Two Kentucky Derby winners strained for the wire in the world's richest horse race today, and it took a photo finish to show that Ferdinand had nosed out Alysheba to win the $3 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Hollywood Park.

This was the first duel between Derby winners since Affirmed beat Spectacular Bid eight years ago, and once again the older horse prevailed. Ferdinand, last year's Derby winner, took the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go and held on by just a nose over Alysheba, this year's Derby winner. Ferdinand paid $4 for $2 to win as the favorite and ran the mile and a quarter under Bill Shoemaker in 2:01 2/5. Shoemaker, who has won a record 8,707 races, was scoring his first Breeders' Cup victory after 13 losses.

Ferdinand's victory was sentimentally popular with the 57,734 on hand under clear and mild skies for the fourth edition of the Breeders' Cup. Ferdinand's trainer, Charlie Whittingham, who is 74 years old, and Shoemaker, who is 57, are California's favorite trainer and jockey.

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/22/spo...