Nostalgic Horse

Good for the game:

Peppers Pride-any time a horse wins 19 in a row, it is good for the game, even if it is in New Mexico. Her appearances there helped to attract old and new race goers alike, and it proves that people will come out to see hometown heroes. The only negative is there aren’t more classy, consistent horses across the country that could help attendance at other venues.

Zenyatta- she looks unbeatable, and next year the sky could be the limit. The problem is the first time main stream media heard her name was at the Breeders Cup, where she decimated her field. That is sad too, because her other races this year were just as impressive, especially her win in the Apple Blossom over the always tough Ginger Punch. Ginger Punch is off to the breeding shed and will be missed, but Zenyatta will be back for more next year.

Curlin/Jess Jackson- It has been a long time that a Horse of the Year has returned, or even a three year old male champ (unless we count the geldings). Kudos to the connections of Curlin for even wanting a four year old campaign. Curlin did not disappoint, and rattled off victories in the Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. His try on turf did not result in a win, but he was still very game, and his Classic was not as bad as it looked. His beyer speed figures were still up there with the rest of his efforts. He just got beat by a better horse that day, in track record time.

Larry Jones- we shared his heartbreak over his filly’s tragic demise. He put a human face on a problem that is all to common in the game today. It was hard not to feel his pain, when he was so visibly shaken over the loss of Eight Belles. He showed the game is sometimes not as harsh as it appears, and the humans involved often really do love their equine charges.

The ladies- were ultra-consistent and where the excitement was at this year. Ginger Punch, Indian Blessing, Proud Spell, Music Note, Cocoa Beach and Zenyatta ran their hearts out this year. Stardom Bound (little Z around the barn) doesn’t appear to be letting the ladies down, and is poised to take the reins next year at three. Standing in her way are Zenyatta and Cocoa Beach, who will be tough to beat.

Racing duds:

Todd Pletcher- Ok, so Pletcher is an easy scapegoat, and we know he isn’t the only one doping his horses (Wait a While- Breeders Cup), but it is tiresome to see all the major trainers accused of drug infractions. It is long overdue for an overhaul on the way the offenders are punished (or not)!

Inaction from just about everyone in positions of power- Will they ever make drug policies with teeth? After seeing what they are currently doing, it is very doubtful. Forget about steroids for awhile, how about lasix? Every horse in this country runs on lasix, and it doesn’t do what it is supposed to do- which is stop bleeding. Does it make them faster? Maybe, as everyone is so afraid to take their horses off of it and find out.

Rod Stewart- another perfect example of what is wrong with current drug policies and punishments. He was caught with cobra venom but lucky for him we haven’t seen the last of him. His horses, however are not so lucky.

Rick Dutrow- he was good for press, but that was about it. It was also fun to laugh at him when his horse finished dead last in the Belmont. Big Brown had some spectacular races, but he certainly would have been easier to like and root for without his ass of a trainer.

Dan Liebman- God, we miss Ray Paulick and can at least catch his thoughts from time to time over at ESPN. Is there a more boring writer than Dan Liebman?

The three year olds- One word describes this group- slow. They took turns winning races in the spring, and didn’t seem to progress all that much throughout the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see if Mambo in Seattle, Harlem Rocker, Tale of Ekati, El Gato Malo and Colonel John are any better at four. If Big Brown really was greatness, because of this crop, he will forever be tainted. We will always wonder if he really was that good, or were his fields just that weak.

Coverage of all siblings related to Barbaro- be it Nicanor, Lentanor or whoever else Bloodhorse wants to cover….enough already! Remember all the buzz about The Green Monkey (never even won a race). Yes, they are related to Barbaro, but that in itself could be a problem. While Barbaro was fast, he wasn’t durable enough to hold together for seven races…a problem with the modern day thoroughbred, and now we have more baby Barbaros. Hopefully they are sturdier.

NTRA- they needed to support the bill that made horse slaughter just a little bit harder in the US. They didn’t and now anyone with a brain knows that just because we can’t slaughter horses in America, doesn’t mean thousands of our racehorses don’t end up across the border meeting their end in slaughterhouses. A PETA headed by some more “in the know” people could make a lot of noise with this one, instead of jumping on the jockey for the Eight Belles tragedy. The problem of what to do with retired racehorses, and the callousness in which some are abandoned makes it very hard to hope this sport continues in the black, and makes it an easy target for anyone crying animal abuse. It has often been said that there is a fine line between dog fights, cock fights and horse racing. Never before has the line been so fine.

