Maryfield comes from way back to win the Filly & Mare Sprint

Corinthian and Nownownow also won in the Breeders’ Cup.

OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) — Trainer Doug O’Neill led a wild winner’s celebration after Maryfield splashed to victory Friday on the first day of the Breeders’ Cup, where upsets ruled and a trainer on the verge of suspension was in the spotlight.

Far back turning for home, Maryfield found an outside path to the finish line and won the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint.

Corinthian raced to a commanding upset in the $1 million Dirt Mile, and Nownownow edged wagering favorite Achill Island by a half-length in the $1 million Juvenile Turf.

Rain pelted Monmouth Park throughout the day, keeping hundreds of trackside seats and stands empty on the first Friday in Breeders’ Cup history. The dirt surface, sloppy from rain earlier in the week, was a quagmire.

But that wasn’t the only messiness.

Nownownow was one of seven Breeders’ Cup horses that trainer Patrick Biancone turned over to assistant Francois Parisel as the result of a one-year ban for violating medication rules in Kentucky.

Biancone’s suspension begins Nov. 1, but in a settlement with Kentucky racing officials, he agreed to step aside early for the Breeders’ Cup. The Frenchman showed up in the barn area Thursday and was asked to leave by New Jersey racing authorities.

“Patrick Biancone is a friend of mine for 40 years,” said Fabien Ouaki, who owns Nownownow. “We’re a family, so it’s a family victory. He’s like a ping pong ball, he always rebounds. He will come back because he’s a horseman from the beginning.”

Nownownow and Julien Leparoux covered one mile in 1:40.48. The 2-year-old colt paid $27.20, $8.60 and $6.

Irish-bred Achill Island returned $5.20 and $4.20. Cannonball paid $7.80 to show.

Biancone had two horses in the Filly & Mare Sprint. Baroness Thatcher was fourth and wagering favorite La Traviata was sixth.

Corinthian defeated Gottcha Gold by 61⁄2 lengths in the last of three Breeders’ Cup races on the card. The other eight will be run today.

Kent Desormeaux improved to 3-for-55 on racing’s richest two days, guiding Corinthian over the mile in 1:39.06. The winner paid $9.40, $4.40 and $3.

In the Filly & Mare Sprint, jockey Elvis Trujillo angled Maryfied to the outside, where she had a clear run to the finish line without mud from her nine rivals hitting her in the face.

“Elvis Trujillo gets all the credit today,” O’Neill said. “It was his first Breeders’ Cup race and he handled the pressure like a seasoned pro.”

Maryfield rallied from seventh place and defeated Miraculous Miss by a half-length, covering six furlongs in 1:09.89 and paying $18, $9 and $6 at 8-1 odds. A year ago, she won on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Churchill Downs.