The Decades Most Under Appreciated Race
 

My vote would go to a race that still isn't even on Youtube - the 2001 Adirondack Stakes.

2-year-old female sprinters aren't exactly the kind of horses that attact a lot of attention from casual racing fans... but perhaps the two best of the entire decade met up in the '01 Adirondack at Saratoga .. and both of them ran a mind-boggling race while both fairly fresh off of monumental trainer changes.

* You - RNA'd for just $9,000 as a yearling and came from the Rachel Alexandra connections (Bred by Dolphus Morrison, trained by Hal Wiggins, ridden by Calvin Borel) -- she scored a fast debut win at 9/1 odds in a maiden claiming race.

Was 2nd to Cashier's Dream in an alw race over a slow muddy track that came back MIND-BOGGLINGLY fast. After those 2 starts - she was bought by Ed Gann and recieved a giant trainer change from Hal Wiggins to Bobby Frankel. Frankel moved everything up at an alarming rate at that time.


* Cashier's Dream - was a Michigan bred filly trained by a guy who at the time was mainly a River Downs trainer - and is now mainly a Pinnacle trainer. Both the sire and dam of Cashier's Dream raced at the old Detroit Race Course.

Cashier's Dream won her debut in hand - at 43/1 odds in a maiden claimer at Churchill. Jumped up and beat You in a wickedly fast alw race in just her 2nd start. She was bought up by Team Valor and Heiligbrodt and transferred into the barn of Steve Asmussen. A fairly big positive trainer move.

Cashier's Dream won her Asmussen debut in the Debutante and set a track record at Churchill that still stands today. The Adirondack would be her 2nd start for Assmussen - and it would be You's first start for Frankel.

* In the Adirondack - Cashier's Dream and You ripped through fractions of 21.65, 44.62, 1:08.71 and battle down to the wire for 6.5 furlongs in 1:15 flat. You just edging by late.

The 3rd place finisher - a future Grade 2 stakes winner - was beaten 16 lengths. Smok'n Frolic .. a future 6 time Graded Stakes winning millionaire was beaten 21 lengths. The top two just obliterated the field.

The Beyer came back 107 - an absolutely insane figure for a 2-year-old filly in the summer. By comparison, 2-yo champions Storm Song and Folklore both won the Adirondack with Beyers in the mid 70's.

Cashier's Dream returned to easily take the Grade 1 Spinaway in her next start. Her winning Beyer in that race remains 3 points faster than Flanders for fastest in the Spinaway's history. You beat CD again in the Frizette and CD was laid off for a while after that race.

Cashier's Dream won her return in the La Troienne on Derby week as a 3yo - winning a sprint battle with Shameful - the dam of another good female sprinter in Indian Blessing. You is the only horse who ever finished ahead of Cashier's Dream in a race.

You eventually became a 4 time Grade 1 winner.

Two tremendously precocious overachievers for very shabby trainers fell into the right barns and got their teeth cleaned up really good by two of the best trainers - the result was not only two of the greatest individual performances in the history of summer time 2yo filly sprint racing ... but also an exciting and absolutely epic horse race from start to finish.

I forgot to mention ... that very same day at Saratoga ... a 4-year-old male named Left Bank won by 8 and ran six furlongs in 1:08.53

Basically .. a mid-summer 2yo filly (Cashier's Dream) posted a 1:08.71 six furlong fractional clocking in a 6.5f race, the same day a soon to be champion older male needed 1:08.53 to crush in a 6f race.

Two races later, Left Bank beat next out BC Sprint winner Squirtle Squirt with a 118 Beyer going 7fs.

Left Bank's finest moment came in the Whitney at Saratoga the following year. He shed the sprinters label and held off Street Cry in a 121 Beyer victory.

Cashier's Dream might not be remember as anything other than possibly the best Michigan bred of all-time ... but she was a crazy fast sprinter for Assman. I'm 99.9% sure she still holds the CD track record for 5.5f

Wow Dougie.. I remember Cashier's Dream. There's a horse I haven't thought about or heard mentioned in forever... Cool choice.

Great race. I actually got to witness that race in person...definitely one I'll never forget.

It was at 6.5 at SPA the time is debatable.. The real time could be anything

Oh the glory days of juicing in racing.

I'll offer the 2001 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Congaree, Gary Stevens up, with millions in bridge jumper cash, was the heavy fav. Longshot Free Of Love took the lead to the 1/2 mile. Then Congaree forged to the front to the audible relief of the big crowd. Suddenly he faltered and Free Of Love retook the lead on the far turn. The crowd gasped in disbelief. At the top of the stretch Congaree has all he could do to stay in touch with Free Of Love. Incredibly, with 100 yards to the wire D. Wayne Lucas' Scorpion , Jerry Bailey piloting, raced by both front runners to clip Free Of Love at the wire . Congaree struggled to hang on to show in a gut wrenching race for the bridge jumpers. It was a stunning Lucas shocker.

this classic just made youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDcnEeCvNhk

I think it is fair to say the 7lbs helped YOU get by cashier's dream.