This year will never be remembered as a great one for the sport of horse racing. Even with the return of Horse of the Year Curlin, it was a lackluster year full of heartache. There were some memorable moments for sure, and some stand out stars.

Big Brown burst onto the scene with his scintiliting Florida Derby win, and looked poised to take the first Triple Crown since Affirmed thirty years ago. His Belmont is still a puzzle, and it is hard to ignore the drug issue in the sport any longer. Of course, thoroughbred racing is so good at doing that in America, so it is no wonder the Europeans fared so well when we toughened up drug policies for the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita. It can certainly be argued that Curlin and Big Brown are not the same horses off of steroids that they are on steroids, if it were not for Curlin’s Dubai World Cup. Of course, his field this year did not include the toughest group of horses ever assembled.

Eight Belles’ nose dive into the dirt after her gallant second place finish at the Derby, is one of the saddest moments the sport has seen, and in recent years it has seen a lot. This year alone the sport lost Nashoba’s Key (in a freak barn accident) and Hesanoldsalt when he broke away from his handlers. Wanderin Boy (another heartbreaking loss for the older horse never fully achieved the glory he so deserved), Shakis,Aquarian, King’s Silver Son, and Stuyvesant were all casualties on the track this year. Peta came out in full force after the Derby, but their knowledge of the game and the animal was minimal, and once again they turned what could have been good pr into another freak show for them. They could and should have jumped on the drug bandwagon (even fans of the sport have been screaming that for years), or the sad fate that awaits many horses off the track. Had they of highlighted either of those issues following Eight Belles very public death, it would have been brought to the main stream media, and that is long overdue.

Commentator, Curlin, Big Brown and Zenyatta stood out this year, but the older male category is sorely lacking compared to years ago. It is a double edged sword. Horses are retiring earlier, and for champions usually at the end of their three year old year , leaving a hole in the older ranks. However, if they stick around (Shakis and Wanderin Boy) they run the risk of dying on the racetrack.

The Bloodhorse did an article on Losing the Iron Horse, like that needed to be written. Anyone with eyes can see, that began over a decade ago. Horses are either not built like they used to be, are drugged, or are handled with kid gloves. Jeremy Plonk, wrote perhaps one of the most thought provoking articles regarding the outcome of the Cup races. He illustrated the training methods of the Europeans in stark contrast to our own horses, and said he could not see a race in which their horses would not be superior to beings that spend the majority of their time standing in their stalls. Pro-ride and synthetic surfaces are here to stay, so our trainers better step up and start training for stamina, rather than the speed we so crave. Curlin made his signature move at the top of the stretch in the Classic, but could not hold it over the new stamina favoring ground. The Europeans raced past him and finished one-two. It is hard to think what a horse like Curlin would have been in the hands of a Ben Jones.

It is no surprise that Curlin has been retired. Sad, but we had a four year old season out of him, and we really can’t ask for more than that today. Jess Jackson is a sport, and kudos to him for keeping his champ in the game. He wasn’t keen on going to Santa Anita, but did so anyway, and may have lost Curlin a repeat title because of that. He shouldn’t lose, but that is another story. Sporting gestures should be rewarded and while the flawless filly Zenyatta was perfect this year, there were not a lot of sporting gestures from her camp. Watching her beat up on the same group of fillies and mares all year was sometimes painfully boring to watch. That being said, it was quite a year for the ladies. Zenyatta, Ginger Punch, Goldikova, Proud Spell, Music Note, Cocoa Beach, and perhaps the best one of them all, Zarkava were consistent headliners all year long. Even Peppers Pride who never raced outside of New Mexico, deserves applause for running her win streak to 19. While, she wasn’t facing top tier horses, it is still a feat to win 19 in a row no matter who you race against.

Horses retired aside from Curlin and Big Brown this year include Lava Man, Ginger Punch, Into Mischief, Henrythenavigator, Raven’s Pass, Midnight Lute and Zarkava.

Sheikh Mohammed bought two of the best juveniles, Midshipman and Vineyard Haven. We may see them at the Derby next year or not. No horse has won the Derby prepping overseas, and we have a star staying right on our own soil in Old Fashioned. After this year for Larry Jones and two second place finishes at the Derby, it would be extra nice to see his horse finally take the roses.

