The Breeders’ Cup has already proclaimed many winners since its first event in 1984. Since then, this annual event has become more significant in horse racing. To top it all off, it is a world championship that attracts international horse racers and fans and presents one of the richest horse racing events.
That being said, the competition is as fierce. Despite that, some horses managed to win the Breeders’ Cup several times. To walk you in, here are the top horses that made names in the history of the Breeders’ Cup and have won several races.
Tiznow
For the longest time, only one horse has won one of the Breeders’ Cup main shows, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, back-to-back, and it’s Tiznow. Tiznow is recognized as one of the strongest horses with a proper amount of class. During both of his Breeders’ Cup Classic races in 2000 and 2001, he faced several horses that came from Europe. One of the horses he surpassed was the Prix de l’Arc Triomphe winner, Europe’s best, Sakhee, in 2001.
For those who don’t know, breeders cup odds usually imply the favorites and longshots of the race, and Tiznow has a considerably good chance of winning the classic. However, people who witnessed the race and placed a bet on Tiznow described Sakhee as a threat and even considered that they might have been running for the second money.
However, Tiznow didn’t disappoint and easily outgamed this incredible opponent. Moreover, Tiznow was placed into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Goldikova
Although many remarkable horses have won many Breeders’ Cup races twice, only a single horse has made the incredible feat of winning three races. The Queen of Breeders’ Cup, the “three-peat” horse, Goldikova. Goldikova is a horse from France and ran in many races in the United States and England.
She’s the first mare who has given Europe its very first success. Aside from having her title in the Breeders’ Cup, she’s also the only Europe-trained horse that has won more than ten Group I races since the 1970s.
Also, her jockey, Olivier Peslier, described the mare as the type of horse possessing everything an athlete can have. She has the speed and can carry that speed for a long time. He even regarded himself lucky for riding such a splendid horse to her victory. Goldikova was the three times in-a-row winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile from 2008 to 2010.
Beholder
So far, in this list, horses that won several times in the same races were mentioned. On the other hand, Beholder is also a back-to-back winner of two different Breeders’ Cup races, namely the Distaff and the Juvenile Fillies. She previously won the Juvenile Fillies in 2012, the Distaff in 2013, and again in 2016.
Although Beholder was titled with her third win a few years later, she’s just the second horse to Goldikova in winning three races at the Breeders’ Cup. Beholder was supposed to run in 2014, but she got a fever that scratched her out of the game. In 2015, she couldn’t run again because of another illness.
So, rather than saying it’s unfortunate that she didn’t make a good Breeders’ Cup streak, it’s better to say that her win was simply delayed, and despite all that happened, her magnificence seems never to decrease.
Royal Delta
Another memorable repeat winner for the Distaff (formerly known as the Ladies’ Classic) is Royal Delta. She ran for the Distaff in 2011 and 2012 and won both races. Moreover, Royal Delta’s performance during her first Breeders’ Cup race in Dubai was something to be discussed.
She started slowly as fourth during the first half, but she preserved and ended the race with a reasonable rate of 1:50.78. Her then trainer, Bill Mott, said that her ability to catch up presents the filly’s ability. Royal Delta also carries herself with grace despite her lovely cruising speed. Mott also said that if you ask for more, she’ll definitely give it to you.
Knicks Go
One of the most recent Breeders’ Cup winners in this list is Knicks Go. He’s the sixth horse that has won two different Breeders’ Cup races and was named 2021 American Horse of the Year last year after winning five of his seven starts. To break it all down, Knicks Go was proclaimed the winner of the Dirt Mile in 2020 and the Classic in 2021.
His clean win during last year’s Classic performance made him more memorable. Many fans described the race as having an uncontested lead after Knicks Go charged out of the starting gate against last year’s top three-year-old horses, Medina Spirit, Essential Quality, and Hot Rod Charlie. Knicks Go was able to secure his win after running one and ¼ miles in 1:59.57.
Final Thoughts
Horses that run for the Breeders’ Cup are considered top of the top, and winning them not once but twice, even thrice, is one of the most amazing things a horse racer can achieve. After getting to know all the horses above and their splendid titles, you can continue to look forward to seeing more from other horses in future Breeders’ Cup races.
