Charlie Appleby – Photo Courtesy of Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
This year, the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), once again will be worth $2 million. Raised from $1.5 million in 2007, the one-mile grass event has been held every year since the event’s inception in 1984.
European imports have fared exceptionally well in the Mile, starting with inaugural winner Royal Heroine. Though she had been training in California with then British transplant John Gosden, she began her career in Europe and won several races, though her Breeders’ Cup score was her most famous. She earned her an Eclipse Award as North America’s best female turf performer that year as well.
Other Europeans to have won the Mile include Last Tycoon (1986), Miesque (1987, 1988), Royal Academy (1990), Barathea (1994), Ridgewood Pearl (1995), Spinning World (1997), Domedriver (2002), Six Perfections (2003), Goldikova (2008, 2009, 2010), Karakontie (2014), Expert Eye (2018), Uni (2019), Order of Australia (2020), Space Blues (2021), Modern Games (2022) and Master of the Seas a year ago.
Irish-bred and France-based Goldikova won this race three years in a row from 2008 to 2010 and she remains the only three-time Breeders’ Cup winner. Four others won this race twice – Miesque (1997, 1988), Lure (1992, 1993), Da Hoss (1996, 1998) and Wise Dan (2012, 2013).
Champion French jockey Olivier Peslier, Eclipse Award winner and Hall of Famer John Velazquez and William Buick have each ridden three winners to lead all jockeys, the latter capturing the last three runnings while Peslier was aboard Goldikova in all of her starts. John Velazquez rode Da Hoss in 1998, Wise Dan in 2012 and World Approval in 2017.
Thanks to Goldikova, jockey-turned-trainer Freddie Head–who was also Miesque’s pilot for her two wins–remains the race’s co-leading trainer while Charlie Appleby is responsible for three winners as well, each of which carried the familiar Godolphin blue colors. And Flaxman Holdings (Niarchos Family) has owned six winners of this race – Miesque (1987, 1988); Spinning World (1997); Domedriver (2002); Six Perfections (2003); and Karakontie (2012). The late Stavros Niarchos himself was listed as Miesque’s owner.
Wise Dan owns the fastest time when he ran the mile in 1:31.78 over Santa Anita’s firm turf in 2012.