In pictures: photographer Edward Whitaker's love affair with the Breeders' Cup

Churchill Downs, Kentucky 1991, the spiritual home of American racing and my first start at the Breeders' Cup. I was 26 years old and my eyes were wide open to the lure of the USA.

The globalisation of racing was taking off primarily because of European success at the Cup. The self-proclaimed World Thoroughbred Championships was being billed as horseracing’s Ryder Cup with the cream of Europe taking on the best of America.

The previous year we witnessed incredible theatre at Belmont Park when the 54-year-old Lester Piggott came out of retirement to ride a memorable victory on Royal Academy in the Mile, following on from Dayjur’s shadow jumping that denied him victory on the dirt in the Sprint.

I wasn’t left disappointed by my first Breeders' Cup. Under a cobalt blue sky Arazi, the champion two-year-old of Europe, gave us a Hollywood silver screen moment when passing all the field to saunter to a five-length win in the Juvenile. The noise, the colour and the razzmatazz of the day completely captivated me. I was hooked.

Edward wasn't left disappointed by his first Breeders' Cup, when star juvenile Arazi blitzed the opposition in the 1991 Juvenile at Churchill DownsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nowadays, the Breeders' Cup is a two-day meeting and takes place at just a handful of tracks. Back in the 1990s it was seven races in one day. The series would travel around the States, so in 1992 Gulfstream Park in Florida became that year's venue.

After the previous two years of European glory the 1992 edition was a disaster almost before it had begun.

Lester was catapulted into the dirt when his mount Mr Brooks broke his leg when rounding the bend in the Sprint. The jockey was carted off to hospital and the rest of the afternoon passed in a steamy cauldron with no away team winners.

Santa Anita: jaw-droppingly beautiful setting played host to the 1993 Breeders' CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

1993 saw the travelling circus head west to the jaw-dropping magnificence of Santa Anita in Arcadia, California. The big story was the Andre Fabre-trained Arcangues winning the Classic at odds of 133-1, but what left such a beautiful memory was the art deco splendour of the racecourse beneath the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains.

One of the most dramatic races in Breeders' Cup history as Awesome Again wins the 1998 Classic from Silver Charm and the Frankie Dettori-ridden Swain (L)Credit: Edward Whitaker

The lingering memories of all the races still stay sharp in the mind and in 1994 we were back in Kentucky watching a young Frankie Dettori celebrate victory on the Luca Cumani-trained Barathea in the Mile. I had never seen a European jockey celebrate when crossing the line – then what happened afterwards took everyone by complete surprise as the Italian performed his now famous flying dismount for the very first time . . . I missed that one!

Next stop was Belmont Park, New York in 1995 – a gloomy wet affair made memorable by Cigar’s win in the Classic. The following year was unique in that for the one and only time the Breeders' Cup went to Canada, with Woodbine the host, and it saw a 1-2 for trainer Michael Stoute in the Turf when Pilsudski led home Singspiel.

It was back to California in 1997, but this time to the now departed Hollywood Park racecourse . . . and no European winners.

The show was gathering more followers and once again we were back at Churchill Downs in 1998 for one of the greatest Breeders' Cup races of all time, when in the gathering gloom for the final race, the Classic, the American horse Awesome Again denied a Frankie Dettori-driven Swain in front of 80,000 screaming fans.

Frankie Dettori explains to Sheikh Mohammed how Swain was beaten in the 1998 Breeders' Cup ClassicCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dettori was heavily criticised for his ride by the local press and after his victory on the grey Daylami in the 1999 Turf at Gulfstream he was famously quoted as saying: “Revenge is best served on a cold plate and mine is freezing right now.” Wild euphoria and a flying dismount mimicked by John McCririck – who was covering the day for NBC - led to a greater sense of team competition.

