Breeders' Cup By The Numbers

The Breeders’ Cup has now been run 27 times now. From the inaugural running at Hollywood Park in 1984 to the 2011 version next week (Nov. 4-5) at Churchill Downs, the Breeders’ Cup builds what all great sporting events have - history. And history means numbers. I don’t know if horse racing fans and bettors like numbers more than our baseball friends currently watching the World Series, but most of us thoroughbred fans like our numbers.

So we looked at the Breeders’ Cup and their history and came up with a few numbers that we thought may be of interest to you.

140,332,198 – The highest number of total dollars wagered on a single-day Breeders’ Cup event on Nov. 4, 2006 at Churchill Downs. Last year Churchill Downs handled the two-day record $173,857,697 for a Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5-6.

10,246,800 – The record number of career dollars earned by a Breeders’ Cup starter. That was Curlin's bankroll going into the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. That Classic was won by Raven's Pass at 13-to-1 odds while Curlin finished fourth as the 4-to-5 odds-on favorite. (Editor's Note: Thanks to reader Eddie D. who corrected me on this number. I previously published Skip Away and his $9,616,360 as the record holder as per the Breeders' Cup website.)

470 – The total number of foreign based starters in the Breeders’ Cup in the first 27 years. The first Breeders’ Cup had 11 foreign-based starters, of which six were in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. 1) including winner Lashkari. Last year at Churchill Downs, 25 horses came from overseas with Dangerous Midge winning the Turf and Goldikova (photo right) taking her third consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. 1). The most ever Foreign-based horses to start in a Breeders’ Cup came to Santa Anita in 2009 when 34 horses not based in the United States ran, of which a record six won.

349 – The number of starters in the Breeders’ Cup Mile during the previous 27 years making it the most popular Breeders’ Cup race among horsemen. The Sprint is second with 339 starters and the Juvenile is third with 324.

77 – The age of trainer Philip G. Johnson when he set the record as the oldest trainer to win a Breeders’ Cup race when Valponi won the 2002 Classic.

56 – The age of jockey Bill Shoemaker when he set the record as the oldest jockey to win a Breeders’ Cup race. Shoemaker was 56 when he won the 1987 Classic with Ferdinand.

52 – The number of Breeders’ Cup races won by horses breaking from post position two or four – 26 each and leading all other post positions in that category. Post number one is third with 24 winners.

14 – The number of Breeders’ Cup races that have finished with the official winning margin being a nose. Difficult to say which was the most dramatic, but Personal Ensign putting in that stretch run in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (now Ladies Classic) on a dark on sloppy day at Churchill Downs to catch Winning Colors gets my vote. Ferdinand and Alysheba were so close at the wire of the 1987 Classic that their jockeys, Bill Shoemaker and Chris McCarron aboard respectively, both recalled asking each other who had won while galloping out just past the wire. What about Macho Uno holding off Point Given to win the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. For the record, Blame was a head in front of Zenyatta in the 2009 Classic. There are 17 Breeders’ Cup races with the official winning margin a head.


13-1/2 – The number of lengths that made up Inside Information’s record winning margin in the 1995 Distaff over Heavenly Prize. Second: Street Sense and his ten length victory over Circular Quay in the 2006 Juvenile with Pleasant Home having the third longest winning margin, defeating Society Selection in the 2005 Distaff.

13 – The number of Breeders’ Cup winners who have sired Breeders’ Cup winners. Awesome Again, winner of the 1998 Classic, leads the pack with four of his get winning Breeders’ Cup races. Awesome Again has sired Wilko, winner of the 2004 Juvenile; Ghostzapper (2004 Classic); Round Pond (2006 Distaff) and Ginger Punch (2007) Distaff.

3 – The number of mares that have produced two multiple Breeders’ Cup winners. Primal Force (by Blushing Groom) is the dam of Awesome Again (1998 Classic) and Macho Uno (2000 Juvenile). Sweet Catomine (2004 Juvenile Fillies) and Life is Sweet (2009 Distaff) are both out of the Kris S. mare Sweet Life; and the Kahyasi (IRE) mare Hasili (IRE) produced Banks Hill and Intercontinental, winners of the 2001 and 2005 Filly and Mare Turf.

