My favorite race my favorite horse

[joeprunes]

The year 1976 the race the Marboro cup, it was pouring rain, carrying 137 giving 18 lbs, from dead last top of the streach 7 wide and down the streach they come he comes FORGOE to win by a head . That was the greatest race to me that I have ever seen and yes The big guy Forgoe is still my all time favorite horse .I did go to NY when they retired him, his last race peopled cried and so did I . What was your race and horse?...jp

[cj]

Same for me as far as same horse, same race...Pennsylvania Derby and Broad Brush (I'm from Md and was at the race). Loved that horse. Big Cap when he beat Ferdinand was a close second, but I wasn't there to see it, so PA Derby it is.

Horse had the lead, bolted to the outside fence turning for home dropping back to last, Cordero straightened him out, and he came back to win fairly easily, incredible performance.

Was also a big fan of Lost Code, saw his first big triumph as a 3yo, the "late" Alabama Derby in person, as well as his narrow defeat to Alysheba and Bet Twice in the Haskell.

CJ

[sq764]

2000 Florida Derby - watching Hal's Hope win for that owner, still gives me chills.

Vic Stauffer's call of that race was unreal.

[jotb]

Originally posted by joeprunes
The year 1976 the race the Marboro cup, it was pouring rain, carrying 137 giving 18 lbs, from dead last top of the streach 7 wide and down the streach they come he comes FORGOE to win by a head . That was the greatest race to me that I have ever seen and yes The big guy Forgoe is still my all time favorite horse .I did go to NY when they retired him, his last race peopled cried and so did I . What was your race and horse?...jp


If you are a fan of the MIGHTY FOREGO, I'm sure you can name his regular rider. Who is the Jockey?

Joe

[GR1@HTR]

2001 Evangeline Downs, Sparkes of Luck defeats the all mighty Hallowed Dreams for her first loss in a power packed Allowance race.

[Tom]

While Forgoe was capturing the hearst of NY, the big name at Finger Lakes was Mountain Man. He was THE horse everyone waited for. When Mountain Man showed up in the entries, the crowd would double for that Saturday. He ran in the rochester Cup, at race that habitually drew shippers from NY fo rthe big purse, and they always took it home with them. Until they met Mountain Man. He stalked the pace, moved up even on the turn, and drew out in the final yards to post the unheard of upset-he beat Terrible Tiger, the impressive Bel shipper who could not be beat. Loal boy makes good. What is more impressive, is that Mountain Man was a deep closer, like Forgoe. He would be well out it turning for home and the unleash hell in the stretch. This day, going 9 furlongs, he was close to the front, only a few lengths back. And after race, it was discovered that he had broken his foot during the race and still won! Jockey Warren Vedilago thought it happend in the the backstretch, when the hore bobbled a bit and he thought there was trouble. He was going to ease up and see if the horse was hurt, but Mountain Man was already moving on the leaders on his own and Warren later told me in a bar that he was sure the heard the horse say to him "Hold On!!"
He was the empitome of power, that deep stretch run, fully extended, ears back, head and neck stretched out, gaining with ever stride. He set numerous track records and always gave his best. Never bounced, never regressed, always on top of his game. When he stepped into the winners circle that day, the crowd errupted. It was unreal. PJ Mulrooney, the owner trainer was a one horse stable, and he, Warren ,and the Man took on NY and won. Considering that FL offered $1500 claimers and the track record for 6 was about 112 back then, it was a dream day.
Horses like Mountain Man, Fieldglass, Konk, Sam Lord, Ambigu, Strike the Anvil, they are the "champs" that got me into this game. Little guys with big hearts, outrunning their breeding and ability for peanuts.

[joeprunes]

jotb> At the begging Jacinto Vasquez once Shoemaker got him I believe that was it.When I first
seen Forego at Belmont He was 6ft from me I couldnt believe how big he was and he didnt like crowds, boy could he run.

[Dan Montilion]

I'm sure I'm going to butcher the spelling...

Pete Anderson to Heliodoro Gustines to Bill Shoemaker. Jacinto Vasquez on occasion.

Dan Montilion

[PaceAdvantage]

I started to get into racing seriously around 1986-1987....I have a couple of favorites:

Favorite races seen on TV:

Tie - Sunday Silence's Preakness and BC Classic


Favorite races seen in person:

Tie - Holy Bull's Metropolitan Mile and Woodward

Some will debate this, but I haven't heard the NY crowd give bigger applause to a horse returning to the winner's circle then I did for the Woodward. I was there for Cigar's NY races, and I say Holy Bull got the bigger ovation.....


==PA

[stuball]

My 2 all time favorites are Forego who has been mentioned by other guys and a Arlington Park favorite BUCKPASSER -- lots of ability but a huge huge heart with tons of courage....I'm a sucker for a horse that gets passed and comes back on to win...That is when you know a horse wants to -- needs to --- has to WIN...

The ones that can do it are few and far far far between....To bring out the most of their ability is breathtaking...Buckpasser and Forego win my votes..

