LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AFP) — Unrivaled Belle won the US$2-million Ladies’ Classic yesterday to cap the opening day of the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Unrivaled Belle held off 3-2 favourite Blind Luck to triumph under the floodlights.

Blind Luck rallied late but finished second ahead of Havre De Grace.

The race capped the first day of the two-day, 14-race Breeders’ Cup programme worth more than US$25.5 million.

Unbeaten mare Zenyatta’s bid for a repeat in the US$5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic will cap today’s action.

Earlier yesterday, longshot Shared Account won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, denying European raider Midday a second-straight victory in the event.

Shared Account, a 46-1 shot trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Edgar Prado, edged Midday by a neck at the end of a thrilling battle down the closing straight in which Japan’s Red Desire also challenged before finishing fourth behind Keertana in the US$2 million, 1 1/16-mile race.

Midday, trained by the legendary Henry Cecil and ridden by Thomas Queally, had come over from Europe riding a string of three-straight Group One races, while Shared Account was 0-for-4 in Grade One races in the United States.

Awesome Feather outlasted R Heat Lightning in a two-horse race to the finish line in the US$2-million Juvenile Fillies.

Awesome Feather ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:45.17 minutes and the two-year-old filly is six for six in her career.

Jockey Jeffrey Sanchez and trainer Stanley Gold won in their Breeders’ Cup debuts.

R Heat Lightning was second, followed by Delightful Mary and Believe in AP.

Eldaafer, trained by Diane Alvardo and ridden by John Velazquez, won the US$500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon, as the racing extravaganza got off to a contentious start.

Velazquez piloted his mount past pace-setter Gabriel’s Hill to seize the victory, with Prince Will I Am crossing the line second only to be disqualified for jockey Javier Castellano’s abrupt move off the rail that nearly unseated Romp jockey Martin Garcia.

Gabriel’s Hill, trained by Seth Benzel and ridden by Julien Leparoux crossed the line third and was awarded second place, while third went to AU Miner, trained by Clark Hanna and ridden by Calvin Borel.

Borel, who was part of the mid-field fracas when Castellano made his move, was so angry that he went after Castellano at the winner’s circle and had to be forcibly restrained and escorted away.

Garcia, whose mount Romp pitched forward toward the ground after clipping the heels of Prince Will I Am, managed to keep his horse and himself upright.