1 – The number of horse who have won three Breeders’ Cup races. Goldikova returns this year to try for her four Breeders’ Cup Mile. Ouija Board won the Filly and Mare Turf in 2004 and 2006 and was second in that race in 2005 to 15-to-1 long shot Intercontinental.

Breeders' Cup Ladies Class Has Given Racing Great Moments And Great Fillies and Mares

Even though the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic plays a bit of a second-fiddle to the Classic and at times even the Juvenile (gr. 1), it is a race that has given us many memorable moments – some filled with the greatness of some of the most famous female race horses in North American history.

Like most Breeders’ Cup races, the Ladies Classic was first run in 1984 at Hollywood Park. Formerly known as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff until 2008 when it assumed the current name, the Ladies Classic started with a boom.

While the first Breeders’ Cup Classic was missing one of the great icons of that generation when John Henry missed the race due to injury, the first Ladies Classic (Distaff) was filled with filly and mare stars. That year, Distaff favorite Princess Rooney (photo right) came to the Breeders’ Cup with victories in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, the Clement Hirsch at Santa Anita and finished her Breeders’ Cup preparation with a win at Keeneland in the Spinster Stakes.

Lining up to face the 7-to-10 favorite was Life’s Magic, the eventual Champion 3-Year-Old Champion Filly that year who had taken the Mother Goose Stakes, Alabama Stakes and Monmouth Oaks; Lucky Lucky Lucky, second to Princess Rooney in the Spinster; and Miss Oceana, who was second to Life’s Magic in the Beldame at Belmont Park among the field of seven.

Princess Rooney would not disappoint her supporters that day, winning by seven with jockey Eddie Delahoussaye seven lengths over Life’s Magic in second and Adored in third. So impressive was Princess Rooney that day, that her final time of 2:02-2/5 was a full second faster than Wild Again’s Breeders’ Cup Classic later that same day over the same 1-1/4 mile distance.

Although Life’s Magic was second in the first Breeders’ Cup, she would come back the next year at Aqueduct and take home her own Breeders’ Cup victory, defeating Lady’s Secret (photo below left and later named Champion Older Filly or Mare in 1985.

In 1986 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Lady’s Secret would return from her runner-up performance the preceding year with a vengeance. But Lady’s Secret began her tear through racing much earlier in the year. That year the dainty filly won 10 of 15 starts, including the Maskette, Beldame and Ruffian for the second consecutive year. She defeated males four times including the Whitney Handicap, which had not been won by a female since Gallorette in 1948. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee would later be named Champion Older Filly or Mare and became only the eighth filly or mare since 1887 to be named Horse of the Year.

It would take only two years before another future Hall of Fame filly would grace the Distaff with her presence – in fact it would be two greats.

Personal Ensign came into the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff undefeated in 12 career starts including wins in the Hemstead Stakes, Shuvee Handicap, Molly Pritchard Handicap, Beldame Stakes (for the second time), Maskette and a victory over males in the Whitney Handicap.

The race featured Winning Colors, who in May had become only the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby.

The two met in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the Kentucky Derby winning filly Winning Colors jumped out to an early lead as always and ran comfortably around the sloppy Churchill Downs track. At the top of the long Churchill Downs streatch, Winning Colors and jockey Gary Stevens started pulling away from a stubborn Goodbye Halo and well on their way to a win. But Personal Ensign had moved into the picture, but was trying to pass Goodbye Halo for second with Winning Colors still keeping her distance from the Goodbye Halo and Personal Ensign, some two lengths behind.

