Goldencents goes out on top in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1)

Goldencents’ second consecutive victory in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Friday capped off a brilliant career for the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief, who will join his sire at Spendthrift Farm in 2015 to begin his stud career.

Goldencents’ effort in this year’s Mile typified his entire career. Gunned out of the gate under Rafael Bejarano, the W C Racing colorbearer got into a spirited speed duel with Vicar’s In Trouble, with the pair drawing off to an eight length lead after a sizzling half-mile in :44.80 seconds.

Vicar’s In Trouble began to fade at that point and by the time Goldencents hit the top of the stretch, he had a three-length lead. Tapiture made several runs at him in the stretch, but each time Goldencents responded, coming home a 1 ¼-length winner in 1:35.16, a time nearly identical to his victory in 2013.

“I knew I was going fast and I had to find a way to give him a little break from the three-eighths to the quarter-pole. I was able to do that,” said Bejarano. “When the other horse (Tapiture) started to come to me, I held onto him just a little bit before I turned him loose. When I turned him loose, he fired big.”

Goldencents finishes his career with a mark of 7-7-0 from 18 starts, earning $3,044,000. Besides his pair of Breeders’ Cup wins, he had victories in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Pat O’Brien S. (G2), Sham S. (G3), and Delta Jackpot S. (G3).

Goldencents retires as Into Mischief’s all-time leading earner and has lifted the stallion into the third spot on the 2014 Third-crop Sire list.