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BEST PERFORMANCES OF 2009
With 2009 nearly over, it is time for my annual list of the Top 10 Thoroughbred performances of the year in this country. The year 2009 certainly will be remembered for girl power, thanks mainly to two exceptional female Thoroughbreds, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.
Eight of my top 10 Thoroughbred performances this year came from a filly or mare, with Goldikova and Life Is Sweet joining multiple appearances on the list by Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.
10. CONDUIT in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf at 1 1/2 miles on Santa Anita’s turf course Nov. 7 during the Oak Tree meet. (Owned by Ballymacoll Stud; trained by Sir Michael Stoute; ridden by Ryan Moore; 4-year-old Irish-bred colt by Dalakhani.)
Conduit won the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Turf on Santa Anita’s grass course in a performance that put him at No. 7 on the 2008 Top 10 list. He returned to California to win the Turf again in 2009. Conduit took this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf by a half-length over Presious Passion, with the filly Dar Re Mi third.
9. LIFE IS SWEET in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita’s main track Nov. 6 during the Oak Tree meet. (Owned by Pam and Martin Wygod; trained by John Shirreffs; 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly Street Cry.)
Life Is Sweet came roaring from 17 lengths off the pace to win the Ladies’ Classic going away by 2 1/2 lengths. Life Is Sweet was four for four in 2009 when not running against Zenyatta or against males. Life Is Sweet was zero for three vs. Zenyatta and finished third against male foes in the Hollywood Gold Cup.
8. RACHEL ALEXANDRA in Monmouth Park’s Grade I Haskell Invitational at 1 1/8 miles Aug. 2. (Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick; trained by Steve Asmussen; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.)
Rachel Alexandra splashed her way to a decisive six-length victory in the Haskell. The only other filly to ever win the Haskell was future Hall of Famer Serena’s Song in 1995.
When Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness, she defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. When Rachel Alexandra won the Haskell, she defeated Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, who would go on to take the Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
7. GOLDIKOVA in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile at one mile on Santa Anita’s turf course Nov. 7 during the Oak Tree meet. (Owned by Wertheimer and Frere; trained by Freddie Head; 3-year-old Irish-bred filly by Anabaa.)
Goldikova generated an eye-catching burst of speed to win the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Santa Anita’s turf course as a 3-year-old filly. In the 2009 version of the race, Goldikova’s devastating stretch kick again was on display as she became a back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Mile winner.
Freddie Head, Goldikova’s conditioner, also won the Breeders’ Cup Mile as a jockey aboard the brilliant Miesque in 1987 and 1988. Now Head has won back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Miles as a trainer with another brilliant filly, Goldikova.
6. ZENYATTA in Hollywood Park’s Grade I Vanity Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on June 27. (Owned by Ann and Jerry Moss; trained by John Shirreffs; 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Street Cry.)
Zenyatta, asked to pack 129 pounds, won the Vanity by 2 1/2 widening lengths. She spotted 15 pounds to runner-up Briecat.
In the ongoing debate as to whether Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta should be Horse of the Year, I have not heard one person give Zenyatta credit for winning a race this year while carrying 129 pounds. No other Thoroughbred won a Grade I race in the U.S. this year under so much weight.
Only two others have ever won the Vanity while carrying more than 129 pounds. Gamely took the 1968 Vanity despite being burdened with 131 pounds. Silver Spoon won the 1960 edition while shouldering 130 pounds. Gamely and Silver Spoon both are members of the Hall of Fame.
Another Hall of Famer, Personal Ensign, won all 13 of her races. But she never carried more than 125 pounds.
5. RACHEL ALEXANDRA in Pimlico’s Grade I Preakness Stakes at 1 3/16 miles on May 16. (Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick; trained by Steve Asmussen; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.)
In her first start after being purchased privately by these owners and transferred to Asmussen, Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness by one length with Calvin Borel aboard. Borel had won the Kentucky Derby on Mine That Bird, but the rider switched to Rachel for the Preakness. It was the first time in history that a jockey had taken off a Kentucky Derby winner to ride a different horse in the Preakness.
Rachel Alexandra was the first filly to win the Preakness since Nellie Morse in 1924.
4. PRESIOUS PASSION in Monmouth Park’s Grade I United Nations Stakes at 1 3/8 miles July 4. (Owned by Patricia Generazio; trained by Mary Hartman; 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Royal Anthem.)
This is one of those performances that was so unusual that many people will still be talking about it years from now, just as many still recall Hawkser’s victory in the 1989 Oak Tree Invitational at 1 1/2 miles on Santa Anita’s turf course.
In the 1989 Oak Tree Invitational, Hawkster opened such a huge early lead and ran so fast early that nearly everyone felt he couldn’t possibly win such a long race. When he reached the finish line the first time, with a lap to go, Hawkster led by seven lengths. He was nine in front at the half-mile pole. But win he did, by four lengths, completing the 1 1/2 miles in 2:22 4/5, a clocking that remains a world record.
Hawkster’s early lead in the Oak Tree Invitational was nothing compared to what Presious Passion did in the United Nations. Presious Passion opened a 20-length lead in the 1 3/8-mile contest. With an eighth of a mile to go, his advantage had diminished to eight. Presious Passion’s lead continued to shrink in the final furlong, but he managed to win by two lengths, quite an accomplishment under the circumstances.
Later in the year, Prescious Passion won the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles Oct. 11 on Santa Anita’s grass course.