Alysheba came home to reside in the same place Funny Cide will be calling home, The Kentucky Horse Park. The Park got a bigger dose of star power with those two animals, and one has to appreciate King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia gifting the aging Alysheba back to us. Too often stallions with declining fertility wind up with grizzly endings. Ironically enough that was the fate of Alysheba’s on track nemesis, Ferdinand. So kudos again to King Abdullah.   

Aging horses were lost to us in champion derby winning fillies Genuine Risk, Princess Rooney and Winning Colors, as well as Wild Again, Cozzene, Strawberry Reason,Lear Fan, Forest Wildcat, Fit to Fight, and the grand old gelding, John Henry. Young stallions Bowman’ Band and Vindication also passed on. 

Legendary trainer Frank Whiteley died in May. Harry Aleo, Jim McKay, David Mullins, Parker Buckley, Bill Donovan, Edgar Allen Jr, Helen Gardiner and Sidney Craig all were passed away in 2008.

Overall, this year can be seen as the best of times, and the worst of times. Certainly watching Big Brown annihilate his Derby field was something special, but two minutes later the Eight Belles’ tragedy was not. Larry Jones said his filly did not die in vain, and if her death was the catalyst for change in the sport regarding drug policies, than so be it. Of course, Larry Jones later came under fire for an illegal substance. Todd Pletcher’s Wait a While tested positive at the Breeders Cup. Patrick Biancone is back to work again, and the status quo seems to be just fine for the thoroughbred racing industry. Sticking their heads in the sand,or putting on a great show pretending to enact stricter drug policies, while actually doing nothing, is not the “change” necessary to keep this sport afloat.

By: Elizabeth Rancani

Steve Haskin wrote his thoughts this week on Horse of the Year. He feels Big Brown should still be in the mix. I haven’t been the horse’s biggest fan this year, but I normally agree with Haskin. This time, however I feel he is way off the mark.

The vote for Horse of the Year is between two candidates: Zenyatta and Curlin. If Silver Charm couldn’t win the title off his Derby, Preakness and Strub and War Emblem couldn’t come close after following a similiar Big Brown schedule and only having Azeri to fend off, Big Brown can do no better than a distant third place finish. Yes, his Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness were something special. His fall campaign was not. Yes, Big Brown was probably more talented than War Emblem, but the races they won are very similiar. War Emblem also won the Derby, Preakness and Haskell. We will never know how good Big Brown was. He was trained after the Triple Crown for the Classic, and that is sad. It used to be horses were trained for a career, not just one race.  After the Triple Crown, Big Brown’s camp wanted him to win the Classic, period. His prep races were designed specifically to get him to the Classic without anymore losses. Taking the easy road cut him out of the top title this year. You have to show up to win, and if he had shown up in any race other than the weak Haskell and the glorified allowance race at Monmouth, even with the injury prior to the Classic, we may not be left with comparisions to War Emblem and the what if feeling? If he had defeated Curlin in either the Woodward or the Jockey Club, he would be up against Zenyatta, not Curlin. He was healthy for those two races, and his feet were solid, so the reason for not taking a shot, illustrates a main problem with the sport today.

Before the Breeders Cup began, horses had to pick spots where they would face the most competition, sometimes on numerous occasions. Today they are raced sparingly in the hope that they will get to the Cup in one piece and pull off a win there. Champions are crowned there.

The first Horse of the Year was Granville. He ran eleven times and won seven times, including the Belmont, Travers and Lawrence Realization. His only off the board finish came when he dumped his rider at the Derby.

The award belongs to horses like Citation, Native Dancer, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Kelso (five times), Dr. Fager, Damascus, and Arts and Letters. Some were Triple Crown winners. Some won a lot of races. Arts and Letters won the Metropolitian, Belmont, Jim Dandy, Travers, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup his year, and his schedule was the norm, not the exception. 

The seventies saw horses like Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Forego, Secretariat take top honors. Four year old Affirmed wrested the title from Spectacular Bid in 79 after winning seven times, including the Strub, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He defeated Spectacular Bid in the Jockey Club in what surely was the award winning race, since the youngster had ten wins to his credit that year, and a grueling Triple Crown campaign.

The eighties saw the award go to Ferdinand, Conquistador Cielo, Sunday Silence, and John Henry twice. It also went to the fillies All Along and Lady’s Secret. Lady’s Secret won 8 Grade Is that year, and faced males four times, wining the Whitney and finishing in the money in all of her other starts against males. Turkoman lost to her even though he took the Marlboro, and Widener and narrowly missed winning the Jockey Club and the Classic. Lady’s Secret had wins in the Beldame, Ruffian and Distaff to go along with her gallant tries against males where in one instance she finished ahead of Turkoman.

