I'm amazed that 1988 at Chuchhill downs hasn't been mentioned.

Personal Ensign nipping Winning Colors and Goodbye Halo in the shadow of the wire.

Alysheba defeating Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Personal Flag, Cryptocleance, Waquiot and Slew City Slew.

Great Communicator beating Sunshine Forever in the Turf.

Miesque winning her second BC turf mile over Steinlen and destroying my all times favorite horse Bet Twice who never should have been in the mile.

Is it True beating Easy Goer in the Juvenile over a course that Easy Goer clearly despised. Too bad for him he caught a similar track a few months later in the derby.

Open Mind winning the Juvenile Fillies as one of a five horse Lukas Entry that completed the trifecta.

And Of course Gulch winning the Sprint coming from off the pace. (I'm still amazed that Leroy Jolley got him to go a route of ground in the Triple Crown races.)

2006 was the best for me from a wagering standpoint. 2004 was the best from a fan perspective as I was live to see Ghostzapper. 2007 was a mess because of the weather but I really, really love Monmouth Park, so it had a great deal of appeal.

The Distaff and Sprint from 1999 will always be personal highlights as I've always been a huge Jorge Chavez fan but now having met Richard Migliore and knowing what an absolute class act he is, the 2008 Turf Sprint will have added significance.

That being said, wasn't the 1993 running pretty fun from start to finish? The Paseana-Hollywood Wilcat battle, Kotashaan and Bien Bien, Arcangues and Phone Chatter...that was a terrific Breeders' Cup.

NT

Trying to be objective I would have to say 2000.

Personally it would have to be 1988. I love Personal Ensign.

Miztecca (sp) Hank? ok second suggestion forget

Not one that I made any money on, but still a visually appealing race was Tiznow's win over the Arc winner Sakhee. I think that was 2001. Best for me betting wise was 2003. Worst might have been 2006. I don't think I cashed a ticket.

2005?? Wasn't that was the year you hammered Beautiful Home everyway possible? I think that was her name??

Can't believe no 2007 Eng Chan vote from you. Horrible weather?

I agree about 1988. It was chock full of great races.

But the one I want to throw out there is 1987 at Hollywood Park. There was only two of the races in that year that were notably forgettable. The Juvenile was taken by Success Express (who?) and the Distaff was won by 3-year-old Sachuista. She also beat older in the Spinster at Keeneland....was a very nice filly, but not very memorable. But the other five races that day (that was pre-F&M Turf) were great.

Juvenile Fillies - Epitome (13/1) came from the clouds to run down heavily favored Jeanne Jones right at the wire. It was one of those "crowd is silenced" moments we see from time to time, and boy was the silence deafening!

Sprint - Very Subtle (17/1) just smoked hot-shot Groovy, who has to be the only horse to lose a Breeders Cup race two years in a row at odds-on. I'll still never understand how she went off at that price!

Mile - The first of two consecutive victories by the sparkling Miesque. Boy, did she put on a show!

Turf - Theatrical and Arc-winner Trempolino separate themselves from the field and battle the length of the stretch. It was also a race between the "Pats"....Day and Eddery. More opposite riding styles you'll never see. Theatrical prevailed in a race that I still think is one of the greatest I've ever seen.

Classic - What can you say? 1986 Derby-winner Ferdinand prevailing by a nose, holding off 1987 Derby-winner Alysheba. It was the match-up that everybody wanted to see, and we were not disappointed. Certainly one of the top five Breeders Cup Classics ever!

Any love for 1987?

I just assumed that would obviously be my vote.

I loved Happy Ticket as a racemare. As honest as they come. Was really sad to see her go early, of all the recent passings that was the one that was the most disappointing to me. She ran her eyeballs everytime they sent her out.

As for that day, she wasn't going to win but that DQ was absolutely the correct call and I'm usually for letting them run. She got knocked offstride really bad, it was right in front of our seats. It was a $4400 decision for me because I didn't have Asi Siempre at all and had Round Pond-Happy Ticket 10 times.

That was the single greatest performance of the Breeders Cups I've attended live. Tiznow a close 2nd and Invasor & Xtra Heat tied for 3rd. The sun came out just before the race, was really cool.

For me, the best Breeders'Cup race is always going to be 2003 in the Classic when TizNow brought it home again. Always sends chills up my spine. Love it, love it , love it!!!

Suzanne:D

i hope to make it to bc '10, so that will be the best ever-for me at least.
but i agree with holland hacker, hard to top the '88 cup.

Pleasant Home, yes....but I kind of took the thread to mean the best races/horses etc..., not personal....I was freezing to death that day at Belmont and the rest of the racing didn't do much for me....2000's cast sticks out for me.

It would be pretty hard to argue against either of those years - great recap by both you and Holland Hacker.