But Personal Ensign began creeping closer toward Winning Colors, but by that time, the finish was insight and time and track appeared to be running out for Personal Ensign and jockey Randy Romero. Driving to catch Winning Colors in apparent vain, the finish line suddenly appeared and the race seemed finished. But just as quickly, Personal Ensign jumped even with Winning Colors in one stride and was a nose ahead the next. Not a fraction of second too soon, Personal Ensign won and would retire with her 13-race undefeated winning streak intact and honors and the Champion Filly or Mare of 1988.

The next two years of the Distaff division belonged to the parrot-mouthed, tongue-hangin’ out Bayakoa, trained by Ron McAnally. In 1989, Bayakoa won the Ruffian, Santa Margarita Invitational, the Apple Blossom, Milady Handicaps and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The following year was almost a repeat. She won the Santa Maria Handicap then took the Santa Margarita, Milady and Breeders’ Cup Distaff for the second time. Today, she remains the only horse to ever win the Distaff twice.

Two years after McAnally returned with another Argentia-bred in Paseana. In 1992, Paseana (who also had a penchant for running with her tongue hanging out) won the Santa Margarita, Milady, Apple Blossom, Vanity, Santa Maria and San Gorgonia Handicaps. But just before the ’92 Breeders’ Cup, Paseana finished second in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland and many wondered if she would be in top form for the Distaff a month later. Let go with 5-to-2 odds coupled with stable mate Exchange in the Distaff, Paseana stalked pace-setter and favorite Saratoga Dew down the Gulfstream Park backstreatch but passed her with ease just as the field hit the far turn. With ears pricked as if to ask jockey Chris McCarron when to go, Paseana took the Distaff into her own hoofs and began to extend her lead around the turn. By the time they turned for home, Paseana was comfortably in front and went to win by four lengths over Versailles Treaty and be named the Champion Old Mare for the first of two consecutive times.

Ten years later, the star of the Distaff was Azeri after she ran one of the most impressive campaigns for a female Thoroughbred in recent memory. She won the Clement Hirsh, Lady’s Secret Breeders’ Cup, Santa Margarita, Apple Blossom, Milady Breeders’ Cup, Vanity and Vanity before winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in romp and be named Champion Older Mare and the second Distaff winner to take Horse of the Year. Immediately after the Distaff, future Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith declared Azeri the best filly he had ever ridden.

That was about to change.

On April 5, 2008 Smith was named by trainer John Shirreffs to ride his filly in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park. Based in California, the filly had been ridden by David Flories in her first three starts, all wins. But Flores did not make the trip from Southern California to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Smith, also based in Southern California, had other mounts that weekend at Oaklawn Park and had ridden for Shirreffs many times before, including winning the Kentucky Derby on Giacomo. At the start of the Apple Blossom, the filly quickly fell back to second to last of the six mares and stayed there until the field reached the far turn. She circled the field (just as she had always done), took command in the stretch and won by a four lengths.

Victories in the Milady, Vanity, Clement Hirsch and Lady’s Secret followed before Zenyatta would make her Breeders’ Cup debut in the $2 million Ladies Classic. Breaking last in a field of eight, her winning running style was repeated and for the ninth consecutive time, Zenyatta was in the winners circle of the 2099 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic.

There are certainly other great champions to run in the Ladies Classic and exciting stretch runs and close finishes. But these eight fillies and mares are some of the greatest in the history of American horse racing. All but Zenyatta are in the Hall of Fame and she will get on the first ballot in which she is eligible.
Just as it’s winners are glorified in the halls of racing history, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic has etched its way into horse racing history with a story that is far from being complete. It is unknown when the Ladies Classic story will come to an end – probably not in my lifetime – but I’m sure anticipating the next chapter set to take place at Churchill Downs Nov. 4.

Personal Ensign Obstacles Look Managable For Rachel Alexandra

Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year, returns to the site of her greatest triumph Sunday in the $300,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga. Last year she completed one of the most dynamic campaigns ever by a 3-year-old filly by winning the grade 1 Woodward Stakes over older horses at the upstate New York racing icon. In fact, in the 56-year history of the Woodward, Rachel Alexandra is the only filly to ever win the race. At that time she was atop the racing world. Sunday, she returns grade 1 competition for the first time since.