Alysheba won in 1988, when his main competition was the undefeated filly, Personal Ensign. He had six Grade Is that year, just like her, but he was given top prize. She even had a successful run against males in the Grade I Whitney, but still couldn’t topple Alysheba.

The  nineties saw many horses that didn’t seem all that durable or all that flashy walk away with the award. Two year old Favorite Trick won in 1997 after winning  just two Grade Is. Charismatic won in 1999 after winning just three races, and AP Indy was no Iron Horse in 1992 but still took the prize, winning three Grade Is. Luckily Skip Away, Cigar and Holy Bull belong to the nineties thus saving that decade from total failure.

Tiznow won Horse of the Year in 2000 after winning only two Grade I events. One was the Classic, and competition that year was scarce, so he took the award.

Point Given won after winning the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness, Belmont, Haskell and Travers.

Azeri won without having to face males at all, but her competition that year included War Emblem and Left Bank (one Grade 1 in the Whitney).

Mineshaft won seven times, with wins in the Jockey Club, Woodward and Suburban. He was retired due to injury prior to the Breeders Cup.

Ghostzapper had four wins his year, including the Classic, only his second Grade I win all year. 

St. Liam won four Grade Is including the Classic in 2005, and finished ahead of Afleet Alex in the voting. Afleet Alex was dazzling during the Triple Crown, but St. Liam was able to make voters forget him with his win in the Classic.

Invasor proved much the best in 2006 after defeating Bernardini in a heart pounding Classic. He also won the Pimlico, Suburban, and Whitney that year, all Grade I events.

Then came Curlin. Last year he raced nine times, and by modern standards proved as durable as they come. He faced, possibly the classiest group of three year olds, and finished in the money in all of his starts. He defeated older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and then earned his award in the slop at Monmouth. Last year Street Sense, Hard Spun, Lawyer Ron and Curlin all would have made deserving Horse of the Years’ but it was Curlin’s win when they were all together that gave him the award.

And now we have two deserving candidates. Forget Big Brown. His connections gave up any chance he had when choosing an allowance slot as his final prep for the Classic. We have the undefeated, super filly in one corner, and the reigning Horse of the Year in the other.

History has taught us that not facing males is problematic unless you are facing horses like Left Bank and War Emblem. Personal Ensign lost to Alysheba, even though she, unlike he, was perfect. Only five fillies in history have won Horse of the Year outright. All but Azeri faced males. The list includes Busher and Twilight Tear who defeated the great Devil Diver by six lengths in the Pimlico Special. All Along won four Grade Is including the Arc, and romped in the 1983 Turf Classic. Her competition that year was Slew o’ Gold, and he was somewhat inconsistent as a three year old. 

Zenyatta has four Grade I wins. So does Curlin. Zenyatta is perfect. Curlin is not. Curlin’s connections this year had a bigger idea in mind for Curlin. They didn’t want an undefeated record, a monetary one, higher stud fees, or the best dirt horse in all of America. They wanted him to be a world beater, on any surface. He failed on turf, although still ran second in a Grade I race. He failed on pro-ride, though still ran the fastest mile and a quarter of his life. He won the Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup; enough to win the Eclipse award in almost every year of the past two decades. He is still the top dirt horse in the world, and should be voted America’s Horse of the Year.

The synthetic pro-ride surface that received so much attention earlier in the year, will undoubtably get even more attention now. After the ladies remained consistent Friday, and proved most great fillies and mares will be as great over pro-ride, the boys didn’t exactly fare the same.

The favorites were disappointing, and the European contingent ran better than most years, wining five of nine and finishing one-two in the classic, and one- two in the juvenile turf. Europeans apparently love pro-ride, which makes sense because it seems to be more like a turf course. Our horses either love it or they don’t. As impressive as Zenyatta was yesterday, she did not have to face any of them. If she did, who knows what would have happened.

Curlin made his move at the top of the stretch, but ran like a tired horse, or a horse that hated the surface. Pro-ride is particularly hard for a giant horse like Curlin. Zenyatta and Midnight Lute, however had no problem with it, but they are based in California, and Zenyatta had a race over it already.

