Greatest day of racing ever?

[chiguy]

I nominate the 1988 Breeders Cup.


Sprint - Gulch - beating Very Subtle, Precisionist and Olympic Prospect

Juvenile Fillies - Open Mind -Champion at 2 and 3.

Mile - Miesque - First two time winner of a Breeders Cup race

Turf - Great Communicator - beating a host of great ones

Distaff - Personal Ensign - beating Derby winner Winning Colors

Juvenile Colts - Is It True - beating the great Easy Goer

Classic - Alysheba - beating among others Forty Niner and Seeking the Gold


I happened to be lucky enough to be there that day. Sitting at the quarter pole, wet, cold and thrilled all day long. Personal Ensign's charge was the most hair raising, goose bump inducing race I have ever seen. Great article below on the day. Anybody got any other great days to compare?


https://www.si.com/vault/1988/11/14/118853/dark-victory-as-night-fell-on-churchill-downs-alysheba-won-the-breeders-cup-classic-to-cap-a-dramatic-day-of-racing

[castaway01]

Sort of impossible to pick a greatest day ever, but I will say that the Personal Ensign race is one of the most "rewatchable" races of all time. It never gets old seeing her rally when she's seemingly beaten to get up at the wire and finish unbeaten. You were lucky to be there live to see it.

[ronsmac]

It may not be the greatest day, but my favorite and best day was the 2001 Breeders Cup.

[summersquall]

The 88 Distaff was the the subject of a piece on sirius satellite radio this past Saturday. McGaughey related his perspective during the running of the race. Lucas in his prime against the Phipps juggernaut. Vintage stuff.

[chadk66]

It was a great day

[JustRalph]

Stop the debate

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/01/seabiscuit-war-admiral-horse-race-1938-pimlico

[ultracapper]

Here's something that bugs me a little. Sunday at Santa Anita they have carded the 27th running of the Zenyata Stakes. Now I understand this is a renaming of a race, but still, the first 16 runnings or so were conducted before Zenyata was even born. They need to rethink how these stake races are presented, for the sake of marketing to a new generation of horse players.

[GMB@BP]

Here's something that bugs me a little. Sunday at Santa Anita they have carded the 27th running of the Zenyata Stakes. Now I understand this is a renaming of a race, but still, the first 16 runnings or so were conducted before Zenyata was even born. They need to rethink how these stake races are presented, for the sake of marketing to a new generation of horse players.

Not unusual, the ran like the 50th running of the Beholder stakes in the summer....what can you do.

[charm city whizz]

I was too young to remember that day but there are some awesome photos out there of the classic!!!!

[Inner Dirt]

Not sure of the exact date, but I believe it was January 31st, 2008 at Aqueduct. The whole pick six was all sprints on the now gone inner dirt track. I was the only live ticket going into the last race. I took the whole pool but there was no carryover. That was a shame because the prices were good enough to have a single winner on a multiple day carryover pool.


For some reason I don't retain fond memories of watching big named horses in person only if it was a good day at the windows. The biggest name I saw in person when I first went to the track was Spectacular Bid. Every time I hear him mentioned I think how many times he kicked Flying Paster's butt. Since I was 18 and my max bet was $20 I usually had $5 to win on Paster and never bet on Bid. When I was first betting I did not play exactas.

[jahura2]

I nominate the 1988 Breeders Cup.


Sprint - Gulch - beating Very Subtle, Precisionist and Olympic Prospect

Juvenile Fillies - Open Mind -Champion at 2 and 3.