And then, in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 7, Presious Passion opened a 10-length early lead and fought back bravely to battle with Conduit throughout the final furlong. Presious Passion had to settle for second, a half-length behind Conduit, who completed 1 1/2 miles in 2:23 3/5 on the same Santa Anita turf course that had been the stage for Hawkster’s 1989 Oak Tree Invitational win in 2:22 4/5.
3. RACHEL ALEXANDRA in Churchill Downs’ Grade I Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/8 miles May 1. (Owned by L and M Partners; trained by Hal Wiggins; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.)
In what would be her final start for owners Dolphus Morrison (the filly’s breeder) and Michael Lauffer, Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths while earning a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. It is believed to be the biggest winning margin in the 135-year history of the race.
I thought that Rachel Alexandra would have become the fourth filly to win the Kentucky Derby (along with Regret, Genuine Risk and Winning Colors) had she started in that race instead of the Kentucky Oaks. Fifteen days after the Kentucky Oaks, Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness Stakes by one length over Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.
2. RACHEL ALEXANDRA in Saratoga’s Grade I Woodward Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Sept. 5. (Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick; trained by Steve Asmussen; 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.)
Rachel Alexandra won the Woodward by a head. It was her eighth and final stakes victory of a truly remarkable 2008 campaign. The legendary Ruffian won a total of eight stakes races during her entire career.
Rachel Alexandra became the first female of any age to win the prestigious Woodward, a race the great Secretariat lost.
Prior to Rachel Alexandra, the closest a filly or mare had come to winning the Woodward was when Lady’s Secret finished second as a 4-year-old in 1986 en route to the Horse of the Year title and enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
Rachel Alexandra’s name now is on the honor roll of Woodward winners along with such champions as Sword Dancer, Kelso, Buckpasser, Damascus, Arts and Letters, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Precisionist (who defeated Lady’s Secret), Alysheba, Easy Goer, Holy Bull, Cigar, Skip Away, Mineshaft, Ghostzapper and Curlin.
Rachel Alexandra also became the first 3-year-old of either sex to win the Woodward since Holy Bull during his 1994 Horse of the Year campaign.
1. ZENYATTA in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Santa Anita’s main track Nov. 7 during the Oak Tree meeting. (Owned by Ann and Jerry Moss; trained by John Shirreffs; 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Street Cry.)
This certainly was one of the greatest performances -- maybe even the greatest -- in the history of the Breeders’ Cup.
This also generally is considered one of the three greatest moments at Santa Anita since it first open its doors in 1934, along with Seabiscuit’s victory in the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap and John Longden’s win aboard George Royal in the 1966 San Juan Capistrano Handicap.
Putting her perfect record on the line and facing males for the first time, Zenyatta was “dead last” in the early stages of the Classic, as Trevor Denman noted three times during his call of the race. With a quarter of a mile to go, Denman observed that Zenyatta was still so far behind that she would have to be “a super horse” to win.
But in a rally for the ages, Zenyatta electrified the more than 50,000 people in attendance and thousands more watching on television. She won by one length in what Denman so beautifully characterized as an “un…be…lieve…able” performance.
It was Zenyatta’s 14th win from 14 career starts. She became the first female Thoroughbred to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races.
Trainer John Shirreffs, who the day before saddled Life Is Sweet to take the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, had Zenyatta ready to run the best race of her life in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. And jockey Mike Smith, despite the intense pressure, once again came through with a flawless ride in a big race, masterfully weaving his way through traffic in the final quarter of a mile.
Zenyatta defeated 11 male opponents, including eight Grade I winners. Her victims included probable 2009 Eclipse Award winners Gio Ponti (who finished second) and Summer Bird (third).
After the race, when Smith was asked whether Zenyatta should be Horse of the Year, the Hall of Fame rider said that as far as he was concerned, the big mare was the Horse of the Decade.
I honestly think that when people look back at Zenyatta’s 14-for-14 career 25 years from now, 50 years from now and 100 years from now, they will shake their head in utter amazement. With a come-from-behind running style that can lead to defeat due to traffic problems, a wide trip and/or a slow pace, Zenyatta has never been defeated in 14 starts at distances ranging from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.
Since the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Zenyatta has had two recorded workouts and has been honored by Hollywood Park and Santa Anita. I’m hearing more and more people at the track say they do not believe Zenyatta has run her last race. Some of these people are convinced that Zenyatta will resume her racing career if Rachel Alexandra is voted Horse of the Year.
Perhaps I’ll be proved wrong, but I am of the opinion that we have seen Zenyatta race for the last time. One reason I believe this is the way Jerry Moss talked in the post-Breeders’ Cup Classic press conference that I attended. While Moss did not absolutely slam the door shut on Zenyatta’s racing career at that time, I had the distinct impression that he felt that it was the perfect way for Zenyatta to conclude a perfect career.
With his vast experience in the entertainment industry, Moss has, I think, a keen sense of knowing when the time is right to call it quits. Does he enjoy seeing Zenyatta run? Yes. But I think Moss also knows that it’s improbable, if not impossible, to match, let alone top, the magic of this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. And so, whether the 2009 Horse of the Year is Rachel Alexandra (as I expect) or Zenyatta, I will be very surprised to see Zenyatta race again.
Meanwhile, Zenyatta’s Breeders’ Cup Classic joins these other It’s Post Time top performances of the year since I started writing this column in 2004:
2008 Big Brown in the Grade I Kentucky Derby
2007 Rags to Riches in the Grade I Belmont Stakes
2006 Barbaro in the Grade I Kentucky Derby
2005 Afleet Alex in the Grade I Preakness Stakes
2004 Ghostzapper in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic
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