CUP GOOD FOR CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS TIZNOW TAKES CLASSIC TURN.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Breeders' Cup Classic was supposed to be a farewell party for Kentucky Derby hero Fusaichi Pegasus, who will now stand at stud. In the end, it looked as if he hadn't even been invited.

Tiznow was the horse of the moment for jockey Chris McCarron in the $4.77 million race Saturday at Churchill Downs, while Fusaichi Pegasus was never in contention and finished sixth.

Tiznow ($20.40) led a four-horse parade of 3-year-olds to the finish, winning by A neck over England-based Giant's Causeway, who was 3 1/4 lengths in front of Captain Steve. Albert the Great finished fourth ahead of 4-year-old Lemon Drop Kid. Cat Thief, last year's upset Classic winner, was seventh in the 13-horse field.

``I thought he was as good as a horse could be,'' winning trainer Jay Robbins said of Tiznow, who became the first California-bred horse to win a Breeders' Cup race in the event's 17-year history.

Tiznow, a son of Cee's Tizzy and Cee's Song, is a full brother to Budroyale, runnerup in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Tiznow, coming off victories in the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs and the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita, won for the fifth time in only nine career starts for owners Cecilia Straub-Rubens and Michael Cooper.

He wasn't the only horse with California connections to excel on the eight-race card as Spain and jockey Victor Espinoza scored a shocker in the Distaff; Kona Gold ended Alex Solis' Breeders' Cup drought in the Sprint; War Chant and Gary Stevens won the Mile, and Macho Uno in the Sprint, and Perfect Sting in the Filly & Mare Turf made it a double for owner Frank Stronach, the Santa Anita chairman.

The Breeders' Cup program opened with trainer D. Wayne Lukas finishing 1-2 with Spain ($113.80) and Surfside in the Distaff. Riboletta, the odds-on favorite who had won six straight stakes and was supplemented to the race for $400,000, finished seventh in a field of nine. Last year's winner, Beautiful Pleasure, finished sixth.

There also was a big upset in the Juvenile Fillies when Caressing won and paid $96.

Tiznow led for the first half-mile but was second, a length behind Albert the Great, with a half-mile remaining. He was back in front at the quarter pole. Then Giant's Causeway, making his dirt-track debut with Michael Kinane aboard, looked as if he was going to pass Tiznow. In fact, he might have stuck his nose in front nearing the finish. But Tiznow would not be denied.

``He kicked in,'' said McCarron, who won the Classic, the nation's richest horse race, for the fourth time. ``If he has enough energy left, you're not going to get by him. What a fighter.''

A crowd of 76,043 watched Tiznow win in 2:00 3/5 and earn $2,480,400 for his fifth victory in nine starts this year.

Fusaichi Pegasus had never been worse than second in eight career starts.

``He got banged around a little bit and there wasn't as much pace as we thought there would be,'' trainer Neil Drysdale said. ``He finally relaxed at the wrong point (in the stretch). It's been a long campaign.''

The day wasn't a complete loss for Drysdale. He saddled Mile winner War Chant.

``Neil Drysdale gave me a heck of an opportunity,'' said Stevens, who until September had not ridden for nine months because of arthritic knees. ``I'm ecstatic. I'm in shock just being here today. It's a dream come true.''

War Chant got up in the final strides for a neck win over North East Bound, with France-based Dansili third and Affirmed Success fourth in the 14-horse field. The first four finishers were separated by a neck and two noses.

In giving trainer Joe Orseno and jockey Jerry Bailey their second wins on the Breeders' Cup card, Macho Uno took the lead from pace-setting Arabian Light with about a sixteenth-mile left and held off Point Given for a nose victory.

Point Given finished off Street Cry, with Burning Roma fourth in the 14-horse field. He is trained by Bob Baffert, who saddled Arabian (fifth) and Flame Thrower (eighth).

``I don't have to look any further for my Derby horse,'' said Stevens, Point Given's rider.

Favored A.P. Valentine finished dead last.

``We brought two good fillies and I thought that they were very close,'' Lukas said after Spain and Surfside picked up $1,699,200 from the $2.36 million purse. It was Lukas' fourth Distaff victory and his 16th victory in a Breeders' Cup race.

Surfside, ridden by Pat Day, broke on top and led until Spain passed her on the outside approaching the eighth pole. Spain won by 1 1/2 lengths, with Heritage of Gold another 1 1/2 lengths back. The winning time was 1:47 3/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Asked whether he knew it was the other Lukas horse that he passed, winning jockey Victor Espinoza, said: ``Yes, but I had to do it. I wanted to win the race.''

BREEDERS' CUP WINNERS

Race Winner Jockey Paid

Notable

Distaff Spain Victor Espinoza $113.80

Riboletta 7th; payoff second-biggest in Cup history

Juvenile Fillies Caressing John Velazquez $96

Winners with small-track roots team for $3,935 double. A second long-shot winner with small-track roots

Mile War Chant Gary Stevens $9

Stevens also won two races before Breeders' Cup

Sprint Kona Gold Alex Solis $5.40

Fastest in Cup history; Solis' first in 32 Cup rides

Filly & Mare Turf Perfect Sting Jerry Bailey $12

First of two in row for Frank Stronach-owned horses

Juvenile Macho Uno Jerry Bailey $14.60

Bailey ties Pat Day for most Cup wins (11)

Turf Kalanisi John Murtagh $11.20

England-based horse first or second in nine starts

Classic Tiznow Chris McCarron $20.40

Before this, Cal-breds were 0 for 49 in Cup races

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo: (1 -- color) Tiznow, right, with Chris McCarron aboard, pulls ahead of Giant's Causeway to capture the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Al Behrman/Associated Press

(2) Kalanisi, left, with Sir Michael Stoute aboard, drives to the finish line to win the Breeders' Cup Turf race at Churchill Downs.

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Box: BREEDERS' CUP WINNERS (see text)