It has been a challenging year for Rachel Alexandra, who started the year with two close second-place finishes in the ungraded New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds and the La Troienne (gr. 2) at Churchill Downs. She has since rebounded with two victories in the Fleur de Lis (gr. 2) at Churchill Downs and the ungraded Lady’s Secret at Monmouth Park, but Sunday marks her her first start this year against grade 1 competition.

In all of those races, Rachel Alexandra has been the odds-on favorite and she is the 2-5 choice in the Personal Ensign morning line in a small field of five. Unlike any of those race however, the Personal Ensign appears to have a few more legitimate challenges and challengers as well.

The first challenge will be the 1-1/4 mile distance of the Personal Ensign. This will be the first time Rachel Alexandra has run a race at the classic distance while her two top foes, Life At Ten and Miss Singhsix, just finished first and second respectively at that distance in the grade 2 Delaware Handicap.

Life At Ten brings the other apparent challenges. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velasquez, Life At Ten rattled off her sixth consecutive victory in the Delaware Handicap going back to a win against allowance company at Aqueduct in November. That span includes her triumphs in the grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont and the Sixty Sails (gr. 3) at Hawthorne.

The other challenge Life At Ten brings to the Personal Ensign will be her early speed. Like Rachel Alexandra, Life At Ten likes to be on or near the lead when the field settles into the early running. Although Rachel Alexandra likes to go a bit faster than Life At Ten; and it is doubtful that jockey Calvin Borel would let Rachel Alexandra get into a compromising fast, early pace; Life at Ten should have the opportunity to at least apply some pressure.

Miss Singhsix looks to be the most logical to benefit should Life at Ten and Rachel Alexandra somehow exhaust themselves during the first mile of the race. But even under the most opportunistic of conditions, the Marty Wolfson-trained Miss Singhsix will have to improve significantly in order to defeat Rachel Alexandra.

No better place than the "Graveyard of Champions" to give a try though.

One interesting note that Rachel Alexandra has in her favor is the success of her sire Medaglia d’ Oro at Saratoga during his racing career. After finishing second in the Wood Memorial and Belmont Stakes, the Bobby Frankel trainee went to Saratoga to win both the Jim Dandy (gr. 2) and Travers as a 3-year-old. He returned the following year to win the Whitney Handicap over Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Valponi to finish his career 3-for-3 at the Spa.

Talk Again About Rachel Alexandra Versus Zenyatta

Several New York publications including the New York Daily News have speculated that the possible dream race between 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and the undefeated champion Zenyatta may again be a realistic consideration in the grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 29.

Trainer Steve Asmussen, trainer of Rachel Alexandra, has already indicated to Daily Racing Form that they are pointing towards the $400,000 Personal Ensign while the Zenyatta camp has made no commitment to the Aug. 7 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar.

The Personal Ensign offers two features that should be attractive to Zenyatta trainer John Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss. The 1-1/4 mile distance appears to Zenyatta best, and the natural dirt main track. The $300,000 Clement Hirsch, also a grade 1, is the shorter 1-1/16 miles.

The Breeders' Cup this year will be run at Churchill Downs, so the Zenyatta camp may want to prepare the defending Breeders' Cup Classic winner on a natural track like Saratoga instead of the synthetic main track at Del Mar.

Romero Personified Parseghian Quote

In November of 1974, the fifth-ranked Notre Dame football team traveled to the Los Angeles Coliseum to play longtime rival and number six-ranked Southern California. Notre Dame jumped out to a 24-0 lead before USC running back Anthony Davis scored a touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half to make the score 24-6. Davis opened the second half by returning the kick-off 102 yards for a touchdown and opened the floodgates to one of the most famous comebacks in college football history. USC would score 55 consecutive points and Davis ended the day with four touchdowns. Final score USC 55. Notre Dame 24.

