TJT's blog: October 2017

The 1987 Breeders’ Cup

Joseph Di Rienzi
October 9, 2017

As we approach the 2017 Breeders’ Cup – the championship day of thoroughbred racing in the United States, I would like to recall Breeders’ Cup Day, thirty years ago. This would be the fourth edition of this now annual event of lucrative races designed to bring the best horses together in competition at various surfaces, ages, genders and distances. At the time, there was still some reluctance on the part of some “traditionalists” to participate in these races. Their argument was that champions should not be determined on the basis of a single race on a single day but rather be assessed over a full year’s campaign. The objectors also did not like to see the more time honored races, now serve as mere preps for this one day extravaganza. However, the results of the 1987 Breeders’ Cup races and, in particular, the dramatic finish of the Breeders’ Cup Classic went a long way to affirming Breeders’ Cup Day as the defining event on the thoroughbred racing calendar.

Breeders’ Cup Day in 1987 was run relatively late in the year (November 21) at Hollywood Park. While racing fans in the Northeastern part of the country had to contend with snow and ice outside, they could watch televised races contested on a warm day in Southern California. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint was first on the schedule. Groovy, undefeated this year in six stakes races, was the odds-on favorite in the thirteen horse field. The Prestonwood Farm color bearer’s main competition in the Sprint appeared to be W. T. Young’s Pine Tree Lane who contributed to his defeat in the 1986 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Blessed with as much early foot as Groovy, the five year-old mare, had a busy year winning several stakes including the Bold Ruler Stakes and the Carter Handicap, both against males. However, it was Ben Rochelle’s Very Subtle, at 16-1, who took the race away from her opponents after the first ¼ mile. The Mel Stute trainee had previously raced in major three year-old filly contests, mostly at longer distances. Relishing the 6 furlongs of the Sprint, she established a clear lead around the far turn and widened her advantage through the stretch run for a 4 length victory. Groovy breaking from the unfavorable no. 1 post, could not gain on the leader but held second over longshot Exclusive Enough by 1¾ lengths. Pine Tree Lane tired badly and finished eleventh. Despite Very Subtle’s emphatic win, the Eclipse Award for Sprinter went to Groovy for his performances throughout the year.

Next was the 1 mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and since the two year-old fillies were having a difficult time sorting themselves out, it was likely that a champion would be determined in this race. In a field of thirteen, the public settled on the four horse Wayne Lukas trained entry of Dream Team, Over All, Lost Kitty and Blue Jean Baby who collectively had won several major juvenile filly stakes. There was also good support for Golden Eagle Farm’s Jeanne Jones, a Nijinsky (Can) filly trained by Charlie Whittingham who had just a maiden win and a second in a minor stake race (against males) to her resume. Dismissed at 30-1 was John A. Bell III’s Epitome, a daughter of 1981 Belmont Stakes winner Summing, who had taken 5 starts to break her maiden but then finished second in the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland and won the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. In a strange renewal of the Juvenile Fillies, Jeanne Jones challenged the leaders early as extremely fast fractions were being set. Around the far turn, the Golden Eagle Farm homebred opened a commanding lead under Bill Shoemaker and seemed on her way to a comfortable victory. However, whether it was due to not changing leads properly, or being distracted, or just tiring, she clearly slowed visibly in the last 1/8 mile. Epitome, far back early, closed along the inside, then was steered to the outside of Jeanne Jones as she made her belated rally. At the finish, Epitome just brought her nose down in front of Jeanne Jones for an implausible win. In third place, 2¾ lengths behind was Dream Team. Epitome, on the basis of her one big victory and the inconsistency of her peers, was awarded the Eclipse Award for Two Year-old Filly.

