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View Full Version : Vodka wins Japan Cup


WinterTriangle
11-29-2009, 08:13 AM
I see topics like awful remsen, and I think "you should have watched the Japan Cup!" and undercard instead.

17 G1s, this mare is a warrior princess --- won by a nose against the boys at 1.5 The crowd went wild when they put her up on the board. Actually, they were still going wild 5-10 minutes later. :)

She apparently got a nosebleed, japan rules make you take a month off after that, so she will miss the Miren (sp) and probably retire.

I wish she had come here!

BTW, Lemaire gave a great ride!! (Fits in perfectly with stats on japan cup...a japanese trained horse with an overseas jockey riding.......very high % wins. :jump: )

try to pull up some photos, she looked absolutely GORGEOUS on the track.

FenceBored
11-29-2009, 11:57 AM
Just watched the Japanese language race cal (http://jra.jp/JRADB/asx/2009/05/200905050810h.asx)l (http://jra.jp/JRADB/asx/2009/05/200905050810h.asx) off the JRA site. She ran a great race.

Some interesting camera work, they panned across the entire field instead of keeping the leaders in frame.

joanied
11-29-2009, 12:20 PM
Thanks for the video link, fencebored...
she got swallowed up there in midstretch...I didn't think she'd get clear...very good ride...and she just held on for the win. This mare is one of the world's best, no doubt.

I just can't help myself and gotta say one thing...and this is not to take anything away from Vodka...folks here that for some reason can't seem to give 100% credit to Rachel for her win in the Woodward...Macho Again gaining on her, her digging in to get the win...everyone that is 'against' Rachel made light of that, that maybe MA would have caught her...yet here is a mare in Japan, that might have lost this race in another jump or two, recieving all the accolades she deserves with no mention of that other horse nearly catching her...why is that, I wonder?

WinterTriangle
11-29-2009, 03:09 PM
recieving all the accolades she deserves with no mention of that other horse nearly catching her...why is that, I wonder?

Because she is not competing for an award, she's already HOY there. And, there is really no comparison anyway.

Vodka is 5 years old, and has earnings over $13.1 million, making her the highest earning mare in all of Japanese history.

Vodka has raced in 14 G1's, 4 G2's, 6 stakes, and a few other races. She's something like 25-10-5-3 lifetime. (I may be off a tad here, but close, wasn't sure if Victoria Mile was a G1 for instance). She's defeated the boys 4 times at the highest levels in racing, and has been running against open gender fields for years. Way more racing than Rachel or Zenyatta.

Interesting trivia: Rip Van Winkle defeated Vodka.... twice. :)



Rachel may get a chance against Red Desire, who came in 3rd, and who may be better than Vodka was as a 3 year old, and perhaps against Buena Vista. These 2 run distances of 1.5 miles. It will be interesting to see what happens if they race here, because in the Japan Cup, the American male horses were pretty much left in the dust, but we don't usually do well there anyway.

As an aside, interesting how a jockey change can benefit a horse. The big soap opera about Take being taken off panned out. Tanimizu said he wanted "a jockey that had "no previous knowledge of her wanting to go early". She had been somewhat rank and eager under Take, but relaxed beautifully in the early stages of the Japan Cup for Lemaire..."

Also interesting, attendance at the Cup in Japan was approx. 99,000, down from last year. :eek: disappointing.:)

I think Conduit showed what happens after a long campaign and travelling: Jockey Ryan Moore Moore said: “He broke poorly and he didn't respond as he usually does. He may have been tired, not having enough time from his last start.” (in the BC)



BTW, a big thank you to TVG, :rolleyes: for replaying the finish and right at the finish line, flipping their logo ad on top of it. :bang: Necessitating another replay.



Fantasy race: Rachel, Zenyatta, Vodka and Zarkava race in Japan at 1.5 miles with that long stretch run. Who wins?:lol:

Walter
11-29-2009, 03:53 PM
Check out the breeding of the scratched horse 'Logi Universe' and be afraid!

RobinFromIreland
11-29-2009, 06:33 PM
Interesting trivia: Rip Van Winkle defeated Vodka.... twice. :)

Not sure if that's a joke I don't get or what, but this just isn't true. Unless there is a drink called RVW or something.

cmoore
11-29-2009, 07:15 PM
Because she is not competing for an award, she's already HOY there. And, there is really no comparison anyway.

Vodka is 5 years old, and has earnings over $13.1 million, making her the highest earning mare in all of Japanese history.

Vodka has raced in 14 G1's, 4 G2's, 6 stakes, and a few other races. She's something like 25-10-5-3 lifetime. (I may be off a tad here, but close, wasn't sure if Victoria Mile was a G1 for instance). She's defeated the boys 4 times at the highest levels in racing, and has been running against open gender fields for years. Way more racing than Rachel or Zenyatta.

Interesting trivia: Rip Van Winkle defeated Vodka.... twice. :)



Rachel may get a chance against Red Desire, who came in 3rd, and who may be better than Vodka was as a 3 year old, and perhaps against Buena Vista. These 2 run distances of 1.5 miles. It will be interesting to see what happens if they race here, because in the Japan Cup, the American male horses were pretty much left in the dust, but we don't usually do well there anyway.

As an aside, interesting how a jockey change can benefit a horse. The big soap opera about Take being taken off panned out. Tanimizu said he wanted "a jockey that had "no previous knowledge of her wanting to go early". She had been somewhat rank and eager under Take, but relaxed beautifully in the early stages of the Japan Cup for Lemaire..."

Also interesting, attendance at the Cup in Japan was approx. 99,000, down from last year. :eek: disappointing.:)

I think Conduit showed what happens after a long campaign and travelling: Jockey Ryan Moore Moore said: “He broke poorly and he didn't respond as he usually does. He may have been tired, not having enough time from his last start.” (in the BC)



BTW, a big thank you to TVG, :rolleyes: for replaying the finish and right at the finish line, flipping their logo ad on top of it. :bang: Necessitating another replay.



Fantasy race: Rachel, Zenyatta, Vodka and Zarkava race in Japan at 1.5 miles with that long stretch run. Who wins?:lol:

What a dream race that would be..

WinterTriangle
11-29-2009, 08:43 PM
but this just isn't true.

Robin! I apologize and stand corrected. it was Company, an 8 year old, not RVW.

I'm glad you corrected me lest I continue to spread misinformation. I read it in one place, and should have checked it a few other places first.

toussaud
11-29-2009, 10:55 PM
vodka always wins on saturday nights in this household.

Bochall
11-29-2009, 11:24 PM
I think the race we'd all like to see is Vodka vs Jim And Tonic:)

toussaud
11-29-2009, 11:34 PM
"and vodka is being chased by cranberry juice"...

beertapper
11-30-2009, 03:25 AM
i watched the race live... best race i have ever seen with my own eyes. i'll post some photos in a separate thread. if you ever get the chance to visit this track, i recommend it

i like vodka, but she was tiring at the end and oken bruce lee was charging like a freight train. held on by a nose... i didn't have a strong opinion on any horse, but had a few yen on oken bruce lee... ah well..