In the Notre Dame locker room after the game, reporters asked coach Ara Parseghian about Davis and how he shredded the nation's best defense after being down 24-0 to the Fighting Irish. To which Parseghian replied "Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents that which normal circumstances may remain dormant."

When I think of people in horse racing that have achieved greatness in the face of adversity, first on my list is recent Hall of Fame inductee Randy Romero.

As a boy from Erath, Louisiana, Romero began riding Quarter Horses and thoroughbred at bush tracks around Southern Louisiana at age 8. He loved race riding and he was good so his professional riding career began as soon as he was eligible to be licensed at Evangeline Downs in 1975. He soon dominated the smaller tracks in the area such as Delta Downs in Vinton and Jefferson Downs in Kenner.

The 1978 movie Caseys Shadow was based his family's true story about a Quarter Horse running in the All-American Futurity and he had simultaneously began succeeding at larger tracks such as Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Tragedy first struck "The Rajun Cajun" in 1983 with a freak accident in the sauna of the Oaklawn Park jockeys' quarters. While trying to lose weight before the races, a light bulb exploded in the "hot box" and ignited the alcohol covering Romero's body, burning him over 65% of his body.

But just fifteen weeks later, he was back riding and was soon racking up riding titles and stakes wins while riding for some of the most powerful stables on the East Coast. In perhaps his most memorable (if not his greatest) ride, he rallied Personal Ensign past Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors and an apparent insurmountable lead to win the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. 1) at Churchill Downs. The victory also had historical significance as Personal Ensign was able to retire as one of the greatest race mares of all-time with a perfect 13 for 13 record.

Two years later Romero was again in a Breeders' Cup Distaff stretch battle. This time he was aboard Go For Wand at Belmont Park and they were stride-for-stride down the stretch with the great mare Bayakoa. IIn one of the darkest moments in thoroughbred racing history, Go For Wand suddenly broke a front leg, slamming to ground with Romero. (photo right) Despite breaking his shoulder and several ribs in the spill, Romero rode the next race after Go For Wand was euthanized on the track.

Three months later he returned to racing and in his second day back riding, he went down at Gulfstream Park and broke his elbow. The injury would eventually end his career as doctors were never able to set the elbow correctly. After several surgeries and years of trying to comeback, Romero retired for good in 1999.

But the race track was not yet finished battering Randy Romero and his body. The years of controlling his weight through bulimia or "flipping" as it commonly know in racing, had taken it's toll and in 2002 his kidneys failed. He later was told that he had Hepatitis C and would need a kidney and liver transplant. He never got the transplants but his liver has stabilized and he undergoes dialysis three times a week to treat his kidneys.

After a career of nearly 25,000 mounts, more than 4,000 wins, riding titles at ten different tracks and three Breeders' Cup wins, his credentials stand alone as a Hall of Famer. And he rose to that level of the sport through devastating burns, weight battles, broken arms, legs, ribs, shoulders, collarbones, who know what other bones, legiments, sprains and more than 20 surgeries.

That takes him to hero status in my book.

Arkansas Derby and Blue Grass are Open Affairs

After watching Eskendereya's magnificent Wood Memorial (gr. 1) performance last week, one may wonder about the significance of this weekend's two grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands prep races. Of the 18 3-year-olds entered in the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, only Uh Oh Bango has a race with a triple digit Beyer Speed Figure. And that was a 102 Beyer last September in the $53,000 Prairie Meadows Juvenile.

Eskendereya has done so in his last two races with a 106 Beyer in the Wood and a 102 in the Fountain of Youth. Not since Point Given in 2001 has a 3-year-old come into the Kentucky Derby looking so dominant. In fact, Point Given is the only horse during the last decade to go to the post with less than 2-1 odds.

Point Given finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Ironically, that is the average finish of the last ten Kentucky Derby favorites. Only Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000, Street Sense in 2007 and Big Brown the following year have won the Run for the Roses as the most popular betting choice.

The Arkansas Derby has produced two Derby winners during that time and seems to have the stronger cast on Saturday.