The Classic apparently proved nothing. Curlin was in the thick of things, but his fourth place finish probably stripped him of year end honors. The front-runner now has to be Zenyatta. She is still a perfect 9 for 9. That doesn’t, of course make Curlin any less a champion. He is always there, and is classy and consistent. It is hard not to wonder how Raven’s Pass would have fared against him on traditional dirt. He still deserves older male. And Big Brown surely has the three year old colt award sewn up. The only way he could possibly have lost that was if Colonel John ran a stunner in the Classic. Even then, it would have been hard to topple him.

The filly Goldikova defeated Kip Deville in what was possibly the best example of poetic irony in modern day sports. Rick Dutrow ran his mouth off again yesterday and bashed women trainers. It is a wonder this man has any clients. It was sure nice to see a filly beat his horse, one that he was planning on dropping lots of cash on. That fact just sweetened the deal.

So what turned into a contest between Big Brown and Curlin, may possibly go to the one mare who towers over them all. What lost some of its luster because of the defection of Big Brown, was still a showcase of the world’s best. It certainly was not devoid of stars, and one has to remember that even the greatest horses have lost in their careers. It didn’t make them any less a champion. Curlin’s connections have to be feeling low tonite, but their colt has more than proved his merit. In an era where the best horses are retired after a handful of starts, Curlin ran 16 times, with most of those in Grade I company. He never ducked a fight, traveled halfway around the world, and it took a track record to beat him today.

Zenyatta defeated a stellar group of fillies and mares in the Ladies Classic, laying claim to the Horse of the Year title. She was last most of the way, but first when it counted, blowing by the ladies as if they were standing still.

She is the quintessential thoroughbred, and even before entering the starting gate, it is obvious, she is something special, and knows it. She paws the ground and struts like a prize fighter entering the ring. She waits patiently, but once unleashed her ears prick, and she is ready to roll.

Cocoa Beach was second, and proved her win over Ginger Punch was no fluke, and the three year old filly, Music Note was third. That should be interesting to see how three year old filly honors play out, after her game finish in the Classic. Ginger Punch didn’t seem to ever grab hold of the bit, and maybe is one of those horses that does not like Pro-Ride.

It was a formful day of racing overall, and favorites did well whether or not they actually ever ran over pro-ride before or not. Ventura blew by Indian Blessing in the Sprint, and while Proud Spell looks to be the three year old filly of the year, Indian Blessing should not be ignored. Ventura easily handed Indian Blessing a loss, but the game three year old never has been off the board.

Forever Together took the Turf, and Maram won the Juvenile Turf by a whisker. The Juvenile was won by Stardom Bound, whom her connections refer to as ZJ, short for Zenyatta Junior. She sure ran like her stable’s star, and came from way out of the pack to post a comfortable win over Dream Empress. Sky Diva was third.

Horses did very well from the back of the pack, and the track was playing fair. Tomorrow bet the best, for they should have very little excuses if the ladies are any indication. Favorites ruled the day with Zenyatta capping a 9 for 9 season.

Now two questions remain: Did Music Note do enough to earn three year old honors by finishing third to quite possibly the best thoroughbred in the world? Where does Indian Blessing fit in? Will Zenyatta be awarded racing’s highest honor? Zenyatta is ultra impressive, but should Curlin win the Classic yet again, he will be hard to ignore. Great things lay in wait for Zenyatta, but unlike Azeri, Zenyatta doesn’t face Left Bank, she faces the reigning Horse of the Year. It is hard to knock a horse that has won the Woodward, Jockey Club, Stephen Foster, Dubai World Cup and maybe another Classic, plus a decent run in the Man O’War.

While the Phillies make a run for baseball’s highest honor for the first time in years, this Friday all eyes will be on a different kind of filly.

For the record, I still hate the idea of a filly friday. It is like saying they are not important enough to be seen on one of racing’s greatest days. The fact that at least one of the races will be among the top two most buzz generating races, adds further insult to injury. Zenyatta has star power, and has never been beaten. Horse racing loves a good undefeated story, and hers is a doozy. This filly does things so easily, it is hard to imagine her ever getting beat. Ginger Punch is no slouch though, and does not like to lose. She is not going to willingly hand her title over to Zenyatta. Only eight fillies and mares were entered in this race, which says a lot about the quality of competition. Carriage Trail is an interesting prospect, as is Cocoa Beach (who recently defeated Ginger Punch). Don’t expect that to be so easy a second time around, and think long and hard before leaving Ginger off your tickets, especially in the win spot. Zenyatta is 3-5 and that is probably pretty accurate, but it would not be terribly surprising to see any of these fillies in the winners’ circle (ok, that isn’t entirely true- Bear Now or Santa Teresita).

