# Europe at the Breeders' Cup: Arcangues, Goldikova, Enable and the Great Days _From Arazi and Miesque to Arcangues at 133-1 and Enable's Arc and Turf double: the European horses that made the Breeders' Cup their own._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/breeders-cup-european-legends/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/breeders-cup-european-legends/) · last updated 2026-10-24* ## Europe's long relationship with the Breeders' Cup **European horses have been crossing the Atlantic for the Breeders' Cup since the 1980s, and the record is stranger than the numbers suggest.** Europe wins turf races there most years now, but the great Arc winners often lose, and the one dirt race, the Classic, has gone to a European stable only twice. This page covers the history before the ten-year table on our [Breeders' Cup trends and stats](/racing-news/breeders-cup-trends-and-stats/) page, and the stories behind the names. This year's runners are in the [Breeders' Cup tips](/racing-news/breeders-cup-tips/), and the [festival hub](/festivals/breeders-cup/) has the dates. **In this guide** - [The first European stars](#firsts) - [Europe and the Classic](#classic) - [The Arc and the Breeders' Cup](#arc-double) ## The first European stars, 1986 to 1993 **Miesque** won the Mile in 1987 and 1988 for Freddy Head, and those were her only starts in North America. She later became the dam of Kingmambo. **Arazi** is the Juvenile of 1991 that people still replay. Running on dirt for the first time at Churchill Downs and drawn in stall 14, he came from 12 to 15 lengths back to win by about five under Pat Valenzuela. Tom Durkin's call, "here indeed is a superstar", became part of the legend. **Barathea** won the 1994 Mile for Luca Cumani, the first Breeders' Cup winner for Frankie Dettori. **Daylami** won the 1999 Turf at Gulfstream by 2½ lengths for Godolphin. **High Chaparral** won the Turf in 2002 and in 2003 dead-heated with Johar, the first dead heat in Breeders' Cup history. **Ouija Board** won the Filly & Mare Turf in 2004 and 2006, and **Goldikova** won the Mile three years running, from 2008 to 2010, ridden each time by Olivier Peslier for Freddy Head. No other horse has won the same Breeders' Cup race three times. **Conduit** won the Turf in 2008 and 2009 for Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore, one of two horses with two Turf wins, alongside High Chaparral. ## Europe and the Classic ### Arcangues, 1993 André Fabre's Arcangues won the Classic at Santa Anita at 133.60-1, paying $269.20 for a $2 stake. It is still the Breeders' Cup record. The tote board could only show 99-1. Jerry Bailey rode him to beat Bertrando by two lengths. ### Raven's Pass, 2008 John Gosden's Raven's Pass was the first English-trained winner of the Classic, at 13-1 under Dettori, on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. Curlin was fourth. ### The near misses Giant's Causeway lost the 2000 Classic by a neck to Tiznow. A year later, the Arc winner Sakhee led in the straight at Belmont and was beaten a nose by Tiznow, while Galileo finished sixth in his only run on dirt. Both went on to shape breeding, as we describe in [from Breeders' Cup winner to stallion](/racing-news/breeders-cup-winners-to-stallions/). Sea The Stars's trainer John Oxx said running him in the 2009 Classic after his Arc would be "asking too much", and he was retired that October. ## The Arc and the Breeders' Cup **Found, 2015.** At Keeneland, Found beat Golden Horn by a half-length in the Turf, reversing the Arc and Irish Champion Stakes results of that autumn. She was only the third filly to win the race, after Pebbles and Miss Alleged. **Enable, 2018.** At Churchill Downs, Enable became the first Arc winner to win at the Breeders' Cup in the same year, beating Magical by three-quarters of a length. Thoroughbred Daily News counted eight Arc winners who had tried and failed before her, starting with Dancing Brave, who finished fourth in the 1986 Turf. The pattern holds for the market. A horse that has just won an Arc has run a hard race, travelled a long way and faces a different track. That is a reason for caution, not a rule, and no price on any of them is a reason to bet. This year's European pre-entries are in the [Breeders' Cup tips](/racing-news/breeders-cup-tips/). ## Sources and verification Checked on 23 and 24 October 2026 against: - Wikipedia: [Arazi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arazi_(horse)), [Arcangues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcangues_(horse)), [Raven's Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven%27s_Pass), [Goldikova](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldikova), [Conduit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conduit_(horse)), [Daylami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylami) and [Frankie Dettori](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Dettori) - [Sports Illustrated Vault on Arazi](https://vault.si.com/vault/1991/11/11/galloping-like-a-ghost-arazis-stunning-win-in-the-breeders-cup-evoked-memories-of-the-great-secretariat) - [America's Best Racing on Arcangues](https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2018-my-longshot-25-years-ago-classic-stunner-arcangues), [the 2001 Classic](https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2020-breeders-cup-fantastic-finishes-2001-classic-momentary-escape-reality) and [Found](https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2026-breeders-cup-fantastic-finishes-history-denied-stardom-found) - [Breeders' Cup Hall of Champions: High Chaparral](https://breederscup.com/horses/hall-of-champions/2002/turf/high-chaparral-ire) and [the 2003 dead heat](https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2023-breeders-cup-fantastic-finishes-too-close-call-unforgettable-dead-heat) - [Thoroughbred Daily News on Enable](https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/enable-overcomes-arc-breeders-cup-hoodoo-with-game-turf-win/) and [Eurosport](https://www.eurosport.com/horse-racing/enable-earns-place-in-history-with-breeders-cup-turf-success-at-churchill-downs_sto7000674/story.shtml) - [Brisnet on Sea The Stars's retirement](https://brisnet.com/content/2009/10/sea-the-stars-retired) - [Horse Racing Hall of Fame: Dancing Brave](https://horseracinghof.com/hall-of-famers/dancing-brave/) Sources differ on Arazi's winning margin (about five lengths, or 4¾) and on the exact lengths behind him at the turn, so both are given approximately.
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