I needed Free of Love really bad in that race. Did you have to try and subject me to that again? I won't even click the link.

That was such a painful loss.

It was certainly a very wild race to watch ... but really, Congaree didn't perform well and was sidelined with an injury right after that race. Free of Love - while a sharp Rick Violette horse at the time - wasn't a whole lot and Scorpion stunk.

I didn't remember that Cashier's Dream died just a month after her comeback race as a 3yo when she won the La Troienne over Indian Blessing's dam.

Found this write up on the Team Valor website about her:

It was certainly a time when bettors seemed to suddenly become very skeptical about a select few trainers.

Cashier's Dream died less than a year after that epic bout with You. Carson Hollow died just a year after her great race with You in the Test.

Asmussen and Dutrow. Both had non-racing or training related deaths.

The year Cashier's Dream died was the same year Pletcher had the trio of Freedom's Daughter, Warners, and Left Bank all run absolutely huge at Saratoga within 2 weeks of each other and all get sick and drop dead.

It probably was all just coincidence .. but I know the Pletcher trio looked REALLY bad.

All 3 of them running their eyes out in spectacular performances. Truly at their peak ... and like that you read they're fighting for their life - and none win that fight.

Come to think of it - Asmussen wasn't a big target yet at that time - but Dutrow and Pletcher sure were.

One of my favorites was Read The Footnotes in the Fountain of Youth.

You mentioned that Test Stakes.....You and Carson Hollow.

I believe that you can recall all of the greatest races you ever saw, and there will always be greater races in import that the Test Stakes of 2002, but the fact is that the 2002 Test Stakes is one of the most revered and treasured stakes races of all time.

It's been 7 years since that Saratoga day, and it's still like it was yesterday. You won that race, but it really didn't matter. The 2002 Test Stakes was a race for the ages, and it may very well be one of the most remembered races of all time.

That was lovely.

You know who lost out huge on that race as well, he needed that g1 win from FOL.

I got whining in stereo for a week.

In view of its' 5 year anniversary, I'll throw an under-appreciated into the ring:

2004 MALIBU

Rock Hard Ten
Lava Man
Harvard Avenue (Whom I loved and bet at 22-1)
Perfect Moon

All 4 within a length at the wire...

Mass Media (Beaten favorite 5th!)

Another absolutely epic race that I couldn't find on YouTube is the 2001 Bing Crosby at Del Mar.

Kona Gold over Caller One over Swept Overboard.

Here's a pretty good sprint though ... Swept Overboard putting an end to Kona Gold's streak of 7 straight Graded Stakes wins (a nose short of 9 straight Graded Stakes wins going into this race)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-y314oJ9QM

Swept O got his pace setup and ran a 122 Beyer that race. Kona Gold was good in defeat - carrying 127lbs (11lbs more than a future blowout Met Mile winner in SO)

The 2002 Diana (with Tate's Creek winning by a nose) on the same card as the You/Carson Hollow Test was not too shabby either.

Personally I prefer Mizzen Mast's Malibu.

Gander's 2001 Med Cup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2syXc2Lnq3M

DrugS, how is that you made about 200 posts talking about the unreliable times at 6.5 furlongs at Saratoga, then you do a whole thread extolling the virtues of a 6.5 furlong race at Saratoga based mostly on time?

Not only that, when Freddy tries to point this out, you respond to EVERY OTHER REPLY in the thread, but conveniently ignore his.

it wasn't just about the time in that one race; his initial post points out other races at other tracks, as well as how the three horses in that race went on to win other grade ones, with you winning four. also has the beyer figures, and points out how they fare vs other top females. of course i'm not just trying to focus on one aspect of the post so i can pick on drugs either.

2007 Tampa Bay Derby Street Sense vs Any Given Saturday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWm_o9o6TbU

Yeah - that was a certainly a great battle and two huge performances - seemed to take a toll on both horses.

Very fast race. Birdstone won an alw race in 1:42.40 at a mile and 70 yards on the card. That FOY was only a 1/5th of a second or so slower and 40 additional yards in distance.

Because Freddy's post was very dumb. The final time was obviously correct because it's consistant with how every other 6.5f race at Saratoga is timed.

As I've said hundreds of times before - and even guys like Steve Crist, Beyer's people, and NYRA's own clockers completely didn't/don't seem to realize or have the slightest clue of - is that the 6.5 furlong fractional clockings at Saratoga come back a certain set amount faster compared to other sprint distances.

If you watch the race - you'll see both ran insanely huge races. The clocking for that race was consistant with how every other 6.5f race at that track has been timed for as far back as I remember...with only one exception ... the '09 Amsterdam when everyone got to showcase their misunderstandings of that specific track and distance.