I think the 1986-1989 BC were the best ones and certainly the best stretch in the series. I first went to one in 1986 at SA and got to see probably the deepest Juvenile field they've had. Capote beat Alysheba, Polish Navy, Gulch, Demons Begone, and Bet Twice. Has any Juvenile field ever produced horses that accomplished more as 3yos? Brave Raj dominated the Juv Fillies, including Sacahuista who went on to become the next year's 3yo filly champ and BC Distaff winner. Groovy disapppointed but there was a lot of excitement to see him going into the sprint. The Mile was a very exciting finish with Last Tycoon getting up to beat Palace Music in the final jumps. Lady's Secret put in her bid for HOY with an easy victory in the Distaff. One of our most underrated turf superstars, the 3yo Manila beat a field that included future Turf winner Theatrical, top mare Estrapade, and European superhorse and Arc winner Dancing Brave. The Classic was the race to decide HOY. Would it be Precisionist or Turkoman? Either would win the title with the win but Pincay rode Skywalker perfectly and he beat them both and clinched the title for Lady's Secret. For me, it was the best day of racing I've ever seen.

I was lucky to meet Stewart Madison, Happy Ticket's owner, at Louisiana Downs prior to the Super Derby. A tremendously nice man who more than anything is a gambler. He joked with the track announcers at the cocktail party that he could tell which racetrack was running with his back to the TVs because he loves listening to the announcer.

He held onto the filly (I think?) that was supposed to be in the Keeneland sale and seemed pretty excited about this being her best foal.

NT

I have to put in my vote for 1988. It was a horrible day weather wise, kept getting colder, flurried etc. But Personal Ensign's win was awesome, to be followed up by Alysheba winning on a track he wasn't supposed to like. It seemed like the Breeders Cup was much more exciting and important then, and had a different feel. On that note, the crowd for the 1998 Breeders Cup Classic, man that was maybe the best assembled race and the excitement was unbelievable with Awesome Again defeating Silver Charm and Swain.

One race that I always talk about in the office when talking about BC history

A lot of papers had that same picture. Tasteless.

1998 Classic was one of the most memorable finishes in breeders cup history.

Great field:

Awesome Again, Swain, Skip Away, Silver Charm, Coronados Quest, Victory Gallop.

I hear a lot about the 1998 Classic being the best field but I thought 1988's was better with Alysheba, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Cryptoclearance, Waquoit, Personal Flag, and Cutlass Reality.

Loved being there in 1998, but that list of winners from 1988 is unbeatable.

The original telecast for the 1989 Breeders Cup is on HRTV right now!

While watching the 1989 BC on HRTV and seeing Go for Wand, Bayakoa, Sunday Silence, and Easy Goer, it made me wonder how many hall of famers do you think we'll see this year at the BC? Zenyatta is a lock for the hall. I think that with a win, Indian Blessing has a good chance of going in. I think it's a longshot even with a win but I think a Summer Bird win might get him nominated.

How many Derby winners have been used as a rabbit? Winning Colors was part of a rabbit team for Open Mind in the 1989 Distaff.

I'm not trying to be negative, but it's just crazy to think how subpar our fields for the BC this year will be compared to this...

I'll second that. The Turf was a thrilling stretch run and what breeders cup race was ever more dramatic than Personal Ensign's come from behind win? Easy Goer had beaten Is it True in successive races at increasing distances and in a lesson in pace Pincay nursed this unlikely winner. Durkin was at his top as well in the race calls.

TVG just got done showing almost all of the BC Classics since 1986. That 1998 BC Classic field was loaded. Touch Gold and Gentlemen (supplemented for $800K by R.D. Hubbard and eased in the stretch) were also in the field.

The victory by Da Hoss in the Mile that year was special (second race back since his previous BC Mile win two years prior).

1989. It was the first one I went to (been to 11 others since), so maybe that creates a bias.

1988 was also great however.

Yes, Da Hoss winning the Mile that year was one helluva training job by Michael Dickinson

I would say 1999 Classic field would have to be the worst ever.

It cost me the Pick 6, so I have other words for it.

ouch!

Saint Liam beat nothing in 2005. But at least Saint Liam was in the 2005 field.

Behrens (who finished 7th) was the favorite in 1999 which speaks for the quality of the field (although Lemon Drop Kid and General Challenge were halfway decent horses).

I concur.

Careful--Indian Charlie was a BIG Behrens fan.

Yeah ... Behrens was a total regional hate for IC.

The horse won 4 of 7 as a 3yo, got nipped in the Travers, and won a stake later on with a 118 Beyer. Went on to be an excellent older horse that banked over $4.5 million.

In spite of all that ... he royally sucked because he wasn't from So Cal.

But hey, that A. P. Indy sure was a great horse!

He really showed that unaccomplished Euro My Memoirs who was boss when he outgamed him in the Belmont. Not to mention his stellar BC Classic win over a decent 3yo Euro filly trying dirt for the first time.

With the exception of Running Stag, any one of the Top 8 finishers from the 1998 Classic could have won the 1999 Classic if they had not been retired or injured (Victory Gallop). Also Real Quiet or Free House could have won the 1999 Classic if they did not get hurt during the year.