The Breeders’ Cup Distaff had the smallest field (six) of the day and featured a modest mix of three years and older fillies and mares. The strong favorite was the Whittingham trained, Arthur Hancock owned, Infinidad (Chi) who had won the Vanity Invitational and Chula Vista Handicaps earlier in the year. Second choice was Beal and French’s three year-old Sacahuista who prior to the Distaff had only won once in 8 starts, that being her last, an impressive win in the Spinster Stakes. Under Randy Romero, the daughter of Raja Baba took the lead right after the start of the 1¼ mile race and maintained a clear advantage right to the finish. Her Wayne Lukas trained entry mate, Clabber Girl was second 2¼ lengths behind with Oueee Bebe, third, 4 lengths behind but a head in front of Infinidad. Two Eclipse Champions trained by Wayne Lukas came out of this race - Sacahuista for Three Year-old Filly and last finishing North Sider as Older Mare. The latter owned by Mare Haven Farm had a busy year racing from January to November and winning the Santa Margarita Invitational, the Apple Blossom, and the Vagrancy Handicaps, in addition to the Maskette Stakes in her 17 starts.

The Breeders’ Cup Mile (on turf) this year had a strong European contingent. Featured was Stavros Niarchos’ celebrated filly Miesque, a Kentucky bred daughter of Nureyev out of a Prove Out mare who was a 1000 Guineas classic winner in both England and France in 1987. However, despite her credentials the slender, almost gazelle-like chestnut was not favored, that honor was given to another European, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Sonic Lady, who was also the favorite in the 1986 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Also, entered was Helena Springfield’s Milligram (GB), a daughter of Mill Reef, who just had defeated Miesque in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Longshot Show Dancer set the pace from the start until the top of the stretch as jockey Freddy Head on Miesque sat close by on the rail. As Show Dancer drifted out slightly coming off the stretch turn, Head called on his filly for some run and the response was electric. She readily drew away to a 3½ length victory in a new course record time. Show Dancer held on for second by a ½ length over Sonic Lady. Miesque was voted the Eclipse Award for Female Turf Horse based on this stunning victory and the lack of a U. S. female leader on turf.

Claiborne Farm’s Forty Niner, the leading East Coast two year-old, was not in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but two Wayne Lukas trainees (Barry Beal and Lloyd French Jr.’s Tejano and Gene Klein’s Success Express) were. Based on his previous stakes wins, a victory by Tejano might have convinced voters of his championship claim. However, favoritism went to Sam-Son Farm’s Regal Classic (Can), a horse who had only raced previously in Canada but had won 4 consecutive stakes races. However, Success Express under Jose Santos flashed brilliant speed over the one turn mile and never looked back. At the finish, he was 1¾ lengths in front of a slowly rallying Regal Classic with Tejano a similar distance back in third. To further muddle the juvenile picture, the first three finishers in the race ran back in the $1 million Hollywood Futurity in December at the same distance, and this time Tejano prevailed, winning by 2¼ lengths over Purdue King with Regal Classic third, 1¾ lengths back. Success Express, who appeared to be a horse who needed the lead to win, never managed to be in front and finished a well beaten sixth. The results of these two races in California, although helping the Lukas “win machine”, gave the Eclipse Award for Two Year-old Male to Forty Niner.

In the absence of the defending champion, Manila (retired due to injury), it might be presumed that the Breeders’ Cup Turf’s trophy would be ripe for a good European raced horse. And yes, this year’s edition had one of the best, namely Paul De Moussac and Summa Stable’s Trempolino, smashing winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. However, there was a strong American raced contender in Bert Firestone and Allen Paulson’s Theatrical (Ire) who was making his third straight appearance in the Turf. The burly son of Nureyev was eleventh in 1985 and a close second to Manila in 1986. The five year-old was having a stellar year, after being unplaced in his first start, winning the Hialeah Turf Cup, the Red Smith, the Bowling Green, the Sword Dancer (on a disqualification) Handicaps, and the Turf Classic and Man O’ War Stakes. The only blemish in this skein was a third place finish to Manila in the Arlington Million. The Breeders’ Cup Turf was decided between the two favorites - Theatrical and Trempolino. Pat Day on Theatrical had his mount forwardly placed early and when the challenge came from the French runner, Day had made sure he saved some of Theatrical’s strength for the finish. In a rousing stretch battle, Theatrical prevailed by a ½ length with Trempolino, his closing rally somewhat muted by slow middle fractions, finishing a clear second by 3½ lengths over Village Star (Fra). Here we had another Arc winner who was unable to capture the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The first was All Allong (Fra), but she won her Arc a year before she finished second in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Turf. Despite, his loss to Manila, Theatrical, on the basis of this dramatic victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and overall performances throughout the year, was voted the Eclipse Champion Male Turf Horse.