The filly sprint also has Indian Blessing and she has never finished worse than second, a feat made so impressive because at times she was entered in races beyond her distance specialty. Thankfully, Baffert has dropped her back to sprints, and she has not disappointed. There is nothing wrong with being a top class sprinter, and Indian Blessing is that. She would have had a real shot at the boys this year also, but what would have been the point? If she can win Friday, she all but wraps up her second eclipse award. Standing in her way are Dearest Trickski, Indyanne, Intangaroo and maybe even Lady Sprinter.  Magnificience looked like a real rising star last spring, but injury sidelined her until this May. She has not returned to her former glory, and may be one of the many horses that never return to form off an injury. If that is not the case, she is more than capable of pulling an upset.

The juvenile filly turf looks wide open with Laragh and Saucey Evening leading the pack. And while Stardom Bound looks to be the favorite for the Juvenile, there are many accomplished fillies in this field. Eight of these fillies are coming off an win in their last outing, and only three have finished worse than fourth, ever. This race could be a handicapper’s nightmare.

The Filly and Mare Turf is led by Wait a While, a mare that runs her absolute best while in California. She has some Euros to fend off, and in this spot they are always dangerous. Forever Together and Precious Kitten are also tough competitors. Normally with Breeders Cup Turf races, it is a good formula to just bet on the European contingent, but this year America brings as impressive a line-up as ever there was.

Two days of racing is a good idea, but putting all the girls on one day, is somewhat insulting, and it is hard to articulate why that is. Obviously watching Ginger Punch and Zenyatta race is more interesting than watching the Juvenile Turfs, or really for me watching any Juvenile race at this point. The past few Juvenile winners (save Indian Blessing and Street Sense) are never there once the Derby rolls around anyway, and they never return to the same form they had for The Breeders Cup. Perhaps, the best bit of wisdom was putting Vineyard Haven away for the spring. Now maybe next year they can schedule all the babes for Friday, and put the DISTAFF right in front on the Classic.

Match races have been used since horse racing began to test who truly had the best and fleetest animal. Sadly, the last nationally publicized match race ended in tragedy and horse racing has not attempted it since. Should Ruffian’s racetrack horror be the reason that today’s racing no longer utilizes match races? Were they ever really a good idea to begin with?

Seabiscuit’s famed match with Triple Crown champ War Admiral was the epitome in its day of what was so great about match races and horse racing in general. Another rags to riches match race involved Alsab when he defeated Triple Crown champ Whirlaway by a nose in their match race in 1942. Though Alsab and Seabiscuit prevailed, history still regards those they defeated in a higher regard, so what do match races prove exactly? Nashua beat Swaps in a match race, but Swaps was not 100% that day and even Nashua’s jockey said years later, that he doubted his horse would ever have defeated a healthy Swaps.

The 1975 Great Match Race was a terrible idea, and it illustrated the beast in the ring nowadays is a much more fragile being. Horses in the good old days could run two or three times a month, run for years, and start more than ten times. By the time the 70s rolled around, horses raced once a month, for two years, maybe three and barely made more than twenty starts in their entire career. Breakdowns were rare on the national stage until the late sixties. Ruffian changed all that and still people who witnessed that race get a little queasy thinking about another match race.

A good horse race involves many horses, and jockeys must use strategy and every ounce of luck in order to get their horse home in front. Some horses are speed horses and generally these horses fair better in match races. Some horses creep up during the middle stages of a race, and some like to come from way back of the pack. On any given day any of these styles can prove victorious, if it is not in a match race. Match races often take a horse’s natural style away from them for there is only one way to win them.

Today’s horse, being fragile, but always highly competitive will literally run themselves into the ground to win. Ruffian continued to run for 150 feet on three legs, erasing any chance she had of surviving the initial injury.

The sport does not need to replay that race with Big Brown and Curlin. Both horses are good for the sport and have many loyal fans. If the Clark Handicap were to draw a full field and both horses showed up, great, but a match race has disaster written all over it. The sport gave up match races a long time ago, and with horses as fragile as Big Brown and his sire and grandsire before him, it is an avenue best not revisited.

by: Elizabeth Rancani

History is full of races that are spectacular to watch. Everyone wishes they were at Belmont in June of 1973 to watch that famous red horse win by an astonishing 31 lengths. Few dispute that was the greatest performance ever witnessed.

