Sir Michael Stoute was the toast of California when jockey Ryan Moore produced a dramatic burst to win the Breeder’s Cup Turf on Conduit at Santa Anita last night.

Earlier Frankie Dettori earned more European success when he and the John Gosden-trained Donativum won a thrilling duel with Johnny Murtagh and the Ballydoyle colt Westphalia at the end of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Dettori and the Breeders’ Cup go way back. Swain’s defeat in the 1998 Classic has been long since forgotten after his subsequent winners, six in total before last night, and the Americans love him. In truth, Dettori was made for America. His liveliness, flying dismounts and all-round exuberance go down as well here as a bottle of Bud on a hot day.

From a good draw in stall four, Donativum found himself well back in the field by the time they reached the first turn. He travelled easily down the far side but still had a wall of horses in front of him by the time they got to the home turn.

Dettori moved the Cadeaux Genereux gelding off the rail and found a gap outside Murtagh and Westphalia just as they began their challenge. Westphalia got first run and looked likely to give Aidan O’Brien and Murtagh their first victory of the meeting but Donativum was stronger in the finish and landed the spoils by half a length.

“I was concerned just before the home straight about finding a way out,” said Dettori. “It took 100 yards to find top gear but once we got upsides Johnny we were in full flight and I knew the job was done.”

Dettori started riding at Santa Anita when he was a young boy and Gosden trained here for nine years before moving to Britain. He trained Royal Heroine to win the Mile at the inaugural Breeders’ Cup meeting at Hollywood Park in 1984.

“It’s great to come back to Santa Anita and win a race on the main card on Saturday,” said Gosden. “We did get the luck in running but he would have been an unlucky loser if he hadn’t got out.”

Earlier, Goldikova produced a hugely impressive turn of foot under Olivier Peslier to land the Breeders’ Cup Mile, putting the seal on a phenomenal season for trainer Freddie Head.

Always travelling well just off the pace set by Thorn Song, the daughter of Anabaa cruised into the straight. The only worry Peslier had was whether a gap would appear. He sat patiently, waiting for the opportunity, which arrived when Precious Kitten moved slightly to her right. Goldikova didn’t need a second invitation. She quickened away to win by a length and a half, leaving last year’s winner, the Richard Dutrow-trained Kip Deville, to chase her home in second place.

Head, who rode Miesque to win this race in 1987 and 1988, thus becomes the only man to ride and train a winner of a Breeders’ Cup contest. “I couldn’t imagine it,” said the Frenchman. “I think it is more rewarding to train a horse like her than to ride her. The tension is greater as a trainer, though. All I can say is that life has been good to me.” Head confirmed that the three-year-old filly will stay in training next year.

The raiders took first blood when the Ralph Beckett-trained Muhannak sprang a 12/1 shocker under Irishman Pat Smullen in the inaugural running of the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. Held up in fourth place, Muhannak struck the front fully two furlongs from home before battling on bravely to withstand the late surge of Church Service and Edgar Prado, with the warm favourite, the Jeremy Noseda-trained Sixties Icon, finishing fifth, having failed to pick up in the home straight.

Bought by Beckett during the summer after he finished last of 12 in a York handicap, Muhannak showed his affinity for synthetic surfaces by winning on both his starts on Polytrack at Kempton and Dundalk since joining Beckett.

The Dave Hofmans-trained Desert Code and Richard Migliore got up in the shadow of the post to deny the Godolphin horse Diabolical and Dettori victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint when the latter had looked the likely winner.

Garrett Gomez delivered Albertus Maximus with a well-timed run down the outside to land the Dirt Mile for trainer Vladimir Cerin, and he doubled up Midshipman for trainer Bob Baffert in the Juvenile.