Todd Pletcher continues to unleash his 2010 armament on Derby contenders by bringing Super Saver to Arkansas and has been tabbed the 9-5 morning line favorite. Owned by WinStar Farm, Super Saver was third behind Odysseus and Schoolyard dreams as the favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby March 13 in his first start of the year.

But Noble's Promise may wind up as the fan's betting choice in Arkansas as well as the winner of the race if he can continue to improve off of his only start of the year. Trained by Kenneth McPeek, Nobel's Promise just missed hanging on against the highly regarded Lookin' at Lucky in the grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, also March 13. Although Lookin' at Lucky was rattled with trouble that day, Noble's Promise was forced three-wide on the turn in the Rebel and still produced a field best 98 Beyer.

Four-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas still has Dublin on the Derby trail after his third place finish in the Rebel. He also was plagued by bad luck as he was forced four and five wide on both turns and appeared to bump Lookin at Lucky down the backstretch as well. Oaklawn Park veteran Terry Thompson gets the return mount on the son of Afleet Alex and may be looking for a slow and relaxing early trip Saturday.



In Lexington, Kentucky Florida Derby runner-up Pleasant Prince has been installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite, just ahead of Tampa Bay Derby winner Odysseus at 7-2. Just behind them are the Pletcher duo of Aikenite and Interactif at 4-1.

Again, we have a wide open race in which I'm most interested to see Odysseus run again. His victory in the Tampa Bay Derby, while not overly impressive on paper, was about as much as one would want to see in terms of determination and late acceleration.

After appearing as if finished coming out of the far turn (even track announcer Richard Gunter called Odysseus as done for the day), jockey Rajiv Maragh suddenly found more inside the final eighth of a mile. By that time, they were behind a wall of horses and as if suddenly being recharged, began to run again and somehow got for the win. That made it 3 consecutive for the Tom Albertrani trainee and with any improvement in maturity, should be the one to beat at Keeneland.



Personal Ensign Dies

Personal Ensign, the Zenyatta of the late 1980s passed away at her home at Claiborne Farmin Paris, Kentucky. She was 26.

Ranked among the greatest racing mares of all time with an undefeated record in 13 career starts. Her two most memorable races included the 1988 Whitney Stakes (gr. 1) when she defeated Gulch and King's Swan as the odds-on favorite and the thrilling Breeders' Cup Distaff later that year. In her final race, Personal Ensign appeared to be defeated by Kentucky Derby winning filly Winning Colors only to get up to win a nose to cap her perfect career.

Don't Let The Horse Of The Year Vote Ruin Your Day

Are you having a little anxiety today? Are you biting your nails a little more today than most Mondays? Is it because of that little golden trophy for Horse of the Year that will be announced tonight in Beverly Hills, Calif.? Are you just in a big old knot today wondering if it will be Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta?

Relax it will be okay.

After months of debate in the pages of racing publications, blogs, discussion boards, Google groups, Facebook comments, and Twitter tweets, tonight the debate ends.

Some will surely experience some type of post debate depression, similar to what some suffered following the Presidential election in 2008. They should seek professional help. Because they probably have more problems. Could be issues lingering from a childhood during the Alydar-Affirmed years.

At the very least - if this race between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta is as close as we all think - about half of us won't be so happy tomorrow.

I'm here, however, to offer pre-Eclipse Awards consolation. First, realize that life will go on past the Eclipse Awards. If the folks in Buffalo and Minnesota can survive all of those Super Bowl losses (there's seven between the two teams) than you should be able to survive one Horse of the Year vote.

In fact, after tonight it's going to be a little better life than what most Horse of Year fans get. Both Rachel and Zenyatta are preparing their return to the races. Add to that, that they might even give us that dream race for which we have all been clamoring.

I guessing the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 3 is as likely a place as any to host the showdown. The race is 1-1/16 miles over a natural dirt track on which both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta have won. Rachel Alexandra won the 2009 Martha Washington Stakes and Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn last year while still in the Hal Wiggins barn. Zenyatta would be in pursuit of her second Apple Blossom title having won the race in 2008. Rachel won both of her races at the Spa by 8 lengths or more. Zenyatta won by nearly five lengths in Arkansas.

