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Accelerate Wins BC Classic with Gunnevera Second

Accelerate beat South Florida-stabled Gunnevera by a length in Saturday's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Thunder Snow.Yoshida and Mendelssohn finished third through fifth respectively in the 14-horse field. The race wes 1 1/4 miles on dirt.

Accelerate won in 2:02.93 on the track listed as fast. Joel Rosario rode him for trainer John Sadler and owner Hronis Racing,

Accelerate was the 7-2 favorite. He came into the BC Classic with a string of three straight wins in Grade 1 stakes at tracks in California.

Gunnevera's regular training base is Calder(aka Gulfstream Park West) in Miami Gardens, Fla. He is trained byAntonio Sano and owned by Margoth, whose principal Salvador Del Valle is a citizen of Venezuela.

Gunnevera's post-time odds were 30-1, even though his four-race record in 2018 included an allowance race win and a second place and third place finish in Grade 1 stakes,

Odds on the third to fifth place finishers were 14-1, 14-1 and 13-1, That led to large payoffs, including $130,60 on the $1exacta of 14-4 and $171,948.95 on the 50-cent Super Hi-5 of $171,948.95.

Florida Racing Calendar for November

Here are highlights of the racing schedules through early December at Florida's thoroughbred tracks.

*Friday Nov. 2 and Saturday Nov. 3 -- Breeders' Cup races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs will have simulcast wagering on all Breeders' Cup races.

*Saturday Nov. 3 -- the Gulfstream Park West meet, at Calder, will have the first two stakes races of its 2018 meet.

The $75,000 Cellars Chiraz is one mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies. The $75,000 Showing Up is one mile on turf for 3-year-old males.

*Saturday Nov. 10 -- Nine stakes races at GP West, all restricted to Florida-breds and all with $75,000 purses

*Saturday Nov. 24 -- opening day of 2018-2019 meet at Tampa Bay Downs

*Sunday Nov. 25 -- closing day of 2018 GP West meet

*Saturday Dec. 1 -- opening day of Gulfstream Park championship meet. The opening day card will feature the national Claiming Crown--with nine stakes races restricted to horses that during 2017 and 2018 raced at least once at or below designated claiming prices.