By Mary Cage
Every renewal of the Breeders’ Cup is
always abounding with special moments and 2012’s edition of the prestigious
event was no different. From the week leading up to the Breeders’ Cup to the culmination
of the fifteenth championship races, the Breeders’ Cup is full of excitement,
drama, and emotion. Wrapped up in the action of the spectacular event for
several days, I continue to reflect on my extraordinary time at the Breeders’
Cup, which is truly an event like no other.
Mornings at Clocker’s Corner
Santa Anita provides a unique experience by
allowing one to venture to the Clocker’s Corner each morning to watch morning
works, gazing at the heroes of the racetrack as they waltz past. From my first
morning in Southern California to my final day there, I attended morning works
at the Great Race Place, my eyes fixed upon the stream of Thoroughbreds pouring
onto the track, dotted in large numbers of Breeders’ Cup contenders.
As a Breeders’ Cup horse loomed, the commotion of the fans and media gathered
at Clocker’s Corner would grow, the horse’s name slipping from the lips of
many, especially if it was a “big horse” such as Royal Delta, Animal Kingdom, or Groupie Doll. As
fog hugged the track, morning dew clung to every surface, the crisp morning air
leaving me to find warmth in the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. My eyes
rarely left the track, watching some of the best racehorses in the world wander
past me, sometimes just inches separating me from them.
While these grand athletes milled to and fro, I had the ability to talk to
other racing fans gathered at Clocker’s Corner, which left me reeling with
happiness and hope. There really are others out there infected with the
incurable racing bug. And not only was a mass of spectators gathered around to
watch the horses, but some of the most well-known people in racing walked among
you as well: Bob Baffert, Doug O’Neill, Corey Nakatani, Todd Pletcher, Graham
Motion, among others.
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Morning works at Santa Anita
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Marathon
Often, the Marathon is among the Breeders’
Cup races that get pushed aside, that few people fondly reminisce upon. But
this year’s was different, all thanks to the horse that strode to an easy 4
¼-length victory. That horse was the underdog Calidoscopio, who
was sent off at odds of 17-1.
Not having raced since his victory in the General Belgrano (GII) in Argentina,
the nation from which the nine-year-old gelding hails, the bay gelding became
the oldest racehorse to ever capture a Breeders’ Cup race. Choose whichever
aspect of his win you want; no matter which one you choose, it is undeniable
that Calidoscopio’s triumph was an eccentric, yet touching one.
Among the most intriguing facets of this horse’s Breeders’ Cup venture was his
appearance in the mornings. Not only did he wear an eye-catching bonnet on his
head in the mornings while training, but Calidoscopio’s exercise rider galloped
him around the Santa Anita oval without a saddle, an Argentinean tradition. It
was truly a fascinating experience to watch Calidoscopio prepare for race day,
traveling about the track in a unique style that was sure to catch the eye.
But as interesting as his appearance in the mornings was, the moment of
Calidoscopio’s win I found most intriguing was his return to the frontside
after the race. His connections ran up to the gelding, hugging him as they gave
jockey Aaron Gryder high-fives, celebrating the victory with great joy. I was
moved to tears in that moment, touched by the unmistakable love for the horse,
and, of course, the thrill of a huge victory displayed Calidoscopio’s
connections.
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Calidoscopio training for the Breeders' Cup
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Ladies’ Classic
Standing along the wall that lines the
tunnel through which horses enter the track for the post parade at Santa Anita
Park, I held my breath in anticipation for the grand fillies that would soon
grace my vision. I’d seen them all before, whether it be at a previous
Breeders’ Cup or at the morning works, or perhaps both, but something about the
moment left me breathless as I eagerly waited for the field for the 2012
Ladies’ Classic to emerge from the tunnel, their necks arched as their fierce
jockeys sat aboard them, the call to post sounding as they pranced onto the
dirt oval.