So win or lose we have that going for us. Which is nice.

Tonight's losers should also take solace in the fact that there have been historically good horses with stunning records in a given year, but were not awarded the golden Eclipse for Horse of the Year.

The three great mares Bayakoa (Arg), Personal Ensign (photo) and Paseana (Arg) come to mind. There's not a Horse of the Year among them. Bayakoa lost the honor to Sunday Silence in 1989, her most impressive year. Personal Ensign retired undefeated and with a stirring victory over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the Breeders' Cup Distaff in 1988. Alysheba was named Horse of the Year that year. A.P. Indy took the prize away from Paseana in 1992 with half as many grade 1 wins and just as many defeats. In reference to any of these Hall of Fame mares, you just don't hear people say, "Nice mare. But she never won Horse of the Year."

Win or lose, there is nothing the voters for Horse of the Year can do to blemish the year that Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta gave us. So before you begin to wale or gnash a tooth tonight, just be thankful. We might be able to see it all again.

Rachel vs. The Greats

Excuse me. Ms. Zenyatta? Yes. Would you please move over just a bit? We've got to make a lot more room in the comparison to Rachel Alexandra conversation. I'm sorry, but we're no longer comparing just you to Rachel Alexandra. We're now comparing her to the greatest race fillies and mares of all time. Don't leave. You're still plenty welcome. But did you see the Woodward?

The abridged version of Rachel Alexandra's Woodward victory is that she appeared out of her comfort zone from the moment she got to the paddock until the final stride of the Woodward when she nosed out the hard-charging Macho Again - sending the Saratoga grandstand into a uproar probably seldom hear in the long and storied history of the Spa. She misbehaved in the post parade, looking like she wanted no piece of the old boys she just met. As she was walking to the starting gate, her usual confident and noble presence seemed to be in a galaxy far, far away as her ears flopped around as if she had just swallowed a bad oat.

Then Rachel Alexandra left the gate like her tail was on fire, looking as she just wanted to get away from all the ugly bastards in the race with her. When Da Tara stayed with her through a blazing first two furlongs, I said it was over for the girl. I said it again at the top of the stretch when she appeared on the verge of being swalled up by a legion of challengers. I thought she was really done then.

She then kicked in that gear that jockey Calvin Borel has been telling us about and pulled away slowly but convincing, only to be asked for more by Borel as Macho Again roared towards her only to fall short.

At that moment Rachel Alexandra erased all doubt and other weak arguments as to her greatness.

But to further the point, I thought it might be fun to actually revisit some of the great female thoroughbreds of all time and allow you to conclude her greatness for yourself. I write this with apologies to fans of Masket, Shuvee, Lady's Secret, Pebbles, Bayakoa, Paseana, Davona Dale and others including Pan Zareta with her 76 career wins.

In 1915 Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby in her 3-year-old debut after winning the Saratoga Special, Sanford Stakes and Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga against colts in her only three starts at two. She won nine of her 11 career races, having raced against fillies only twice. Her two defeats came against males in the Saratoga Handicap, finishing eighth off of an 11-month layoff, and a nose loss to Borrow in the 1917 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park.

Like Rachel Alexandra, Ruffian (photo) was almost 17 hands tall with as much charisma and class as talent. Ruffian was not only undefeated in ten career starts before her fatal match race against Foolish Pleasure in 1975, but she had never been behind another horse in a race, going wire-to-wire in every victory. She won the filly Triple Tiarra at Belmont Park by winning the Acorn, the Mother Goose and the Coaching Club American Oaks, winning the Acorn by 8-1/4 lengths and the Mother Goose by 13-1/2. Her average margin of victory was more than 8-1/4 lengths before the match race, breaking and equaling track records along the way.

