vulnerable,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who trained Riboletta before Jones sent her to Inda early this year. “The two races in New York were around one turn, and sometimes there’s a difference when a horse tries two turns. Look at Chilukki. She’s a great horse at one turn, but not as effective when you run her around two.”

Chilukki told the public what kind of track the horses would face when she won the Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap, the first race on the card. Her time for the mile was 1:33 2/5, which broke the track record by two-fifths of a second. Baffert’s horses were blanked in the Breeders’ Cup races.

Spain paid $113.80, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 3/5. Heritage Of Gold finished third, beaten by three lengths.