DRF- Top 10 Races in Saratoga History

[andtheyreoff]

The list- which is ridiculous BTW- is:

1. 1962 Travers
2. 1919 Sanford (Man O'War's only loss)
3. 1978 Travers
4. 1930 Travers
5. 2009 Woodward
6. 1965 Whitney (mysterious selection for sure)
7. 1973 Whitney
8. 1982 Travers
9. 1920 Travers
10. 1967 Travers

Off the top of my head, I can think of four snubs: the 1994 Travers (the fact it's not on here is preposterous), 1999 Whitney, 2002 Test, and the 1981 Whitney.

http://www.drf.com/news/saratogas-10-most-memorable-races

[TheEdge07]

The list- which is ridiculous BTW- is:

1. 1962 Travers
2. 1919 Sanford (Man O'War's only loss)
3. 1978 Travers
4. 1930 Travers
5. 2009 Woodward
6. 1965 Whitney (mysterious selection for sure)
7. 1973 Whitney
8. 1982 Travers
9. 1920 Travers
10. 1967 Travers

Off the top of my head, I can think of four snubs: the 1994 Travers (the fact it's not on here is preposterous), 1999 Whitney, 2002 Test, and the 1981 Whitney.

http://www.drf.com/news/saratogas-10-most-memorable-races

No Holy Bull/Concern?

[iceknight]

The list-

http://www.drf.com/news/saratogas-10-most-memorable-races They had video in 1919, 1920 & 1930? Guess I will have to settle for oral history just like countless other stories you hear on this planet!

Well we can make our own list and then post it a featured post on this site itself.. what do you say PA?

I will throw in one of my personal favs (apart from the Holy Bull one) here

1qNy7Oy0PUw

[Tom]

If you were at Finger Lakes that day, you would know what it means to literally blow the roof off a joint! The live races were held up while the Best Toga Race Ever was run....and then we danced!
And he even broke through the gate before the race, but a starter managed to hold on and not left him run off. I believe we have a stature of the guy in our paddock. :D

4GpKxFk7AH0

[Stillriledup]

2009 Woodward is first. :ThmbUp:

[MickJ26]

Slightly off topic, but, the Woodward should be back at Belmont where it belongs.

[Aner]

They had video in 1919, 1920 & 1930? Guess I will have to settle for oral history just like countless other stories you hear on this planet!

Well we can make our own list and then post it a featured post on this site itself.. what do you say PA?

I will throw in one of my personal favs (apart from the Holy Bull one) here

1qNy7Oy0PUw

Thanks for posting this race - one of my all time favorites. My chances to get to Las Vegas are always slim because I only enter free or cheap ($25 maximum entry) contests. The NTRA runs 4 free contests each year and the races at Saratoga this day was the last free one of the year. In the free ones there are thousands of handicappers trying. I was hot this day and coming up to this race I was in 5th position. Although I had not modified any of my original choices all day long, my pick for the 2010 Travers was 30:1 on the morning line. I changed to Afleet Xpress and ended second in the contest. Only the top two got Vegas trips. Talk about an adrenaline bath!

[cj]

Hard to believe the You/Carson Hollow Test (from 02?) didn't make it. One of the great races you'll see anywhere.

[cj]

The 2004 Personal Ensign, where Azeri was very game despite being caught by Storm Flag Flying, was fabulous as well.

yB4HEie5Jy4

Note the other horse up front early was beaten a pole.

[burnsy]

Hard to believe the You/Carson Hollow Test (from 02?) didn't make it. One of the great races you'll see anywhere.

I thought for sure it was one of the best races ever...saratoga or anywhere. :ThmbUp:

[rastajenk]

There was a Personal Ensign Stakes in 2000 with Beautiful Pleasure and Harvest of Gold ?, something like that, that was a real barn-burner that could have made the list.

[KirisClown]

It's hard to take the list seriously when the 94 Travers is not mentioned...

Some other ones that were good..