Mile - Miesque - First two time winner of a Breeders Cup race

Turf - Great Communicator - beating a host of great ones

Distaff - Personal Ensign - beating Derby winner Winning Colors

Juvenile Colts - Is It True - beating the great Easy Goer

Classic - Alysheba - beating among others Forty Niner and Seeking the Gold


I happened to be lucky enough to be there that day. Sitting at the quarter pole, wet, cold and thrilled all day long. Personal Ensign's charge was the most hair raising, goose bump inducing race I have ever seen. Great article below on the day. Anybody got any other great days to compare?


https://www.si.com/vault/1988/11/14/118853/dark-victory-as-night-fell-on-churchill-downs-alysheba-won-the-breeders-cup-classic-to-cap-a-dramatic-day-of-racing
I was also there that day in '88 and concur that it was one of the greatest racing days I have had the pleasure of attending. We had a covered box in the clubhouse for only 6.00 a seat. Those days are long gone. 2 races that day specifically gave me the chills, of course Personal Ensigns stretch drive, and despite the fact I bet Seeking The Gold pretty heavily the call of "Alysheba Americas Horse" still gives me goose bumps. Great memories Chiguy

[chiguy]

Stop the debate

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/01/seabiscuit-war-admiral-horse-race-1938-pimlico


Great stuff!

[AskinHaskin]

I nominate the 1988 Breeders Cup.


Sprint - Gulch - beating Very Subtle, Precisionist and Olympic Prospect

Juvenile Fillies - Open Mind -Champion at 2 and 3.

Mile - Miesque - First two time winner of a Breeders Cup race

Turf - Great Communicator - beating a host of great ones

Distaff - Personal Ensign - beating Derby winner Winning Colors

Juvenile Colts - Is It True - beating the great Easy Goer

Classic - Alysheba - beating among others Forty Niner and Seeking the Gold


I happened to be lucky enough to be there that day. Sitting at the quarter pole, wet, cold and thrilled all day long. Personal Ensign's charge was the most hair raising, goose bump inducing race I have ever seen. Great article below on the day. Anybody got any other great days to compare?


https://www.si.com/vault/1988/11/14/118853/dark-victory-as-night-fell-on-churchill-downs-alysheba-won-the-breeders-cup-classic-to-cap-a-dramatic-day-of-racing


That was also the (only) year that some marketing geniuses had the idea of holding a (handicapping?) contest on the B.C. with entry blanks in USA Today.

It seemed great fun as the event drew near, and there was a pre-determined prize pool with a 6-figure pot to be divided among those who named 4 or more winners (you had to name the exact winning horse - you couldn't just get credit for naming any one of Lukas' 5-horse entry, for example).

Those naming all 7 winners would divide the largest share, then those naming 6, and then those naming 5, and finally those naming 4.

Well the whole day nearly chalked-out, allowing many to name at least 4 of the winners, and the contest ended up having to write a zillion checks to a zillion different addresses, and I don't think they ever held that contest again.

I think you got maybe $30-35 for naming 5 winners, and $8-9 for naming 4 winners, and you could enter multiple times.

I sense that the entry blanks were in the USA Today a day or two after pre-entries, and needed only be postmarked by the day before the 'Cup.


On another note, I still have the saddlecloth worn by Winning Colors when she got nailed on the beam that day. (Though I, like most everyone else, selected Personal Ensign)

[dilanesp]

Sort of impossible to pick a greatest day ever, but I will say that the Personal Ensign race is one of the most "rewatchable" races of all time. It never gets old seeing her rally when she's seemingly beaten to get up at the wire and finish unbeaten. You were lucky to be there live to see it.

A closers bias will do that for you. :) (Only frontrunner that won that day was Is It True, and that was because Easy Goer hated the Churchill Downs mud.)

[the little guy]

I agree that the 1988 BC is at the top of the heap of BC days. It was also the biggest difference between racing quality and weather quality. I think I'm still sick from being at Churchill that weekend.

[dilanesp]

I agree that the 1988 BC is at the top of the heap of BC days. It was also the biggest difference between racing quality and weather quality. I think I'm still sick from being at Churchill that weekend.

It was particularly awful because NBC made them run so late. The Classic was run in almost complete darkness, and it was not only rainy but extremely cold by then.

[lex]

Breeders' Cup is great and any day at Saratoga.

My personal greatest day of racing though is being there when Evening Attire won the Stymie on my birthday. :jump: