Kentucky Derby - Breeders’ Cup Classic Double -
One Year at a Time
Joseph Di Rienzi
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| Sovereignity winning the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic (Barbara Livingston) |
On November 21, 1987
at Hollywood Park, the stage was set for the fourth
Breeders’ Cup Classic. A field of 12 entered the starting gate headed by two
Kentucky Derby winners, Ferdinand and Alysheba. The former, a four-year-old son of Nijinsky II out of the mare
Banja Luka, owned and bred by Mrs. Howard B. Keck and trained by the venerable Charlie
Whittingham. The classically moulded chestnut colt was a surprise winner (at
18-1) of the 1986 Kentucky Derby. Pamela
and Dorothy Scharbauer, the daughter and granddaughter, respectively,
of the owners of 1959 Kentucky Derby winner Tomy Lee had purchased Alysheba as a
yearling for $500,000. The rugged, raw boned bay son of Alydar was turned over
to Jack Van Berg to train.
Winner of both the 1987 Derby and Preakness Stakes, Alysheba failed in his
Triple Crown bid, finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes to Bet Twice.
Going into the
Classic, 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) and bringing a series of sparkling workouts
leading up to the race. There was some support for the defending Breeders’ Cup
Classic winner Skywalker and Canadian
bred three-year-old Afleet. The son of Mr. Prospector had finished second in the
Queen’s Plate, but in the U. S. had won the Jerome Handicap and the Pennsylvania
Derby before finishing second to Crème Fraiche in the
Meadowlands Cup Handicap by a nose, but ahead of Cryptoclearance, another Classic entry. The durable Nostalgia’s Star was also in the
race after his victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap in which he defeated,
among others, Crème Fraiche. Other contenders were Gulch, Candi’s Gold and the
Whittingham trained Judge Angelucci. The last named had developed into more than just a
pace setter for Ferdinand. Since his second to his stablemate in the Hollywood
Gold Cup, the son of Honest Pleasure had won three of four races including the
Bel Air, Longacres Mile and Bay Meadows Breeders Cup Handicaps.
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 and made a bold move on the outside as the field headed around
the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Ferdinand, under Bill Shoemaker, cruised up
alongside the battling leaders, Judge Angelucci and Candi’s Gold. 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 to gain a clear advantage. In the shadow of the finish line Alysheba
closed dramatically to just miss winning by a nose. (An 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 12th and last.) As a result of
this victory, Ferdinand, despite having lost his first six races of the year
was voted the Eclipse Award both for Male Older Horse and Horse of the Year.
Alysheba, because of his national record and powerful performance in the
Breeders’ Cup Classic, was awarded Champion Three-Year-Old.
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| Ferdinand (inside) defeating Alysheba in the 1987 Classic (BloodHorse) |
It was generally thought that unless Alysheba won the
Classic, Horse of the Year would go to the undefeated filly Personal Ensign who
had earlier in the day won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff dramatically. The nine horse Classic field contained all the
remaining top horses in training. Alysheba, Waquoit, Cryptoclearance, Personal Flag, Cutlass Reality and Slew City
Slew represented the
four-and-older division, whereas Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold and Lively One comprised the
sophomore set.
Alysheba’s overall record, plus the fact he was coming
off two track record performances at the Classic 1¼ mile distance and racing
where he won last year’s Kentucky Derby made him the most probable winner. The
doubters pointed to his recent narrow victories suggesting there was not much
difference between him and his competitors. With the muddy conditions, there
were memories of his floundering in the slop at Saratoga in the previous year’s
Travers Stakes. Nevertheless, Alysheba was the solid post time favorite.
Waquoit, off his dominating Jockey Club Gold Cup win, was the surprisingly
second choice with Forty Niner the third betting favorite. Seth Hancock, head of Claiborne Farm, still annoyed over a jockeys’ strike at Aqueduct,
chose Julie Krone over Laffit
Pincay as Forty
Niner’s rider, a decision that would come back to haunt him. The entry of
Seeking the Gold and Personal Flag was the fourth choice, and there was some
degree of confidence in the Phipps stable that Seeking
the Gold was prepared to run his best race.
Waquoit and Slew City
Slew went head and
head for the early lead, Cutlass Reality was third with
Alysheba in fourth
place. Forty Niner was just inside
Alysheba down the backstretch. Alysheba launched his rally as the field
approached the far turn. Forty Niner was moving with him when suddenly Julie
Krone lost control, and the Mr. Prospector colt dropped back to last place.
(Krone reported post-race that she felt her mount had stumbled.) At the top of
the stretch, several runners were in contention but the strongest were Alysheba
and Seeking the Gold who had rallied
outside of everybody. For an instance it looked that Seeking the Gold had the
advantage, but Alysheba, resolute as always, held the younger rival’s surge at
bay and finished ½ length in front. Five lengths back in third was Waquoit with
Forty Niner closing gamely from his setback along the turn, finished a neck
back in fourth in a performance that should have had him closer. The impact of
the race resulted in Eclipse Awards for Alysheba for both Older Male and Horse
of the Year.
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| Alysheba winning the 1988 Classic (BloodHorse) |
Now Sovereignty has joined this select group that have demonstrated their mastery over a year span in arguably the two biggest races on the American calendar, proving he imbodies the essence of the highest class, that is quality tested over time.