And suddenly the classy field stepped out of the darkness of the tunnel and
into my vision. Thereby stepped the talented Grace Hall, followed by the
undefeated My Miss Aurelia, the
latter of which my eyes latched onto. I’d followed My Miss Aurelia’s career
since her noteworthy debut as a juvenile, a race in which I’d selected her
prior to race day due to her outstanding pedigree. There she pranced before me,
her legs dancing over the dirt as she cavorted on to the track, her neck arched
as she left me riveted, taking my breath away. The star-studded field only
continued from there and as soon as Awesome Feather appeared, my eyes locked
upon her, taking her in. A filly with a flawless record, I’d also followed
Awesome Feather since early on in her career and have great respect and
adoration for the spectacular individual.
But just behind Awesome Feather was Royal Delta – the horse that took my breath
away. I focused my vision on her, watching her in awe as she and Hall of Fame
jockey Mike Smith sauntered onto the track. I was left in absolute wonder of
the reigning champion, feeling a chill as she gazed right at me, inches from me
as she strolled through the tunnel.
The race did not quite play out as expected and I found myself focusing
primarily on the spectacular Royal Delta, who set blistering fractions, leading
the others into the homestretch with My Miss Aurelia and Include Me Out hot on her
heels. But Royal Delta called upon all her class and dug deep, leaving me
beaming as she crossed the wire to defend her title.
Her trip back to the frontside was an unforgettable moment. Each winner had
been applauded and cheered for upon its return to the winner’s circle, but the
stands roared in admiration for Royal Delta and as the grand filly trotted up
beneath a jubilant Mike Smith, I found myself crying tears of joy as the
magnificent Royal Delta traveled before me, receiving the blanket of flowers
for her outstanding victory.
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Royal Delta after her Ladies' Classic victory
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Filly & Mare Sprint
One of the biggest stars at this year’s
Breeders’ Cup was Groupie Doll. Having dominated the division throughout 2012,
most fans gathered at Santa Anita or watching the Breeders’ Cup on television
pondered how large of a winning margin the stunning chestnut would win the race
by. The answer? 4 ½ lengths.
What made Groupie Doll’s victory so special, you may ask? It wasn’t just her
brilliance, but who she won it for: breeder, trainer, and co-owner Buff Bradley.
One of the most genuine persons in racing, Buff Bradley is known for his
adventures with the hard-knocking Brass Hat and the wonderful King
of Speed. Seeing the tremendously gifted Groupie Doll win for Buff Bradley
was icing on the cake.
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Groupie Doll after her Filly & Mare Sprint win
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Juvenile
It was in 2003, ten years after she became
the initial female rider to capture a Triple Crown race in the Belmont Stakes
(GI), that Julie Krone became the first female jockey to pilot a horse to
Breeders’ Cup victory when she rode Halfbridled to a win in the Juvenile
Fillies. In 2012 alone, Rosie Napravnik
became the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks (GI) and the second
female jockey to find the winner’s circle in a Breeders’ Cup race and the first
to do so in the Juvenile.
Riding the undefeated Shanghai Bobby, Rosie Napravnik appeared to be home-free
aboard the short-priced favorite as the field turned for home, but down the
stretch, a contingent of horses threatened the lead she and her mount had
established. Vigorously, the talented jockey set to work on her mount, asking
him for all he had as the other juveniles loomed large, particularly He’s Had Enough. In
a thrilling finish, Rosie Napravnik rode her handsome mount to victory,
returning to the winner’s circle to the admiration of the crowd.
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Rosie Napravnik and Shanghai Bobby after their Juvenile triumph
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Turf
It is often expected that the foreign
horses will dominate this race and rightfully so. Prior to this year’s running,
the last American horse to capture the Turf had been English Channel in 2007.
With foreign invaders such as reigning champion St. Nicholas Abbey, the looming
Japanese horse Trailblazer, and the brilliant filly Shareta, the American
horses had a tall task ahead of them, but great hope was invested in Point of
Entry, who was coming off of three grade one wins.
However, Point of Entry was not the American that dethroned the foreign horses
in this year’s renewal of the Turf. It was Little Mike , who, like
Calidoscopio, is quite the underdog. Despite having won two previous grade ones
this year, including the prestigious Arlington Million Stakes (GI), Little Mike
was dismissed at 17-1. But, showing shades of his Million victory in the
stretch, the plucky gelding – for which many believed had distance limitations
– dug deep in the straightaway, repelling all challengers to capture the
victory, leaving his connections exultantly celebrating all the way down to the
winner’s circle.
