KENTUCKY DERBY 2006 (May 6, 2006)

[Simmo!]

Don't tell that to the people that owned Kentucky Derby Winner Spectacular Bid...

SPECTACULAR BID (USA) grey. H, 30 Starts, 26 Wins, 2 Places, 1 Shows Career Earnings: $2,781,608

can't argue those stats - awesome.

But its possible Spectacular Bid was a chestnut and had simply been left out in the rain overnight! Ok...unlikley i know, but you have to consider all your options

[Pinababy69]

Cute Simmo.....always consider all possibilities, lol.

[chuchu59]

Simmo posted:



Don't tell that to the people that owned Kentucky Derby Winner Spectacular Bid...

SPECTACULAR BID (USA) grey. H, 30 Starts, 26 Wins, 2 Places, 1 Shows Career Earnings: $2,781,608

And for Pina... a "Canadian Grey"... ADMIRALS EXPRESS... who has won more than $1,000,000... and has 60 wins in his career! (most at Woodbine & Mohawk raceways)



Here is a link to an "ALL GREY HORSE" website...

http://the_greystable.tripod.com/id14.html

26 Wins? So which is better, Spec Bid or the great Cigar?

[mrracetrack]

Chuchu59 asked:

26 Wins? So which is better, Spec Bid or the great Cigar?

Well... it really is hard to compare them, as the money earned catagory is rather misleading due to the almost 20 year difference, with purse values going up so much in the 90's when Cigar was racing.

Here is a bio on each one, obviously each was quite impressive. I've highlighted in red the one stat that made my choice of which was best an easy one.

Cigar:

Cigar, born April 18, 1990 at Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Maryland, is a Hall of Fame thoroughbred racehorse.

A product of Maryland's oldest thoroughbred breeding farm, Cigar was the grandson of The Minstrel who was the son of the greatest sire of the second half of the 20th century, Northern Dancer. Out of the mare Solar Slew, who in turn was a daughter of the 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Cigar had the credentials to become a great race horse but it took a few years for his greatness to materialize.

Cigar did not race as a two year old and under trainer Alex Hassinger, he made an unsuccessful debut in early 1993 in a six furlong (1,207 m) race on a dirt track in California. After gaining his first win a few months later, his trainer switched him to racing on grass but the horse proved mediocre at best. The following year, his owner had Cigar shipped to an east-coast trainer, Bill Mott who gave the horse the first half of the year off, only bringing him back to racing in July. After more disappointing results it was decided to give the horse one more try racing on dirt and on his first time back, Cigar made an astonishing about face, winning easily against quality competition.

For the following year's racing season, Cigar proved to be the best horse in North America, winning all ten major races he entered under jockey Jerry Bailey including the Pimlico Special. Cigar capped off the year with an October victory in the $3 million U.S. Breeders' Cup Classic while setting a stakes record of 1:59.58 for the 1 1/4 mile (2012 m) distance. That year, Cigar was voted 1995 Champion Older Male and the most prestigious honor of all, Horse of the Year.

In 1996, Cigar continued his winning ways including traveling more than 6,000 miles (1000 km) to earn a victory in the inaugural Dubai World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with a purse of $5 million. During the season, Cigar matched the accomplishment of the great Triple Crown champion Citation that had stood for almost 50 years by winning his 16th race in a row in the Arlington Citation Challenge. He went on to earn his second straight Champion Older Male and Horse of the Year honors.

Cigar was retired to stud at the end of the 1996 racing season as the richest thoroughbred in history, with earnings of $9,999,815. Ceremonies were held at Madison Square Garden to honor the horse that captured the imagination of racing fans more than any horse since the incomparable Secretariat. Further accolades came when he was named the Racehorse of the Decade of the 1990s, and in 2002 he was inducted in his first year of eligibility into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Cigar was ranked #18.

Spectacular Bid:

Post-triple crown racing
Following the Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bid took two months off to recover from the injury. He returned to racing with hall of fame jockey Bill Shoemaker who would remain his jockey through the remainder of Spectacular Bid's racing career. His first race back was in August of 1979 with a warm-up race at Delaware Park. He blew away the competition, winning by more than 17 lengths and setting a new track record for the mile and 1/16s distance. He followed this up with another win at the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park, beating both horses he had lost to at the same park just months before. He was supposed to have raced against 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed, but Affirmed's owners had bowed out of the race in reaction to a 133 pound impost assignment to Affirmed.

Spectacular Bid did face off with Affirmed in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Spectacular Bid challenged Affirmed no less than four times during the race, but came up short in the end coming in second to the Triple Crown winner. This would be the last race Spectacular Bid would lose. Spectacular Bid finished off the year with one more race, the Meadowlands Cup, once again setting a new track record at a mile and 1/4. At the end of the year, he was awarded the Eclipse champion 3-year-old colt for the year. His winnings for this year totalled US$1,279,333.

Spectacular Bid's next year in racing as a four-year-old was nothing short of stellar. He started nine races, winning them all for winnings of US$1,117,790. He set four new track records at distances of 7/8ths of a mile, 1 1/4 miles, and twice at 1 1/8 miles. The 1 1/4 mile track record was also an American record. These successes were made despite sometimes staggering imposts in excess of 130 pounds. During his final year he swept the California Strub series and compiled a then-career earnings record of US$2,781,607.

Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 20 United States thoroughbred horse racing champions of the 20th Century:

1) Man O' War
2) Secretariat
3) Citation
4) Kelso
5) Count Fleet
6) Dr. Fager
7) Native Dancer
8) Forego
9) Seattle Slew
10) Spectacular Bid
11) Tom Fool
12) Affirmed
13) War Admiral
14) Buckpasser
15) Colin
16) Damascus
17) Round Table
18) Cigar
19) Bold Ruler
20) Swaps

Personally, I would have to agree with the rankings... I feel Spectacular Bid was a better racehorse than Cigar... but BOTH were true champions!