History is also full of races where a nose decided the winner. Two fabulous animals hooked eyeball to eyeball refusing to yield. That is the true measure of a champion. A horse that doesn’t want to lose, and refuses, though wearing to be passed in the stretch. The 1978 Jockey Club witnessed a great duel between Exceller and Seattle Slew. It was Exceller’s moment, but Slew proved he was every bit the champ when he came back after leading and refused to give up. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer hooked up in the Preakness Stakes, and Sunday Silence refused to be passed by the two year old champ. Only a photo could tell which horse would wear the black eyed susans. Then Real Quiet hung tough and was denied his Triple Crown by the narrowest of margins. Personal Ensign nipped Champion filly Winning Colors in a Breeders Cup Distaff for the ages. It is often the close calls that show the heart of a champion, more so than the dazzling displays of brilliance.

This past weekend was spectacular in terms of racing. Go Between battled Well Armed and prevailed, two older horses, proving that they should not to be ignored on Breeders Cup Day. The always tough Ginger Punch would not be defeated and got her snout to the wire first in the Personal Ensign. The Travers seemed devoid of stars when Big Brown passed, but Colonel John proved that he was worth the hype in the Spring. Mambo in Seattle is also a star on the rise. The Breeders Cup will not be a cakewalk for Big Brown if Go Between, Well Armed, Colonel John and Mambo in Seattle have anything to say about it. They run well on synthetics, and are now battle tested.

Seabiscuit was battle tested, and while War Admiral looked clearly superior on paper, it was the battle tested Seabiscuit that prevailed when they met. Dodging Curlin may be the best thing for Big Brown. Curlin is battle tested. He won the Preakness after looking Street Sense in the eye, and lost the Belmont by a head to the well- rested filly with a five pound weight advantage.

Big Brown may have all he can handle with the aforementioned four. It will be a Classic to remember, and the Distaff side will be tough as well. Ginger Punch may have let Zenyatta by her the first time they met, but she is no rollover. If she goes to the Distaff, she will make the trip count. Last year’s thriller may be nothing compared to this year’s. Synthetics make for close finishes anyway, but this year may take that to another level. A blanket finish bringing the game to challenge the brilliant.

The possibility of Curlin and Big Brown meeting on any track seems unlikely at the moment, and really it is nobody’s fault. The connections of Big Brown have always said they intended to run in the Breeders Cup Classic. The connections of Curlin have never said the Classic was on their radar. Neither is changing their minds at this point in the game. No one is ducking anyone.

If anything is to blame it is the fragility of the thoroughbred, particularly Big Brown. After watching a very tired Brownie struggle home in the Haskell, one can certainly understand why the Woodward is a bad fit. He needs time before another race, and while four weeks in the past would have been plenty of time (many horses would have had two races in that span), it is not enough for Big Brown. If he were to run in the Jockey Club, that only gives him four weeks for the Classic, and that is his owners ultimate goal, Curlin or no Curlin. They should not have to change their plans because of any pressure from racing fans.

The fact that Big Brown does need so much time between races, is exactly what should keep him from being a champion for the ages. He can’t help it that he has sore feet, anymore than IEAH or Dutrow can. He cannot help it that the Triple Crown took its toll on him, and eight weeks later he barely beat an allowance horse in the Haskell. The Triple Crown took a lot out of Curlin last year also. He ran a dull third in the Haskell. Of course, he actually competed in the Belmont.

As for champions being decided at the Breeders Cup, there are plenty of incidents in the past that prove that doesn’t necessarily matter. Anyone remember Mineshaft? Curlin does not need to run in the Classic, or against Big Brown, for that matter, to repeat Horse of the Year. It is more about Big Brown having to defeat Curlin to take the title. To not have a match up will do nothing to Curlin’s value or reputation. Curlin has already proven himself. He can travel to a variety of tracks, even across the ocean, and soundly defeat the world’s best.

Curlin and Big Brown can both run on turf and dirt. While some might point out that Big Brown is undefeated on turf, Curlin finished a game second in his first attempt against Grade I winners. Anyone remember who Big Brown beat on turf?

