Memorable Prep Races

[bigmack]

Read an article by Plonk about memorable prep races. Including Pyro he has:

Afleet Alex's 2005 Arkansas Derby

Barbaro's 2006 Florida Derby

Bellamy Road's 2005 Wood Memorial

Curlin's 2007 Rebel

Easy Goer's 1989 Gotham

Hansel's 1991 Jim Beam

Mister Frisky's 1990 Santa Anita Derby

Monarchos' 2001 Florida Derby

Private Terms' 1988 Wood Memorial

Risen Star's 1988 Louisiana Derby

Skip Away's 1996 Blue Grass

Smarty Jones' 2004 Arkansas Derby

Street Sense's 2007 Tampa Bay Derby

Winning Colors' 1988 Santa Anita Derby

(Any others?)

[bigmack]

Afleet Alex's 2005 Arkansas Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfB37Lpb_7Y

Barbaro's 2006 Florida Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1YB6ixecHY

Bellamy Road's 2005 Wood Memorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHWq7SN19U0

Curlin's 2007 Rebel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm4dY75YWDc

Easy Goer's 1989 Gotham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlkIp09IjAk

Hansel's 1991 Jim Beam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qEX7tWtWAQ

Mister Frisky's 1990 Santa Anita Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usqK6oY1sRI

Monarchos' 2001 Florida Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD57_Y1y5xI

Private Terms' 1988 Wood Memorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlD-H3zPiU

Risen Star's 1988 Louisiana Derby

Skip Away's 1996 Blue Grass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDgibFqo2s

Smarty Jones' 2004 Arkansas Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1lAfa7hYxU

Street Sense's 2007 Tampa Bay Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWm_o9o6TbU

Winning Colors' 1988 Santa Anita Derby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmLhZy37BAM

[DanG]

Read an article by Plonk about memorable prep races.

(Any others?)
Great list and thanks for the video links Mack!

I could see Easy Goer’s Gotham 1,000 times and it never gets old.

A personal favorite was from some unknown horse in 1973. After being a “decent” 2yo he was making his 1st start at 7f to start his 3yo year. Bumped hard leaving the chute, stuck behind horses he couldn’t find a seem…so he made one and the rest is history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hjtux2HzBI

[bigmack]

A personal favorite was from some unknown horse in 1973. After being a “decent” 2yo he was making his 1st start at 7f to start his 3yo year. Bumped hard leaving the chute, stuck behind horses he couldn’t find a seem…so he made one and the rest is history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hjtux2HzBI

Holy Macaroon! - That was such a treat that I've not seen in years.

A seam he made indeed, DG. :ThmbUp:

Such a pure driven run by Easy Goer. However, with Marshall calling I have to mute and throw on some Mahler or OscarP.

Speaking of which, how tough would it be to assemble a DVD of a pile of great races throughout the years and throw a little film music behind it? The majesty of the game is sorely/poorly marketed. Maybe it's gone?

[plainolebill]

...a “decent” 2yo

Well, decent enough to be horse of the year at two.

Thanks for the link!

[cj]

Spend a Buck in the Cherry Hill Mile and Garden State Stakes.

Silver Charm (losing) in the Santa Anita Derby.

[DanG]

Plainolebill ~ ...a “decent” 2yo

Well, decent enough to be horse of the year at two.

Please tell me you knew that was tongue and cheek Bill.

BigMack ~ Speaking of which, how tough would it be to assemble a DVD of a pile of great races throughout the years and throw a little film music behind it? The majesty of the game is sorely/poorly marketed. Maybe it's gone?
I hear ya on the marketing end Mack. As the great documentary “The First Saturday in May” http://www.thefirstsaturdayinmay.com/ once again proves our sport transfers extremely well to film. (I think you should write the copy Mack after I misspelled “seam”) :eek: :D
Such a pure driven run by Easy Goer. However, with Marshall calling I have to mute and throw on some Mahler or OscarP.
I agree it wasn’t Marshall’s finest moment. The animal went into cruise missile mode that we see once a decade and you would swear he was calling a state-bred claimer.

[cj]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hjtux2HzBI

Great vid...hadn't seen this one before.

