By Richard Rosenblatt
The Associated Press

Volponi, ridden by Jose Santos, drives to a six-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Arlington Park on Saturday. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Volponi means sly old fox in Italian. In the Breeders' Cup Classic, it meant upset. Sent off as the longest shot (43-1) in the star-studded field of 12, Volponi found room along the rail and blew past the fading Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem and beat Medaglia d'Oro by 6½ lengths in the $4 million race on Saturday.

"I'm not surprised at all," winning jockey Jose Santos said, referring to the second biggest upset in the history of the Classic, the most heralded of the eight races at the World Thoroughbred Championships. "As soon as I called on him, he came running when War Emblem left the hole open."

As for War Emblem, his career closed with a thud before 46,118 fans on a cold and cloudy day at Arlington Park. The speedy black colt briefly took the lead around the far turn, but had nothing left in the stretch. He heads to Japan to stand stud having lost three of his last four races.

"I'm just grateful I had him," trainer Bob Baffert said, "and he peaked for me at the right time."

War Emblem started and ended his career at this track. In between, there was a run at the Triple Crown, which ended badly at Belmont when the horse stumbled at the start.

Volponi, named for turf writer Paul Volponi, had run four straight races on the turf before owner and Hall of Fame trainer Phil Johnson moved him back to the dirt for a second-place finish in the Meadowlands Cup on Oct. 4.

"I think he's a natural 1¼-mile horse and he runs just as well on the dirt as on the turf," said the 77-year-old Johnson, who will celebrate his 57th wedding anniversary on Sunday. "He's a nice horse. That makes it easy."

What's not easy is picking the Horse of the Year.

With War Emblem's poor finish and Medaglia d'Oro falling short after impressive wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes, the champion could be the 4-year-old filly Azeri.

In the $2 million Distaff, Azeri staked her claim to racing's top award with a wire-to-wire victory. The filly, who finished five lengths ahead of Farda Amiga, won her seventh straight and has 10 victories in 11 career starts.

"She's never been in danger of losing a race, and has a record that's been rarely seen," said Laura de Seroux, who joins Jenine Sahadi as the only female trainers to win a Breeders' Cup race.

Volponi returned $89, $26.80 and $12.40. Medaglia d'Oro, ridden by Jerry Bailey and trained by Bobby Frankel, paid $4.60 and $3.60 as the 5-2 favorite. Milwaukee Brew, also trained by Frankel, was third and returned $9.60.

Volponi won for just the third time in eight starts this year, and has seven wins in 22 career starts. The son of Cryptoclearance earned $2,080,000 for the win, boosting his career total $2,748,976.

Time for the 1¼ miles was 2:01.39.

Evening Attire, coming off a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, was fourth, followed by Macho Uno, Dollar Bill, Hawk Wing, War Emblem, Harlan's Holiday, Came Home, E Dubai and Perfect Drift.

Before Volponi, the biggest long shot to win the Classic was Arcangues, who won in 1993 at Santa Anita and paid $269.20 for a $2 ticket.

This wasn't Johnson's first upset. He trained Quiet Little Table to a surprise victory over Forego in the 1977 Suburban Handicap.

When pre-entries were drawn, Volponi was also entered in the Mile. What made him go for the Classic? "This is $4 million and the Mile was $1 million. You do the numbers," said Johnson, his voice hoarse from allergies.

Johnson had two Breeders' Cup starters in 1990; Adjudicating finished fourth in the Sprint and Colchis Island was sixth in the Turf.

All was not lost for Baffert. His 2-year-olds finished first, second and fourth in the $1 million Juvenile. Vindication went wire-to-wire for the win, with Kafwain second, and Bull Market fourth.

The victory tabbed unbeaten Vindication as the early 2003 Kentucky Derby favorite, although the Juvenile winner has never come back to take the run for the roses.

"We have a lot of bragging rights until the first Saturday in May," said Baffert, who has saddled three of the last five Derby winners. "I don't believe in jinxes."

Tragedy touched the Breeders' Cup for the second straight year. Landseer, one of Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's prized racehorses, shattered a bone in his right front leg in the Mile and was humanely destroyed. Before last year's Distaff at Belmont Park, Exogenous fell and hit her head as she was entering the track. She was euthanized several days later.

Long-shot Domedriver won the Mile, with the O'Brien-trained favorite Rock of Gibraltar second.

The day wasn't a complete loss for O'Brien. His High Chaparral blew past the The Tin Man and held off With Anticipation to win the $2.4 million Turf.

"It's a nice consolation after 'The Rock' got beat," said High Chaparral's jockey Mick Kinane.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas went home a winner, too. His favored Orientate caught long-shot Thunderello in the stretch and won the $1 million Sprint.

Frankel had his best Breeders' Cup, with his Starine finishing first and Banks Hill second in the $1 million Filly & Mare Turf. In the earlier Mile, his horses finished out of the money.

"It can't be a disaster now," Frankel, who also owns Starine, said after the Filly & Mare Turf.

Frankel broke an 0-for-38 Breeders' Cup losing streak last year when Squirtle Squirt took the Sprint. Among his seven starters Saturday, Frankel had a win, two seconds and a third.

Storm Flag Flying remained unbeaten in four starts with a victory in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies. The filly came back in deep stretch to overtake Composure, following in the victorious hoofprints of her dam, My Flag, who won this race in 1995. The filly's grandmother, Personal Ensign, won the 1988 Distaff.

Mike Smith and John Velazquez rode two winners apiece - Smith was aboard Azeri and Vindication; Velazquez won with Storm Flag Flying and Starine.

---

DISTAFF

Azeri, the 4-year-old daughter of Jade Hunter, turned back perhaps the strongest field of the day and all but clinched the older female championship.

Azeri, the 9-5 favorite, covered the 1¼ miles over a fast track in 1:48.64, and put in her claim as Horse of the Year. The last filly to win racing's top award was Lady's Secret in 1986.

As she had in her last four races, Azeri broke first from the gate in the field of eight, with Imperial Gesture right behind. But Azeri lengthened her lead in the stretch and won by five lengths.

"I think she's the best filly I've ever ridden," Smith said after winning his ninth Breeders' Cup race on his 43rd mount.

---

JUVENILE

Baffert's three colts showed they'll be contenders at the Kentucky Derby.

Vindication won by 2¾ lengths over Kafwain and finished the 1 1-8 miles in 1:35.80.

Bull Market, Baffert's third entry, was edged just before the wire by Hold That Tiger.

"I'm proud of all three of them," Baffert said. "It's a great feeling to have so many 2-year-olds."

Vindication was sired by 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.

No Juvenile winner has gone on to capture the Kentucky Derby, a race Baffert has won three times, including this year with War Emblem.

---

MILE

Domedriver fought through 13 rivals to win a race that turned tragic when Landseer broke his leg and had to be destroyed.

Ridden by Thierry Thulliez, 26-1 shot Domedriver won by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.88. Runner-up Rock of Gibraltar was followed by Good Journey.

On the turn for home, British-bred Landseer broke the cannon bone below his right front knee. Jockey Edgar Prado was thrown to the turf but wasn't hurt.

---

JUVENILE FILLIES

Storm Flag Flying lost the lead before fighting back in the deep stretch.

Passed by Composure on the outside, Storm Flag Flying regained the lead and pulled away for a half-length victory in the 1 1-8 mile-race for 2-year-old fillies.

Storm Flag Flying, a 4-5 favorite, finished in 1:49.60, ahead of the Baffert-trained Composure and Santa Catarina.

---

SPRINT

Orientate gave Lukas a victory in his only Breeders' Cup race.

Ridden by Jerry Bailey, Orientate was comfortable running off the pace set by 49-1 shot Thunderello, the runner up. Crafty C.T. finished third.

When the field of 13 turned for home, the 4-year-old Orientate moved past the pacesetter on the outside and won by a half-length for his fifth straight victory. The win extended Lukas' BC record for most wins to 17.

Bailey leads all jockeys with 13 Breeders' Cup wins, one more than Pat Day.

---

FILLY & MARE TURF

Starine overtook Kazzia just after the final turn. The victory in the 1¼-mile race for 3-year-olds and up was just the second ever in the Breeders' Cup for Frankel.

Starine won by 1½ lengths in 2:03.57. Defending champion Banks Hill, another horse trained by Frankel, finished second and Islington was third.

Favorite Golden Apples finished fourth in the 12-horse field.

---

TURF

High Chaparral found an opening in the stretch, moved past The Tin Man and sped to victory.

The Tin Man led most of the way in the 1½-mile race for 3-year-olds and up before 4-5 favorite High Chaparral rallied and went on to a 1¼- length victory.

High Chaparral, trained by O'Brien, won in 2:30.14 seconds. With Anticipation was second, followed by Falcon Flight and The Tin Man.