[Pinababy69]

Thanks Mrracetrack for answering that, I have had zero time this week for this. Tomorrow is the day I usually spend on this thread, lol. And I agree with your analysis. Winning at many different distances with varying weights, and at different tracks is the mark of a true champion. Lots of horses can run a mile, but not 1/16th further. Some horses can win at their home track, but nowhere else. Obviously Spectacular Bid could win anywhere. One thing I remember that did impress me about Cigar is that he went to the Middle East, won that Dubai Cup, then got shipped back to the US and won again. I really thought taking him to the Dubai was a huge mistake ($6 million or not). So many horses never recover from that race, whether it's the long journey there and back, the climate change, the sandy track, whatever....I was really worried that it would have taken too much out of him and ended his career then. But he came back the same champion he left. Can't remember what his next race was upon his return, but I know he won it.

Both of them awesome horses and both champions.

[Pinababy69]

The Florida Derby goes today at 5:40 p.m. EST, and Barbaro is entered and is the morning line favourite at 8-5. He has drawn post position number 10 in the eleven horse field. Barbaro is 4 for 4 lifetime, and this 1 1/8 mile race should be a good test for him. Also entered is Flashy Bull, morning line of 4-1. Another one I was watching just because he is a son of Holy Bull. I'm pretty upset though, I went and checked my tv listings and this race is not being shown up here. Grrrrrrr......I really wish TV networks would devote more airtime to horseracing, especially at this time of year. Makes me wish I still had The Racing Network. Now I will have to wait until the race is over and find a replay to watch.

[Pinababy69]

Barbaro captures Florida Derby

Hallandale, FL (Sports Network) - Barbaro, ridden by Edgar Prado, out- fought Sharp Humor down the stretch to win Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The win establishes Barbaro as the current favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

Breaking from post 10 in the 11-horse field, Barbaro broke well and joined Sharp Humor on the lead. Sharp Humor, with Mark Guidry riding, set the pace with Barbaro just off his right shoulder.

Prado allowed Barbaro to begin to edge closer to the leader around the turn for home. At the top of the stretch Sharp Humor held a slight lead with Barbaro to his outside.

It was not until deep stretch that Barbaro took the lead and went on to win by a half-length over Sharp Humor. Sunriver finished third followed by Sam's Ace, Hesanoldsalt, High Blues, Flashy Bull, Charming Image, Saint Augustus, Doc Cheney and Rehoboth.

The time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.01 on a fast track.

Owned by Lael Stables, Barbaro remains undefeated in his five career starts and collects $600,000 with the Florida Derby victory. The colt has earned a total of $849,000. Barbaro is trained by former Olympic equestrian rider Michael Matz.

Barbaro returned $5.20, $3.60 and $2.80. Sharp Humor paid $5.80 and $3.80, and Sunriver paid $3.60 for show.

An important race on the road to the Run for the Roses, the last Florida Derby winner to capture the Kentucky Derby was Monarchos in 2001. In 2003 Empire Maker was second to Funny Cide at Churchill Downs and then won the Belmont Stakes.


So, one of my original picks is looking mighty fine.....although if he IS the favourite come raceday, I doubt very much I would bet him. Sure is hard to ignore an unbeaten horse though. There are still some decent races to come, not the least of which is the Santa Anita Derby next weekend.

[mrracetrack]

Pina... just an interesting sidenote to what you posted... the bottom paragraph...

the last Florida Derby winner to capture the Kentucky Derby was Monarchos in 2001. In 2003 Empire Maker was second to Funny Cide at Churchill Downs and then won the Belmont Stakes.

Funny Cide raced today... 3 years after his Derby win in 2003... at Aqueduct, and finished 2nd! Still a classy horse!

5 West Virginia 17.40 8.30 4.70
4 Funny Cide 6.50 3.60
2 Colita 3.10

[Pinababy69]

Thanks Mrracetrack...that is interesting. Did you ever notice how few horses who run in and win any of the Triple Crown races actually continue racing after their three year old season is over? It seems that so many get retired to stud duty (not the worst thing in the world I guess, lol) right after the season is over. Capitalizing on the Triple Crown win I guess? Thanks for that though, nice to see a past winner still performing.

And I haven't been able to find a replay of the Florida Derby as yet, not a free one anyway. I want to see the race, as I want to see how much effort Barbaro had to put forth to get the win.

Which reminds me I have to get that link for the Rebel, so you can watch Lawyer Ron's win. Impressed the shit out of me that's for sure. I'll be back.

[Pinababy69]

Okay, here we go... I just watched it again. I signed up (it's free) so I can watch all the replays, but I think they let you watch one before they make you sign up. I thought this win was really impressive. The acceleration the horse showed just before the final turn is exactly what I look for in a Derby horse. And he did give him a few cracks of the whip to get him going, but once he picked up speed he kept accelerating. And when he galloped out after, he looked like he could have gone another furlong or two, lol. Maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there, and not really sure what he beat, but he looked good doing it.

And a sidenote....the headline on the website is "Barbaro Earns Hard Fought Florida Derby Victory". It's that hard-fought that worries me. On one hand it shows he knows how to win, and has determination. On the other hand, how much did it take out of him, and is he gonna bounce next race out? He had been off for eight weeks, so with the Derby five weeks away, that would be his second race off the layoff. Hmmmm.....so many things to consider, lol.

Here's the link to the Rebel...

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/de...deotype=racing