[rastajenk]

That's a good list. Although Street Sense's Tampa race was great in the classic, head-to-head style, his Bluegrass loss will probably be more "memorable" in the longer run, just not for good reasons. In a similar way, Alysheba's Blue Grass gets an honorable mention.

I second the Spend a Buck nominations, too. I don't usually think in terms of favorite horses, but that one welded my interest to the game for life, so I like to give him his due.

Unbridled's Florida Derby sticks out to me, because it was so slow, and I held that against him the rest of the spring. Although I had read about pace and race set-ups and other trip stuff a lot by then, I had managed to filter out most of it and stuck to speed. For me, it was one of those defining moments.

I didn't remember much about Hansel's and Private Terms' races.

Seems like Slew was muy impressive in several of his preps that could have made the list.

[plainolebill]

'....Please tell me you knew that was tongue and cheek Bill.'

It's an internet thing, so was my reply. I should have stuck a smiley face in there.

[46zilzal]

Rumbo's SA Derby (to Codex) was an impressive move but told one one thing: he needed it very quick up front, but still has the fastest closing fraction of any colt in recent memory in the Derby.

[oddsmaven]

A personal favorite was from some unknown horse in 1973. After being a “decent” 2yo he was making his 1st start at 7f to start his 3yo year. Bumped hard leaving the chute, stuck behind horses he couldn’t find a seem…so he made one and the rest is history.



Dan, I recall that decent 2 yo...he seemed to pick up that habit of getting away bad from his first race...then next in the Gotham, for the first time I think, he flashed speed...suddenly a horse named Champagne Charlie made a big run at him & came alongside in the stretch as the crowd roared, but this big red horse just turned him back handily & drew clear.

[DanG]

'....Please tell me you knew that was tongue and cheek Bill.'

It's an internet thing, so was my reply. I should have stuck a smiley face in there.
LOL…

I’m getting old Bill. I’m having a hard time reading these things sometimes. :blush:

[Cratos]

Read an article by Plonk about memorable prep races. Including Pyro he has:

Afleet Alex's 2005 Arkansas Derby

Barbaro's 2006 Florida Derby

Bellamy Road's 2005 Wood Memorial

Curlin's 2007 Rebel

Easy Goer's 1989 Gotham

Hansel's 1991 Jim Beam

Mister Frisky's 1990 Santa Anita Derby

Monarchos' 2001 Florida Derby

Private Terms' 1988 Wood Memorial

Risen Star's 1988 Louisiana Derby

Skip Away's 1996 Blue Grass

Smarty Jones' 2004 Arkansas Derby

Street Sense's 2007 Tampa Bay Derby

Winning Colors' 1988 Santa Anita Derby

(Any others?)

I am a big Secretariat fan and admirer, but when it comes to prep races Seattle Slew’s prep race performances before the 1977 KY Derby both as a 2yo and a 3yo was incomparable. He was so dominating that it didn’t seem possible and anyone viewing those performances today would probably be in awe of the demonstration of his power and speed that he consistently displayed in winning by open lengths. Every race was over by the Eighth pole.

Also, Secretariat’s Gptham victory in my opinion was his most impressive prep race because in that race he made what some observers called a “two move acceleration” as he blew the field away at the 3/4M and let them back in at the 7/8M and then blew them away again as he crossed the finish line in 1:33 and change for the mile.

[bigmack]

I am a big Secretariat fan and admirer, but when it comes to prep races Seattle Slew’s prep race performances before the 1977 KY Derby both as a 2yo and a 3yo was incomparable. He was so dominating that it didn’t seem possible and anyone viewing those performances today would probably be in awe of the demonstration of his power and speed that he consistently displayed in winning by open lengths. Every race was over by the Eighth pole.
Awfully convincing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUqkPbh_pJM
76 Champagne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv7AA6XxNtE
77 Flamingo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsxJYQVng8E
77 Wood

[KirisClown]

Lure & Devil His Due in the 92 Gotham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylCBcRDxdpk

Holy Bull's Florida Derby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OJwB5IHlV0

[Snow Chief]

Gulch v. Gone west 1987 Wood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6bpQuuovWY