Breeders Cup Ladies Classic

The Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic features the top fillies and mares in the world doing battle going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

The race was known as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff from 1984 until 2007, when the name was changed to Ladies’ Classic.

Hall of fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has saddled the most Ladies’ Classic winners with four (1985, 1986, 1987, 2000), and his last was one of the biggest upsets in Breeders’ Cup history.

Riboletta was sent off as the heavy betting favorite in the 2000 running, but it was the Lukas trained Spain who stalked the early pace, came up the inside turning for home and surged clear inside the final furlong to win by 1 ½ lengths with Victor Espinoza in the irons.

Spain paid $113.80 for a $2 bet and topped a $2 exacta with Surfside that paid $664.60.

Bayakoa is the only two-time winner of the race, victorious in 1989 and 1990.

Mike Smith leads all jockeys with four wins in the Ladies’ Classic (1995, 1997, 2002, 2008).

Inside Information crushed the field in 1995 by a record 13 ½ lengths, but the race is known for thrilling finishes, including nose wins by Hollywood Wildcat (1993), Escena (1998), and perhaps the most exciting when Personal Ensign remained undefeated with a nose victory in 1988.

2010 Recap: Last year’s running of the Ladies’ Classic will be remembered not so much by who won, but who finished last.

Jockey John Velasquez told an ESPN audience that his mount Life At Ten was not warming up properly and was not herself, and the 7/2 second choice was eased in the early stages of the race.

That helped pave the way for the minor upset by Unrivaled Belle, who held off the late run of the betting favorite Blind Luck to win by 1 ¾ lengths and pay $17.00.

Blind Luck completed the $2 exacta that returned $54.80.

The winner was trained by hall of famer Bill Mott and ridden to victory by jockey Kent Desormeaux.

2010 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic Video: