HELLO again, old friend. It had been far too long.

Returning to the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in nearly a decade – American Pharoah in the dying light at Keeneland – brought it all back. All the reasons why the championship weekend was created, why it works and why you shouldn’t miss one. The horses. The races. The rides. The wins. The losses. The margins. The moments.

Not perfect, but the best America offers.

Somehow, I wound up standing behind Charlie Appleby’s table on the turf terrace before the Breeders’ Cup Turf. His kids, knife, fork and elbow deep into their filets, Godolphin entourage circling and bantering, Appleby watching silently, stoically.

Until Rebel’s Romance kicked off the turn and opened up at will, a four-length chasm in a blink of an eye, in four words and a comma.

“Come on, old man,” Appleby said, leaning over the white rail.

Then implored. “Come on, old man.”

The old man came on, adding another indelible moment to his illustrious career, holding off Japanese closers Rousham Park and Shahryar. William Buick’s timing, the difference in winning and losing.

“What a horse,” Appleby said, as he bounded down the back steps at Del Mar.

What a weekend of horses.

City Of Troy took on the ultimate sporting challenge, putting his turf exploits, his turf excellence on the line in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Still searching for its first win in the Classic, Coolmore lost this one at the clang of the bell. “They’re off. You lose.” Yeah, that fast.

American speed

Facing an impossible task from an inside draw in the heart of American speed, City Of Troy actually plugged at it longer than most, to split the field in half in the $7 million feature. Connections mentioned the Travers earlier in the year, a dirt experience in August might have secured the Classic in November.

Either way, Coolmore had the trophy with the long-awaited breakout performance by Sierra Leone. Flavien Prat, take a bow. Another bow. And clear your mantle for an Eclipse Award at season’s end.

The ride of the weekend came early, delivered deftly by Colin Keane. Sitting and waiting like a cat burglar on a branch, Keane engineered a half-length win on Magnum Force in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

What do they say about keeping your head while everyone else is losing theirs? Yeah, Keane and the Ger Lyons trainee went outside one horse, the pacesetting Governor Sam, within strides of the wire. A thing of beauty.

Rossa Ryan sketched one for that same gallery with a last-to-first dart aboard Starlust in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. My son swears he should have come down for interfering with Isivunguvungu, but I disagree.

Irish-based Arizona Blaze and Hill Road showed up and showed off for trainer Adrian Murray. Solid efforts by two longshots.

Lake Victoria was as good as promised. Henri Matisse, as well. Different gravy, as they say over there.

As for the Americans, Thorpedo Anna and Brian Hernandez Jr. were flawless in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

We stood at ground level, just to hear her hoofbeats, feel the whoosh of Hernandez’s jubilant whip after her sixth win (fifth Grade 1) in seven starts this year. She danced every dance and deserves all her accolades, including Horse of the Year.

Another hero

At the end of the day, I asked Appleby about the hero of the weekend. Not a winner, not even a horse who hit the board, but the hero in my book. Al Qudra, the juvenile turf horse, saved the Breeders’ Cup.

Late Friday afternoon, aiming at a sliver of a seam between New Century and Seagulls Eleven, the two-year-old colt caught his left front leg with the back legs of Seagulls Eleven, splayed, sprawled and somehow stayed on his feet.

Jockey James Doyle shot forward, sideways, lost an iron and somehow stayed in the saddle. It was the save of the weekend.

Finding a leg and maybe the hand of God, Del Mar wasn’t marred.

“Bless him,” Appleby said. “Bless him.”

Bless ’em all.