On opening day of the 1954 Del Mar meet, a young rider named Bill Shoemaker was less than a month from turning 23 years old. Though still in the early chapter of what would become a storied career, the native Texan found himself the engineer of the most dominant run by any jockey that had ever competed at the seaside track.

There was excitement and uncertainty entering the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984, but the initial championship had exceeded the hype even before it came to an unforgettable conclusion when three tenacious racehorses rumbled toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic finish line unwilling to give an inch.