What makes IEAH so sure that Big Brown is going to handle a brand new surface at Santa Anita? What if he doesn’t? Should some synthetic specialist (Colonel John) take away Big Brown’s three year old title? Champions have been crowned at the Breeders Cup many times, but they should not fall there simply because they are not adept at handling a brand new surface, especially since both Big Brown and Curlin have handled many tracks and two different surfaces.

If Dutrow is so supremely confident in Big Brown, put him in the Gold Cup, and skip the Classic. He already earned three year old honors, and has everything to gain from running against Curlin. Big Brown and Curlin are both proven runners on dirt, so it would be a better indicator of who really is a better horse. Whoever wins the Classic, the surface can always be the excuse. Not so, with the Gold Cup.

If that doesn’t happen, the connections should not be the bad guys. They were very clear from the beginning. We will have to let history decide who was the faster animal, and at this point, all signs point to Curlin. Big Brown will be retired at the end of this year, and to many, he still will have had much to prove.

So now we have Rick Dutrow once again saying how Big Brown is the better horse than reining king Curlin. What a surprise and how uncharacteristic of him! That is what we have come to expect from this trainer, and in a way it is good for the sport. It gives the media something to talk about, and like him or hate him, Dutrow doesn’t really care.

He boasts that Curlin did not win the Kentucky Derby, Big Brown did. Curlin lost to a girl, Big Brown didn’t. Curlin lost the Haskell, Big Brown didn’t. If Big Brown is so fabulous, let’s see it. We surely did not see it in the Haskell.

Excuses can certainly be made for Big Brown in the Haskell, and he did still win. He just wasn’t dazzling, and that could prove to be that he needed a race, and was off a long layoff. It could also mean that Big Brown off Winstrol, is not the same animal he was on Winstrol. Or, maybe Coal Play is getting good. Certainly other late blooming three year olds came around in the past at this time of the year; horses that were not even mentioned during the Triple Crown races. Java Gold, Tiznow and Wajima come to mind.

Unfortunately, we will never know how great Big Brown is unless he faces Curlin. He, unlike Curlin is the one with something still to prove. Curlin faced a consistent, brilliant, sound crop of three year olds. Certainly last year’s group would have given a world of trouble to the likes of Pyro, Denis of Cork, Cool Coal Man and Recapturetheglory. And dare I say, Rags to Riches would have humbled the tragic Eight Belles. Curlin did not lose to just any girl, he lost to one of the best fillies of this decade, maybe even the past 25 years. Big Brown thus far has beat up on other three year olds, and weak ones at best.

Curlin has never been worse than third, proved the best of the three year old boys last year, defeated older horses and took a trip around the world, where he proved a world beater.

His connections have stated the Woodward is his next stop. It would be an ideal race for Big Brown. It is thirty days after the Haskell and he could still run one more time and set himself up for the Classic. Of course, if Curlin trounces Big Brown in the Woodward, and skips the Classic, it doesn’t really matter who wins the Classic. The Woodward will decide year end honors. If one were really confident in their horse, the Woodward would be the way to go. Is there a point to Big Brown beating up some glorified claimers at Philadelphia Park? Or running against another weak field at some specially made for him turf race? If he wins one of those races and the Breeders Cup Classic, he still may not win Horse of the Year, and rightfully so.

The Breeders Cup Classic will be run on an untested surface, and no championship honors should be decided there. The big boys may decide to stay East, and really it should be their entire body of races, not just what happens Breeders Cup day. Maybe that will be the good to come out of suffering two Breeders Cups at Santa Anita. Maybe voting will get back to the good old days when the other 364 days of the year counted come voting day.

Either way, Big Brown has more to lose by not meeting Curlin right now. If he beats up on some allowance horses, and then wins the Classic, great. But if Curlin wins the Woodward, and maybe even the Breeders Cup Turf (a good spot for him, and a feat not yet accomplished) or another race overseas, the three year old is going to have a tough time unseating him. It does bring back memories of War Admiral and Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit had to face War Admiral in order to win the respect of the voters, because all Seabiscuit had beaten were ‘lowly horses from the West.’ Same thing with Big Brown. All he has beaten, again, is a weak crop of three year olds.

Speaking of the Breeders Cup, how about Zenyatta making a go of the Classic? She certainly deserves mention with the likes of Big Brown and Curlin, and could be a real threat to spoil Big Brown’s Breeders Cup party. It would be, perhaps the best poetic justice to have him lose to the super filly. Jess Jackson would have to laugh at that one, as would thousands of horse racing fans.