The Most Dramatic Breeders' Cup Classics, Part II

 

The Most Dramatic Breeders’ Cup Classics, Part II

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the second of a two part series on what I consider are the five most dramatic Breeders’ Cup Classic races. In part I, I discussed my fifth (in 1998), fourth (1987) and third ranked (2016) editions of this annual contest. Here I will review the two most dramatic renewals.

 

Number 2: 1989

The pièce de résistance of the Breeders’ Cup Day held this year at Gulfstream Park was the Classic, and it featured the fourth meeting between those racing titans Easy Goer and Sunday Silence. The two three-year-olds had battled fiercely through the Triple Crown series with the latter gaining victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, while the former was triumphant in the Belmont Stakes. There were six others in the field, however, just about everybody picked the two sophomores to finish first and second. Easy Goer was the surprising strong favorite, considering that Sunday Silence had won two of the three previous meetings. The result of the Belmont Stakes was taken as definitive in which Easy Goer won by 8 dominant lengths. However, that was at 1½ miles and around Belmont Park’s gentle turns. The Breeders’ Cup Classic was run at a 1¼ mile around the tight turns at Gulfstream Park which Easy Goer had not negotiated well in the past. An added uncertainty was that Chris McCarron was now the rider of Sunday Silence in that his regular jockey Pat Valenzuela was serving a suspension due to repeated drug abuse.

As the race began, Slew City Slew showed his speed to take a 3 length lead setting a fast pace with Blushing John in second. Sunday Silence was parked in fourth and then third, with Easy Goer further back in sixth place. Down the backstretch, Sunday Silence ambled smoothly toward the leaders, and Easy Goer made a quick move to be just behind his rival. Around the turn, Blushing John forged to the front as Slew City Slew fell back. As feared, Easy Goer was not able to keep pace around the final turn with Sunday Silence and lost ground. At the top of the stretch, Sunday Silence readily moved to and then past Blushing John as Easy Goer mounted a desperate challenge once in the straight. In the last 1/16 of a mile, Easy Goer closed considerable ground but fell short by a neck at the finish. Blushing John in a strong effort was 1 length behind Easy Goer but almost 10 lengths in front of fourth finishing Present Value.                         

For the partnership of Dr. Ernest Gaillard, Arthur Hancock III and Charlie Whittingham that owned Sunday Silence, this victory was the year’s culmination. For Whittingham this was his second Breeders’ Cup Classic trained winner after Ferdinand in 1987.  Naturally, Three-Year-Old Male Champion and Horse of the Year honors were awarded to Sunday Silence although there are still some stubborn observers (myself included) who believe Easy Goer was the better horse.

 

Number 2: 2010

The 27^th edition of the Breeders’ Cup Classic held this year at Churchill Downs was all about Zenyatta. The remarkable six-year-old mare was undefeated in 19 starts stretching over four racing years. The Ann and Jerry Moss owned and John Sheriffs trained daughter of Street Cry had scored an incredible victory in the previous year’s Classic at Santa Anita (on a synthetic dirt surface) and was trying to be only the second two time winner. (Tiznow accomplished the feat in 2000 and 2001.)

As darkness rolled in on November 6, the stage was set for an epic Breeders’ Cup Classic. Despite being the defending champion, there were many who doubted Zenyatta would be able to repeat. They cited that this Classic was on conventional dirt (ignoring the fact she had won the Apple Blossom Handicap twice over Oaklawn Park’s dirt surface). They also questioned the quality of the females she had been defeating all year, while in the Classic she would be facing top male horses such as Blame, Quality Road,  Lookin At Lucky and Haynesfield. (The critics seemed to forget that Zenyatta defeated a top class international group of horses in last year’s Classic.) Finally, they noted that her speed figures were not as high as her Classic rivals’ numbers, again not realizing that a come from behind horse such as Zenyatta was only racing fast enough to catch the front runners.

The betting public, ignoring these negatives, installed Zenyatta the even money favorite with sophomore Lookin At Lucky the narrow second choice over Blame, considered the top older male entry. In a race that will be remembered forever in Breeders’ Cup history, Zenyatta broke slowly in the twelve horse field and found herself last, several lengths behind the eleventh place horse. Down the backstretch, First Dude set the pace with Quality Road, Japanese raced Espoir City and Haynesfield tracking. In the next group some 4 lengths behind was Looking At Lucky with Blame alongside saving ground under Garrett Gomez, while Zenyatta was still, seemingly languishing, in last place. Around the far turn the field started bunching up as Quality Road dropped back suddenly and Lookin At Lucky and Blame launched their bid side by side between horses. Meanwhile, Mike Smith took Zenyatta first to the inside around the far turn and then swung her wide for clear running room. In mid-stretch, Blame was pulling clear from Lookin At Lucky with Zenyatta looming on the outside some lengths away. At first, it looked impossible she would be able to run Blame down, then it seemed likely, but in the end, Blame was able to hold off Zenyatta’s charge by a desperate head. Fly Down closed ground to be third, 3½ lengths back with Lookin At Lucky a neck back in fourth, while Quality Road retreated to last place.

Blame defeats Zenyatta (no. 8) in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic
(nytimes.com)

Those in attendance were numb from the dramatic finish, thrilled and sad at the same time. Claiborne Farm’s President Seth Hancock, co-owner of Blame, was quoted as saying, “I’m proud to win the race, but I take no pride in beating Zenyatta. She is awesome, and she’s been great for racing.” Blame deserved the win, but Zenyatta was magnificent in defeat. The day after the Classic, hundreds of fans came to the fence as Zenyatta grazed outside her Churchill Downs barn to pay tribute and present gifts to this magnificent animal even more revered in defeat than in victory. For Blame’s connections (Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider), this was a triumph to celebrate, and his victory marked a return to glory for the historic farm. Trainer Al Stall Jr. was rewarded for his patience with bringing Blame up to this peak performance, and for Garrett Gomez, whose personal life would take a downward spiral, this win was a racing pinnacle.

For the Eclipse Awards, Blame was the Champion Older Male Horse and Zenyatta the corresponding Female. In a contentious voting, Zenyatta outpolled Blame for Horse of the Year. She was retired with a record of 19 wins and 1 second in 20 starts in addition to a legacy as one of the greatest horses this country has ever seen. 

This year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic will be held at Keeneland Racecourse on November 7^th. As I have tried to show in this series, the Classic has produced some of the thoroughbred sports’ most indelible memories. I can only hope the 2020 edition will continue that tradition.