Trainer Dan Blacker's dark hair bobbed along atop a sea of admirers as he made his way through a mosh pit of MyRacehorse partners threatening to storm the Del Mar winner's circle. Straight No Chaser, the object of their hysteria, had just fulfilled the promise he had shown since coming under Blacker's care as a 2-year-old. And now, after more than three years and 10 agonizingly spaced starts, the 5-year-old son of Speightster stood atop the racing world as the winner of the $1.84 million Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint on a cool Nov. 2 afternoon, right where his journey began.

Finally, Blacker emerged from the throng to greet Straight No Chaser and John Velazquez as they returned to the stands, victorious by half a length over the longshot Bentornato. They were 2 1/2 lengths clear of third-place Mullikin, the lukewarm favorite in an evenly matched field of 11 going six furlongs. Gun Pilot edged Federal Judge for fourth. The Sprint continued a frustrating 2024 Breeders' Cup for Japanese runners when their three entrants could do no better than eighth.

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After a career plagued by false starts, Straight No Chaser came to his most important race in top form. In late September, he romped in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes presented by Estrella Jalisco in only his second start of the year.

"He was at his best going into that race," Blacker said. "The challenge was getting him back to that point for the Breeders' Cup."

Mission accomplished, with the help of the veteran Velazquez, who entered the weekend with 220 Breeders' Cup mounts and 20 wins. Blacker, on the other hand, was saddling his just his second Breeders' Cup starter.

Still, it had been 20 years since Velazquez had won the Sprint, in 2004 with Speightstown, the sire of Speightster. Straight No Chaser gave the Hall of Famer the kind of ride a jockey loves, without fuss or bother and just enough drama to get the blood boiling.

"I wanted to break well and get a good position," Velazquez said. "Dan told me not to worry about getting the lead, so I just let him get into a good rhythm and let him do his own thing."

Down the backstretch and around the turn, Straight No Chaser sat a cozy third outside Federal Judge and Bentornato through a half-mile in :44.12.

"I knew we were going fast, so I didn't want to move too soon," Velazquez said. "I squeezed him a little at the three-eighths, but then by the three-sixteenths I knew I was gonna get it."

Straight No Chaser's winning final time was 1:08.62.

Third Time's the Charm for Moira in Filly and Mare Turf

Fifth in the 2022 edition of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland and third last year at Santa Anita Park, the third time proved to be the charm for Moira as the former Canadian Horse of the Year broke through to win the $1.84 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

"I always say she's never got the respect she deserved," said her trainer, Kevin Attard. "Today I think she solidified how good a horse she is."

Moira has pulled off a double that only two horses have done before: winning the Queen's Plate (now known as the King's Plate) and a Breeders' Cup race. The other two were 1991 Canadian Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly, who won the 1991 Breeders' Cup Distaff, and Awesome Again, who won the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic.

"She's just a great horse. She showed brilliance from the get-go," Attard said. "Her win in the Queen's Plate was so dominating against males, set a track record."

The 1 3/8-mile Filly and Mare Turf could not have set-up more perfectly for the Ontario-bred daughter of Ghostzapper and jockey Flavien Prat. She raced in mid-pack down the stretch the first time as her stablemate Full Count Felicia set the pace and posted fractions of :25.38, :49.84, and 1:15.08.

Attard liked what he saw from Moira.

"Today, there was just something different about her," Attard said. "She was a lot more relaxed, a lot more settled."

Prat moved Moira up on the backstretch to be in contention with the leaders entering the straightaway. Moira took the lead with a furlong to go and then held off the late charges of runner-up Cinderella's Dream and third-place finisher Didia to win by a half a length. Moira completed the distance in 2:14.95 and paid $13.60 to win.

"I don't even think as a kid I ever dreamt about winning a Breeders' Cup race," Attard said with emotion after the race. "Growing up in Canada, being based in Canada, my dream was to win the Queen's Plate. Moira did that for me. Today, to win a Breeders' Cup, wow! I don't even know what to say, I don't think it's sunk in yet."

Should this be the end of Moira's racing career, she has already done enough to earn legendary status among Canadian-bred horses. Bred by Adena Springs, Moira has posted a record of 7-6-2 from 17 starts for earnings of $2,996,017.

"I'm going to miss her," Attard said tearfully. "Just so happy and so proud of her." -- Sean Collins

More Than Looks Surges to Breeders' Cup Mile Win

It was More Than Looks' time to shine as he flew home from eighth in the final furlong to capture the $1.84 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

More Than Looks, trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by Jockey Jose Ortiz, was coming off second-place finishes behind Carl Spackler the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga. The rivalry had been one-sided, but in their most important meeting of all, it was More Than Looks that turned the tables.

Longshot Goliad set the pace with a :22.73 opening quarter mile in the Mile, but the race belonged to the closers.

Carl Spackler, who broke from the outside post, made a menacing four-wide move for the lead on the final turn but could not sustain it.

Ten Happy Rose gained the lead by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch while Johannes and Godolphin's 2-1 favorite Notable Speech were gaining on her. Before they could strike the lead, Jose Ortiz and More Than Looks, who were last after the opening quarter and still in eighth in mid-stretch, flew past all of them on the outside to win by three-quarters of a length and give DeVaux her prized first Breeders' Cup win.

"It's kind of a whirlwind," DeVaux said. "It's very exciting and I'm just waiting for it to sink in."

The 4-year-old More Than Looks covered the mile in 1:32.65 and paid $15.80 to win.

Johannes finished second by a head over Notable Speech who was third. Ten Happy Rose was fourth. – Bob Ehalt

Full Serrano Wins Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Full Serrano's Owner Kosta Hronis has put his faith in trainer John Sadler from the very beginning. It's a system that works well, as horses like champions Flightline, Accelerate, and Stellar Wind would attest. Sadler recommended that Hronis Racing purchase Full Serrano from his native Argentina, and the result was a in victory in the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

"I don't really get to do the shopping," Hronis said. "I just follow John around. I have the basket, and he puts the stuff in and I go to the register. That's my involvement."

Full Serrano. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire)

Five-year-old Full Serrano came available this year, and Sadler has quickly developed him into a competitive horse at the top level. In his first U.S. start, Full Serrano tackled what would be the same surface and distance he would encounter at the Breeders' Cup and won a mile allowance optional claiming race at Del Mar on Aug. 3. He then ran a terrific second in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes, which also was run at Del Mar.

Full Serrano returned to Del Mar for Saturday's Dirt Mile and received a new jockey in Joel Rosario. While Rosario had never before piloted Full Serrano, he and Sadler had been a terrific team when the jockey used to ride the Southern California circuit regularly.

Rosario put Full Serrano into the race early, sitting right off the quick pace of Japanese invader T O Saint Denis. Full Serrano raced a length behind in second, off fractions of :22.30, :45.47, and 1:09.69. Full Serrano then took command just past the quarter pole with plenty in reserve. Post Time, last early, made a huge four-wide run and Domestic Product also came from far back, but neither could catch Full Serrano, who hit the wire 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Post Time, with Domestic Product 2 1/4 lengths back in third.

Full Serrano ($28.80) stopped the clock in 1:35.48.

"The horse did beautifully, did an amazing job up there," Rosario said.

Longshots Tumbarumba and Katonah finished fourth and fifth, followed by Skippylongstocking, Muth, and Seize the Grey among the field of 13. Saudi Crown backpedaled and ended up last. -- Tracy Gantz