Red Rocks (IRE) crossed the pond for the first time and tallied his first graded or group stakes victory with a narrow, come from behind victory in the $3 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.

Red Rocks, who had made nine previous starts in Europe with three seconds and one third in G1 and G2 races, rallied rapidly from the back of the 11-horse field and took command near the eighth pole under Frankie Dettori. He was hard ridden to the wire to hold off the equally fast closing Better Talk Now, the winner of the 2004 Turf.

Red Rocks’ margin of victory was a half-length and Better Talk Now finished 2 ¼ lengths in front of English Channel. who would return to the Turf the following year. Red Rocks’ final time for the 1 ½ miles on firm ground was 2:27.32. He returned $23.60 for a $2 bet.

Trained by Brian Meehan, Red Rocks gave owner J. Paul Reddam his first Breeders’ Cup win.

Red Rocks would try to duplicate his win in the Turf in three successive years but never made it back to the winner’s circle. He was third in 2007, 10^th in 2008, and finished fifth in 2009 in what would be his final race.