Stuball

[Derek2U]

Hey Tom I had no idea you're a racing romantic? heehe

[Tom]

Originally posted by Derek2U
Hey Tom I had no idea you're a racing romantic? heehe

But I ain't gettin' married! <G>

[ceejay]

Secretariat's Belmont. Most dominiant win I have seen from any athlete in any sport.

Best race call also: "He is moving like a tremendous machine"

[WINMANWIN]

Originally posted by joeprunes
The year 1976 the race the Marboro cup, it was pouring rain, carrying 137 giving 18 lbs, from dead last top of the streach 7 wide and down the streach they come he comes FORGOE to win by a head . That was the greatest race to me that I have ever seen and yes The big guy Forgoe is still my all time favorite horse .I did go to NY when they retired him, his last race peopled cried and so did I . What was your race and horse?...jp

I remember that race and was at the track that day. I bet him
and UNFORTUNATELY, GOT HOOKED on this Game Ever Since. In
retrospect Maybe, I should have lost the loUsy $5 WIN BET I made that day !!! :confused:

[sq764]

I remember being at Delaware Park about 6 or 8 years ago and saw Julie Krone win the Delaware Handicap on a $50 or $100 horse (Amarillo something).

And the crowd of about 10,000 gave her a standing ovation. It was pretty cool..

[Figman]

There was nothing like hearing the NYRA announcer Fred Capposella with his stacatto voice calling KELSO in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at two miles each October. KELSO won it in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 & 1964. But nothing to me has ever equalled the thrill of seeing DR.FAGER in competition. He'd come on the track prancing and dancing with his neck bowed and didn't look like any other racehorse. He was one of a kind! In his final 17 races he suffered 2 defeats finishing second each time. And in both of those races at a mile and a quarter he was pushed to the three-quarters in 1:09 by stablemates of DAMASCUS.

[kenwoodall]

Since i am new, my horse was Victory Gallop; my greatest race was last year Golden Gate. The 2 lead horses fell in the stretch. Weinhard (still racing) jumped over them both and won the race.

[alysheba88]

Great topic. Until Volponi won the Classic, leading to the biggest score of my life, my favorite race, was Alysheba's BC Classic win in the mud (and despite my handle I had Seeking the Gold). Was miserable conditions, and there was just some outstanding horses in the race. 49er, Waqoit, Seeking the Gold, Cryptoclearance. Can still picture Alysheba coming home in the gloaming to gut it out. And Jack VanBerg.

Another memorable one, involved Safely Kept's sprint loss to Dancing Spree (on the losing end of that one too). She outsprinted a very fast field and almost beat em all. The irony was she won the next year when she wasn't the best (Dayjur jumping shadows).

Go for Gin's Derby (had the tri) was another real memorable one. Best race I saw in person was probably the Real Quiet-Victory Gallop Belmont. The $5 million photo

[Diamond K]

Few probably remember that memorable head to head duel between Ridan and Jaipur which was fabulously exciting and Ainslee called 'the greatest race of all time'.

[freeneasy]

how about all those Affirmed- Alydar head to headers. From flag fall to thats all. Each time those two got together you just had to stand there with the rest of the crowd, transfixed, clutching a handful of exacta tickets on these two prefomers. There was nothing else to look for, you knew no one else was com'n, no one else was sneak'n up, no one else had a move, two great horses, eye to eye, champion to champion, wire to wire. And that for some of the greatest horseracing spectacles ever to be seen.
One race I never forgot was the late Connie Rings champion, Crystal Water, trained by the late Charlie Whittingham.
Charlie put Crystal Water in a big race, I forgot which one, and I think it was at a mile and a quarter, but there was another good one in there as well, Faliraki. Crystal Water and Faliraki went straight to the front. I thought, well its just a matter of when Faliraki will wear at least a little bit and Charlie's horse will start to inch ahead, and go on by at least a half lenght or so. There wasnt so much as one step during that entire race where these two were'nt look'n each other rite in the eye. It was a thriller, and a 10 minute photo. But when the sign came down and Crystal Water's number went up, Connie couldnt stop hugging Charlie and the crowd went wild.

[WALLENDA]

Originally posted by PaceAdvantage
I started to get into racing seriously around 1986-1987....I have a couple of favorites:

Favorite races seen on TV:

Tie - Sunday Silence's Preakness and BC Classic


Favorite races seen in person:

Tie - Holy Bull's Metropolitan Mile and Woodward

Some will debate this, but I haven't heard the NY crowd give bigger applause to a horse returning to the winner's circle then I did for the Woodward. I was there for Cigar's NY races, and I say Holy Bull got the bigger ovation.....


==PA


I was there when Holy Bull won the Woodward in 94 and the applause he recieved when he returned to the winners circle was unreal, he really catputred the immagination of the fans, earlier on the card the Great Sky Beauty carrying 130 lbs, also recieved an amazing response in the winners circle. I was there the following year for Cigars Woodward and the ovation was not nearly the same. As far as ny favorite race, id have to say the 1994 Travers that great strecth battle between the Bull and Concern. Most likely one of Durkins finest race calls.