'Revenge is best served on a cold plate': Frankie Dettori erases memories of his ride on Swain the previous year by winning the 1999 Breeders' Cup Turf on Daylami at Gulfstream ParkCredit: Edward Whitaker

The millennium was under way when the brilliant Tiznow, ridden by Chris McCarron, denied the European champions Giant’s Causeway and Sakhee in the Classics in both 2000 and 2001. The latter edition was held at Belmont Park weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and led to one of the Breeders' Cup's most famous calls when legendary racecourse commentator Tom Durkan emotionally cried out “Tiznow wins it for America!”

Tiznow beats Sakhee in the 2001 Classic just weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks

In 2002 the whole shebang headed north to Arlington Park in Chicago. This was the year of Sir Alex Ferguson and Coolmore’s champion miler Rock Of Gibraltar, and although he failed to win his trainer Aidan O’Brien was to notch another victory in the Turf when High Chaparral prevailed under Mick Kinane. The duo went on to win the following year's running when dead-heating with Johar in an iconic finish at Santa Anita.

One of the most iconic finishes in Breeders' Cup history, High Chaparral (Mick Kinane) dead-heats with Johar (Alex Solis) in the 2003 Turf at Santa Anita

For 2004 it was the turn of Lone Star Park in Texas and Lord Derby’s Ouija Board was crowned victor in the Filly & Mare Turf under Kieren Fallon. She went on to win the same race two years later at Churchill Downs.

Ouija Board and Kieren Fallon land the Fillies & Mares Turf at Lone Star Park in 2004. Oujia Board doubled up in the race two years laterCredit: Edward Whitaker

In 2007 Monmouth Park, a summer track in New Jersey, hosted the Breeders' Cup, staged for the first time over two days. It proved a forgettable experience as the weather was appalling – but worst of all was the horrendous sight of George Washington breaking down in the slop right in front of the packed stands.

The weather was appalling at Monmouth Park in 2007 as Garrett Gomez and Midnight Lure (left) make their move round the final turn to win the 2007 SprintCredit: Edward Whitaker

Santa Anita, which hosted the 2008 and 2009 series, decided on welfare grounds to rip up the dirt track and replace it with a synthetic surface. This proved the undoing of the American dirt-bred horses, as the John Gosden-trained Raven's Pass triumphed in the Classic under Frankie Dettori.

Freddy Head and Olivier Peslier celebrate after Goldikova's win in the 2009 Mile. The filly completed an unprecedented third victory in the race the following yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

The last ten years have seen the meeting move between Santa Anita and Churchill Downs with the added additions of Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky and Del Mar in California.

Aidan O’Brien and his sons Joseph and Donnacha have embraced and dominated, with Joseph winning as a jockey on St Nicholas Abbey in 2011 before training Iridessa to win in 2019.

Joseph O'Brien after training Iridessa to land the 2019 Filly & Mare Turf. Eight years earlier O'Brien was successful in the saddle on St Nicholas AbbeyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Other memorable horses include the brilliant American Zenyatta, who was the first filly to win the Classic – but her most famous race came in defeat in the same race when she failed by a head to reel in Blame in the 2010 Classic.

Goldikova, trained by Freddy Head and ridden by Olivier Peslier, won the Breeders' Cup Mile an unprecedented three times. Head was the first man to ride and train Breeders' Cup winners, having partnered Miesque before training Goldikova, something Joseph O'Brien has emulated.

Once again Breeders' Cup 2020 will see history being made when it is run for the first time behind closed doors at Keeneland due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There may not be any fans, but the action is sure to throw up more memorable stories – and images, although sadly this year I won't be there to record them.

Read more if you were interested in this . . .

Enable in images: Ed Whitaker's favourites from an unforgettable career

Gosden trio reported in good shape ahead of Breeders' Cup missions

Moore shuns Mogul as Magical gets luck of the draw in Breeders' Cup Turf

Bob Baffert vows to prevent further positive tests after 'difficult' year

Join Members' Club Ultimate and read tipping from the likes of Pricewise and Paul Kealy, all the big interviews and features, daily comment and news analysis - plus our Ultimate Daily newsletter. Click here to sign up.