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Just part of the celebration after Little Mike's Turf victory
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Mile
Featuring one of the toughest fields of the
weekend, the Mile did not disappoint as far as displaying the greatness of the
Thoroughbred athlete was concerned. Among the horses in the force was a Kentucky Derby
winner in Animal Kingdom, a horse who had been lurking in the shadows of Frankel in Excelebration, and a
horse who needed no explanation as to the degree of his brilliance in Wise Dan.
As I had done for the Ladies’ Classic the previous evening, I stood along the
wall of the tunnel as the horses entered in the Mile made their way from the
paddock to the track. Each horse had a bounty of credentials to catch my eye,
but my eye locked upon three main horses: Wise Dan, Animal Kingdom, and
Excelebration.
As Wise Dan strutted past me, I focused on the regal chestnut, amazed by the
sight of him. This was the horse that had put together one of the best, and
certainly the most versatile, 2012 campaigns. My expectations were high for the
stunning individual; despite the tough field, I anticipated the gelding would
conquer the field en route to victory.
But Wise Dan wasn’t the only superstar in the field. One of my favorite
racehorses soon followed, gazing right at me as he left me breathless. Animal
Kingdom. Never before had I seen a Kentucky Derby victor contest in a race, but
there he was, just feet away from me as he headed to the track to make his
comeback. And just behind him? Excelebration, the horse who had been living in
the shadow of the legendary Frankel.
The Mile certainly played out as one of the most terrific races of the weekend.
Wise Dan stalked the pace set by the talented Obviously with Excelebration not
far behind. Animal Kingdom, on the other hand, galloped near the end of the
field along the rail. With his striking turn of foot, Wise Dan overtook
Obviously near the top of the stretch, galloping home-free towards the wire.
But Animal Kingdom, having experienced traffic issues, kicked into gear in late
stretch to finish second as Wise Dan captured the race, eclipsing the course
record with a spectacular final time of 1:31.78.
Among the best part of the Mile was, again, the horses’ arrival at the
frontside following the race. Animal Kingdom appeared before Wise Dan, but the
crowd cheered for him as loudly as they had for any winner on the day, praising
the Kentucky Derby winner for his grand performance. Of course, the magnificent
Wise Dan received his own roar of admiration for his incredible victory. One
cannot help but anticipate what the superstars will bring next year.
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Wise Dan after his triumph in the Mile
Photo by Terri Cage |
The Classic
It’s the richest race in North America, the
culmination of the Breeders’ Cup, and, of course, one of the most renowned
races in the world. The field assembled for this year’s running was full of
talented horses, featuring nine grade one winners and three other gifted
Thoroughbreds. Yet again, I stood along the wall of the tunnel, my eyes gazing
towards the paddock as I awaited the field for the Classic.
And like the sun peaking through the clouds, the first horse stepped out of the
darkness, followed by eleven more brilliant equine athletes. My eyes took in
the classy individuals, looking over the likes of such horses as Flat Out, Fort
Larned, Game On Dude, Richard’s Kid, Ron the Greek, and Mucho Macho Man. In
that moment, I was sure it would be a great race.
It was. Despite the fact that the favorite, Game On Dude, did not perform like
his normal self, the stretch run was incredible. One of my personal favorites
and top selections, Mucho Macho Man, chased at Fort Larned, who had formed a
comfortable lead. Showing great perseverance, Mucho Macho Man loomed on Fort
Larned’s outside, battling with Fort Larned down the stretch in a thrilling
duel. But it was Fort Larned that dug deep, prevailing on jockey Brian
Hernandez’s 27th birthday.
The Classic was everything it should have been. Yes, a 9-1 shot captured the
race rather than the heavy favorite, but Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man
displayed the characteristics I most admire in a Thoroughbred racehorse: heart
and determination. The Classic was a race to remember. It’s not every day that
we are able to witness two top-class Thoroughbreds battle it out in one of the
richest races in the world, displaying their great will to win.
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Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man crossing the wire in the Classic
Photo by Terri Cage |
And another special moment? The presentation of the National's Anthem on BC Saturday. Read about it in this post.
