ARCADIA (California), Oct 26: Pleasantly Perfect, ridden by Alex Solis for trainer Dick Mandella, lived up to his name with a comfortable one and a half length success in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday.

The 14-1 outsider came with a late run to collar Medaglia d’Oro and complete a pleasantly perfect day for Mandella who also won earlier with Halfbridled and Action This Day, and dead-heated with Johar, also partnered by Solis.

The four-timer gave the California-based handler a Breeders’ Cup record as he overhauled the previous mark of three in a day set in 1988 by rival D. Wayne Lukas.

Mandella, 52, was quietly confident about Pleasantly Perfect who returned from a lengthy lay-off to win a handicap race at Santa Anita three weeks ago.

Pleasantly Perfect had developed a virus that affected his heart sac and missed a year’s training. Mandella said: “It’s particularly gratifying to get him back, especially as it was a frustrating year, and then to come so good.”

Solis, who rode his 4,000th career winner on Friday, tracked the leaders and then delivered a perfectly-timed challenge.

Volponi, last year’s shock winner of the Classic at odds of 43 1/2-1, showed early on but faded in the back straight to finish last of the 10 runners.

The other big disappoinment was Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide who never got in a blow for Julie Krone and trailed in ninth.

The Classic, raced over 1 1/4 miles on dirt, was the final event on an eight-race card offering total prize-money of $14.36 million.

Westerner wins

PARIS: Westerner won the French St Leger, the Prix Royal-Oak, at Longchamp on Sunday to make it two group one wins in a row for the Ecurie Wildenstein runner.