Hands on History, a series produced in partnership with the Breeders' Cup, traces the lives of Breeders' Cup winners through the perspectives of the horsemen and women who worked alongside them before and after their days in the spotlight.Long before they reached the peak of the sport, many of these champions displayed a distinct spark that caught their handlers' attention early on.At Coolmore, Eva Haller saw an athlete's spirit from the very beginning in Auguste Rodin. The horsewoman helped break the future 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf winner at the prestigious Walsh's Yard at Coolmore's base in Ireland.“What made him different to me was his attitude toward his work and the enthusiasm he showed from the start to get his work done and do it properly,” she described. “He was just so keen to get out there and his fluidity of movement was something I hadn't seen before.”It was a similar story with 2021 Dirt Mile victor Life Is Good. WinStar's barn foreman Vicky Gilligan vividly remembers the future star's professional attitude.“He always wanted to please us,” she said. “He was always a little bit on his toes, but once he knew everything was going to be okay, he took it all in stride. He used to love going to the track and he loved being turned out.”The series also highlights personal memories of watching champions on the big stage.Three Chimneys Farm's Doug Cauthen recalled the pressure and excitement of watching Gun Runner in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic.“I was sweating bullets,” Cauthen admitted, laughing at the memory. “They were flying on a track that wasn't really providing a lot of opportunities for horses on the lead. That race was loaded and it was his only other time that year running against Arrogate, who had beaten him in their prior meeting.”That same sense of racing history echoes at Claiborne Farm, where stallion groom Kevin Lay knows firsthand how deeply Blame's 2010 Classic victory over Zenyatta resonated with the public. But for Lay, who was standing at the rail as the grandstand fell silent when his future charge crossed the wire, the day still holds some of his fondest memories.“A lot of people say he's the horse that broke America's heart,” he said. “But I guess for me, it didn't break my heart because I was in love with him.”Beholder with Aimee Compton and Paco Rangel at Spendthrift Farm | Sara GordonSpeaking in Spanish, Zefe Escobedo talked about his experience as the groom of Karakontie. He said the stallion's tough exterior reflects the grit he showed in the 2014 Mile.“When I arrived, because I didn't know him, the horse was very strong,” Escobedo recalled. “The first time I worked with him, he scared me a lot because I did not know him. He was always trying to bite me. He is really strong, but I like working with the ones that have a strong temperament.”For the people managing these stars in their second careers, the moments when a champion's care is transferred to them leaves a meaningful impact.The 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic winner with Peter Sheehan and Miguel Morales | Sara GordonReflecting on Beholder a decade after her 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff duel with Songbird, Spendthrift broodmare manager Aimee Compton thought back on when the future Hall of Famer first arrived at the farm.“We had people here filming her and I was a little nervous about how everything was going to go, but she handled it really well,” she said. “I remember feeding her a carrot and just imagining what it was going to be like to take care of her because she was such a special horse.”Peter Sheehan, farm manager at Lane's End Farm, recalled his emotions after Flightline crossed the wire eight lengths ahead of his rivals in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic.“It was a feeling like, 'I'm about to have the world's best racehorse in my barn,'” Sheehan admitted. “But Flightline took away all that stress when he walked off the van. We had Mr. and Mrs. Farish and Ms. Lyon and a few others here to see him come into the barn and he just stood up in the middle of the courtyard and acted like he'd been here his whole life. He showed himself off like the champion he was.”Lance Mitchell, the stallion manager at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, worked with Curlin when he was just getting started in the business. Now, he not only manages the 2007 Classic winner, but he also helped kick start the stud career of Curlin's 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile-winning son Good Magic.“I had so much admiration for Curlin when I was young and I'm so grateful to be able to spend the years that I have with him,” he said. “He's the stallion of my lifetime. Now to be a part of Good Magic's career and be here with him as he takes over, I'm going to be telling my kids and grandkids about the time I spent with these two.”To catch up on all the episodes of the Hands on History series, click here. The post The Breeders’ Cup: Hands on History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.