The stage was set for the fourth Breeders’ Cup Classic. A field of twelve entered the starting gate headed by two Kentucky Derby winners - Ferdinand and Alysheba. The former, an elegantly structured chestnut son of Nijinsky from a strong female family, was bred by Howard B. Keck and owned by his wife, Elizabeth. Ferdinand was an upset winner of the 1986 Kentucky Derby for then 73 year-old trainer Charlie Whittingham and 54 year-old jockey Bill Shoemaker, undoubtedly the oldest trainer-jockey combination to win the Derby. Ferdinand then placed second in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes that year. Returning in December 1986 to win the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita, he lost his first 6 races of 1987, before winning the Hollywood Gold Cup and two other subsequent stake races.

Alysheba was a muscular bay son of the mighty Alydar, owned by Dorothy and Pamela Scharbauer and trained by veteran Jack Van Berg. Also providing a mild upset in winning the 1987 Kentucky Derby, Alysheba was victorious in the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Crown when he finished fourth in the Belmont Stakes. After the classics, the son of Alydar was second in the Haskell Invitational Handicap, unplaced in the Travers Stakes, but he regained his good form with a win in the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Ferdinand appeared to have the upper hand as the older competitor, racing at a track where he won the Hollywood Gold Cup (at the same 1¼ mile distance as the Classic), riding a 3 race win streak, and bringing a series of sparkling workouts leading up to the Classic. There was some support for the defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Skywalker and Canadian bred three year-old Afleet (Can). Other contenders were Cryptoclearance, Nostalgia’s Star, Gulch, Candi’s Gold and Judge Angelucci. The last named, originally viewed as a pace setter for Ferdinand, was having a successful year on his own. Since his second to his stablemate in the Hollywood Gold Cup, the son of Honest Pleasure had won three (of four) stakes attempts.

The Classic was, to employ an overused expression, a thriller. Candi’s Gold and Judge Angelucci went for the lead and set a steady pace. Ferdinand began in mid-pack but raced into contention along the backstretch. Alysheba was initially placed far back but made a bold move on the outside as the field headed around the far turn. Ferdinand under Bill Shoemaker had cruised up alongside the battling leaders, Judge Angelucci and Candi’s Gold, at the top of the stretch. Knowing his mount’s habit of pulling himself up once he gains the lead, Shoemaker was waiting to the last moment to urge Ferdinand forward. However, when he saw Alysheba coming resolutely to his right, Shoemaker called on Ferdinand who surged forward to gain a clear advantage. However, in the shadow of the finish line Alysheba closed dramatically to just miss winning by a nose. The unforgettable memory is race caller Tom Durkin’s pronouncement that “the two Derby winners hit the wire together”. Third, 1¼ lengths behind was a very game Judge Angelucci with Candi’s Gold another 1½ lengths back in fourth place. (Skywalker, in his attempt to win the Classic again, finished twelfth and last.) As a result of this victory, accepted graciously by Elizabeth Keck, Ferdinand, despite his early defeats, was voted the Eclipse Award both for Champion Older Horse and Horse of the Year. Alysheba, because of his Derby and Preakness successes and his powerful performance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, was voted Champion Three Year-old Colt.

The 1987 Breeders’ Cup Photo Gallery

Sprint winner: Very Subtle