Has Aidan O’Brien ever won the Breeders’ Cup Classic?

On November 2, 2024, Aidan O’Brien saddled Henri Matisse to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar Racetrack in Southern California and, in so doing, drew level with American veteran Darrell Wayne Lukas as the most prolific trainer in the history of the Breeders’ Cup. Of course, O’Brien did not become private trainer to John Magnier and his Coolmore associates at Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary until 1996, but has essentially been trying, and failing, to win the Breeders’ Classic since 2000.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic, run over a mile and a quarter on dirt and worth $7 million in prize money, is nowadays the most valuable and arguably the most prestigious race contested on American soil. The fact that O’Brien, one of the most decorated trainers of all time, has failed to win the race with some of the best three-year-olds of their respective generations serves mainly to highlight the challenges faced by European-trained horses, in terms of adapting to the American racing style and the dirt surface.

Ironically, the closest O’Brien has ever come to winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic was on his first attempt, with Giant’s Causeway, at Churchill Downs in 2000. Making his debut on dirt, the so-called ‘Iron Horse’ was hard ridden by jockey Mick Kinane inside the final quarter of a mile, but despite holding every chance could not quicken in the closing stages and was beaten a neck by Tiznow. He has since been joined on the losers’ list by the likes of Galileo, Hawk Wing,George Washington and, most recently, City Of Troy, who was slowly away at Del Mar and never looked like recovering the lost ground.