John Sadler is oh-for-no more.

The trainer with the widely noted zero-for-44 streak in Breeders’ Cup Classic broke through on the biggest stage when 5-2 favorite Accelerate won the $6 million Classic by one length late Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Accelerate broke from the outside post in a 14-horse field and made his 13 rivals stand and wait while he balked and delayed the start. Accelerate finally loaded, then went out and cemented his position as the top older dirt-route horse in America. Racing wide while stalking the pace under Joel Rosario, Accelerate moved up from fifth at the half-mile pole while racing four paths wide around the far turn, collared pace-setting Mendelssohn at the quarter-pole, and slogged his way to the wire, comfortably holding clear Gunnevera’s long, steady run.

Accelerate, off splits of 22.68, 46,46, 1:10.61, and 1:35.90 ran 1 ¼ miles on a fast track in a mild 2:02.93. He paid $7.40 to win. Gunnevera, running his best race of the year, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Thunder Snow, who raced prominently throughout from post 1 and was a nose better than fourth-place Yoshida. Behind Yoshida came Mendelssohn, late-running Lone Sailor, West Coast, Discreet Lover, Pavel, Mind Your Biscuits, McKinzie, Catholic Boy, and Roaring Lion.

Rosario rode this third Breeders’ Cup winner of the weekend after having won six in all his previous mounts. Victory was surely even more gratifying for California-based Sadler, who earlier on the card had watched his odds-on favorite Catalina Cruiser finish sixth in the Dirt Mile.

McKinzie, one of the race’s disappointments, broke sharply inward under Mike Smith, compromising several of the horses inside him. Besides Accelerate, none of the other favorites – like Catholic Boy, West Coast, and Mind Your Biscuits, made any noise.

Accelerate, owned by Hronis Racing, is a 5-year-old horse by Lookin at Lucky out of Isssues, by Awesome Again. He was bred in Kentucky by Mike Abraham. Accelerate won for the 10th time in 22 starts and has put together an awesome 2018 campaign, adding the Classic to wins in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, the Grade 1 Awesome Again, the Grade 1 Gold Cup, and the Grade 2 San Antonio. He now faces one final possible battle – with Triple Crown winner Justify in the race for Horse of the Year.