1997 Go For Wand & 1998 Travers..


4IIIcBxXieA

bAKXSay30Y4

[mostpost]

I think you are all missing the point here. It is a list of the top races at Saratoga, not the most exciting finishes. What constitutes a top race? One, there has to be something of historic significance about it. Two, it has to involve a top horse. Three, there should be something dramatic about the running of the race. Many times the drama and the historic significance are the same.

I think the races listed in the article all fit those criteria-with the possible exception of the 1982 Travers. I think the races nominated in this thread do not. The 2002 Test Stakes featured two fillies that few people would be talking about ten years later. Neither You nor Carson Hollow will ever be on the list of top thoroughbreds. Fio Rito may be a favorite of Tom and the folks at Finger Lakes, but he was just a useful horse and nothing more. The same goes for Afleet Express.

[thespaah]

The list- which is ridiculous BTW- is:

1. 1962 Travers
2. 1919 Sanford (Man O'War's only loss)
3. 1978 Travers
4. 1930 Travers
5. 2009 Woodward
6. 1965 Whitney (mysterious selection for sure)
7. 1973 Whitney
8. 1982 Travers
9. 1920 Travers
10. 1967 Travers

Off the top of my head, I can think of four snubs: the 1994 Travers (the fact it's not on here is preposterous), 1999 Whitney, 2002 Test, and the 1981 Whitney.

http://www.drf.com/news/saratogas-10-most-memorable-races
1977 Hopeful...

[thespaah]

The 2004 Personal Ensign, where Azeri was very game despite being caught by Storm Flag Flying, was fabulous as well.

yB4HEie5Jy4

Note the other horse up front early was beaten a pole.
Stole my thunder.. I was there...Can't find the darn program...It's around here somewhere...

[sandpit]

I'll echo the 1994 Travers sentiment here.

The Bernard Baruch from the same year is one of my all-time favorites. I believe Lure ran every quarter mile faster than the previous one, a nearly unheard-of feat in a route race, and he defeated champion nemesis Paradise Creek, as well as the King of Saratoga Fourstardave.

[Paseana]

I think you are all missing the point here. It is a list of the top races at Saratoga, not the most exciting finishes. What constitutes a top race? One, there has to be something of historic significance about it. Two, it has to involve a top horse. Three, there should be something dramatic about the running of the race. Many times the drama and the historic significance are the same.

I think the races listed in the article all fit those criteria-with the possible exception of the 1982 Travers. I think the races nominated in this thread do not. The 2002 Test Stakes featured two fillies that few people would be talking about ten years later. Neither You nor Carson Hollow will ever be on the list of top thoroughbreds. Fio Rito may be a favorite of Tom and the folks at Finger Lakes, but he was just a useful horse and nothing more. The same goes for Afleet Express.

Maybe this is just a matter of semantics here, but, after all, the name of the piece and its accompanying list is "Saratoga's Most Memorable Races". I don't think that's necessarily the same as "most historically significant". The 2002 Test Stakes is nothing if it's not memorable! It will be 11 years this summer since that Test was run, and people.....lots of them....are still talking about it.

I don't think I've ever seen a blog or message board thread about memorable or favorite races (run anywhere, by the way...not just the Spa) where that one doesn't come up in droves. I think it belongs on this list, or at least in the conversation.

By the way, on a side note, in looking up YOU on pedigreequery, I was stunned to see that she was bred by Dolphus Morrison....the breeder of Rachel Alexandra! Maybe I'm the only one who didn't know that, but it just blew me away!

[PaceAdvantage]

The 1994 Travers was as memorable as they get...for not only the race itself, but all the debate leading up to the race, and those who kept spouting off how Holy Bull would never be able to get the distance....not only did he get the distance, but he got the distance in the hardest way possible for a front-running machine like he was...

[taxicab]

How about the 1986 Whitney.
Lady's Secret was at the top of her game and she stomped the opposite sex by nearly 5.
The Iron Lady......yeah,she could run.