Personal Ensign was undefeated in 13 starts from 1986-1988 and concludied her career with one of the most stirring and memorable finishes in Breeders' Cup history when she held off Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors to win by a fraction of a nose. Eight of her career victories were against grade 1 company including the 1988 Whitney Handicap over Gulch and a field of older males. Her popularity among fans was unquestionalble as they made her an odds-on favorite (less than even money) in every race except the 1987 Beldame when she was let go at a generous 1.30-1.

Go For Wand had also drawn comparisons to Ruffian before and after her fatal last start in the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff when she broke down in the midst of a stretch battle with Bayakoa. She won 10 of 12 career starts going into the Distaff, including a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies as a 2-year-old. Her only two losses came in against grade 1 company in 1989 Frizette and 1990 Kentucky Oaks, finishing second in both. She never races against males however.

Although Miesque raced primarly in Europe and exclusively on grass, she was the dynamite filly of the early Breeders' Cup years having taken the 1987 and 1988 Breeders' Cup Mile against older males. She won 12 of 16 career starts with three seconds and a third and unlike her American counterparts, raced primarily against the boys having started with fillies only five times. She was third the grade 1 Prix de Morny in France in her second start at two against boys, and was second in grade 1 Prix de Diane (also known as the French Oaks) in her only loss against fillies. Ironically, her only other losses came against older males in Europe in her final preps to her Breeders Cup wins.

Again the list of great fillies and mares is much, much longer than the one I've presented here. These are just a few. But they are all unquestionalbe in the place in history.

Just as Rachel Alexandra is now.

Let the Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta Debate Continue

The racing gods continue to smile down upon us this year after two exciting wins by two brilliant mares Saturday with Rachel Alexandra winning the Mother Goose (photo at left) in New York and Zenyatta winning the Vanity at Hollywood Park. Add to that comments by Zenyatta owner Jerry Moss that he would consider taking Zenyatta outside of Southern California to face Rachel Alexandra and it was quite a good day for racing fans.

Rachel took the racing stage first Saturday in the $300,000 Mother Goose at Belmont Park, but faced only two rivals. Sent off at odds of 1-9, Rachel easily put away second-place finisher Malibu Prayer and Flashing. Her galloping final strides were no surprise, nor was the 19-3/4 length margin - although it eclipsed Ruffian's 1975 margin. But her final time of 1:46.33 broke the stakes record by nearly 7/10ths of a second and she did it with such ease. At one point just before the finish, jockey Calvin Borel seemed so relaxed it appeared he reached up and gave her a congratulatory pat or maybe just fixed her main for the photo.

Minutes later on the West Coast, Zenyatta remained undefeated winning the grade 1, $300,000 Vanity Handicap. Although she faced only four other rivals, Zenyatta met with considerable more adversity than Rachel, most notably the 129-pound assignment under the terms of the handicap conditions of the Vanity. The late running Zenyatta had less pace to run at than she would like, but stayed a bit closer to the pace and prevailed with confidence by 2-1/4 lengths with another late run.

At the top of the pace, it appeared the extra weight was a challenge for Zenyatta until she ranged alongside the leaders inside the 1/16th pole to the finish. That's when she pricked her ears as if to say a passing hello to eventual runner-up Briecat and third place finisher Dawn After Dawn.

Now the question begs as to where these two magical mares - although Rachel is technically a filly - could possible meet. My guess would be the grade 1, $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga in late August. Since Rachel Alexandra controlling owner Jess Jackson said Monday that he would not race his filly on a synthetic track, such as they have in Zenyatta home-base of Southern California - it appears Rachel's home of New York would be the next logical place for a possible match-up.

But Rachel Alexandra would again have to leave her comfort zone in the Personal Ensign, or any other race versus Zenyatta, because of the age difference. Rachel Alexandra is a 3-year-old and Zenyatta races against older mares. Both owning teams are trying to map out possible paths for not just divisional championship honors, but perhaps Horse of the Year honors as well.

Rachel Alexandra has already proven she can leave and win outside of her division of course, winning the Blackberry Preakness Stakes in May.