The only thing consisent about 6.5f's races at SPA is the time is always suspect. Stop being a Fraud.. BTW You's sib goes for Shoes Wolfson 12/26..Expect a BIG one

Freddy you really do have no idea what you're talking about.

You'd tell a plumber how to plumb - Tiger Woods and his Caddie how to hit a golf shot - and a ballet dancer how to dance.

Speaking of plumbers your theory is leaking.. Just because many don't post here they still read your drivel awaiting the ocassional nugget of brillance you are capable of. While others stand and aplaud "the fraud" those who really know...well smell a rat..Rats need to be controled

Tell the people you're talking about that they're creepy scumbags and they need to update their spreadsheet.

Can I buy you a stop-watch for Christmas?

Again - the times are consistant.

The only difference between 6.5f races at SAR - and races at other sprint distances is that the opening fractions always come back a set amount faster.. and it has a subsquent effect on the other fractions.

For simplicity sake - an opening quarter of 22.00 at 6fs equals 21.70 at 6.5fs - equals 22.40 at 7fs.

As for the Beyer in the '01 Adirondack ... it's as correct as any other fig they've ever done at that distance.

The proof is that the top two who freaked both easily won Grade 1's next out in strong time.

3rd place finisher Magic Storm got a 70...



And the other four horses who ran out of the money all bounced back and ran much faster.

Smok'n Frolic was 5th of 7 beaten 21+ lengths with a 56 Beyer. She came back to run 2nd in the Spinaway with an 86. Won the Grade 3 Tempted by 6+ lengths with an 89 and than ended her 2yo season by winning the Grade 2 Demoiselle by 4+ lengths with a 94 Beyer.

Smokn' Frolic also won a stake race going 5f at Belmont as a 2yo before she got dusted in the Adiorondack.

The real story about the '09 Amsterdam Stakes was how clueless everyone became when a timing malfuction actually did occur at Saratoga.

Instead of timing the race consistant with how every other 6.5f race at Saratoga is timed ... they opted to let NYRA's private clockers do it.

The result of that was that the '09 Amsterdam had the outright slowest opening quarter mile fraction of ALL the 6.5f races run at Saratoga this meet. I believe they came back with 22.45 for the first quarter. Even the bad fields of NY Bred MCL fillies - who went the distance on days when the track was slower - couldn't run that slow to the first quarter.

Like I said .. the 22.45 1st quarter they came back with would be equal to a 22.75 first quarter at 6f or a 23.15 first quarter at 7fs ... not entirely laughable .. but VERY laughable considering how fast the race track was that day - and how much quality speed was in the Amsterdam - and how that quality speed performed .. etc.

Steve Crist - who's normally fantastic at finding and pointing out mistakes - even reported it as though the NYRA's private clockers times cleared things up and could be trusted. What he didn't seem to realize is that their timing, right or wrong, was inconsistant with how EVERY other 6.5f race at Saratoga is timed.

It's not sinking in .... is it?

Mr. DrugS,

I think your next project for our reading pleasure should be Top Losing Efforts of the Decade. :)

Every horse I've bet on this decade in the Ky Derby?

Oh wait, I suppose they had to have run well to earn this distinction.

NT

There's a lot of different ways to rank them... the best way would probably be by race.

Came across an old Beyer article on this race .....

I was sure this thread was going to be about the 2009 Washington Park Handicap.

Haskin did it by best losing performance in a TC or BC race:

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/best-...rown-race.aspx

* Belmont Stakes - Smarty Jones 2004. The figure in defeat wasn't nearly as good as Ten Most Wanted's - but his trip was light years harder - and he ran an incredible race for over 10 furlongs before hitting a brick wall in the final furlong.

* Breeders Cup Classic - You have four performances in defeat that totally stand out head and shoulders above the rest.

Giant's Causeway in 2000, Medaglia D' Oro in 2003, Pleasantly Perfect in 2004, and Bernardini in 2006.
I didn't bet a single one of those four horses in those races - but it was pretty obvious concluding that Giant's Causeway ran at least as good as the winner, Medaglia D' Oro ran better than the winner in '03, the '03 winner PP ran extremely well with a totally impossible trip in a race that unfolded totally to Ghostzapper's benefit in '04 and Bernardini clearly ran the best race in the '06 Classic. It's too tough to split those four performances.

* BC Juvenile - Point Given in 2000. Came with an absolutely explosive finish to blow past Street Cry and just miss nailing Macho Uno for the win.

* BC Juv Fillies - Only 3 candidates. Composure just missed to an awesome 2yo filly in Storm Flag Flying. Final time was a hair faster than the Boys went in Vindication's Juvie win the same day and distance. In case anyone forgets Composure - her racing career was over after back to back Gr 1 wins in the winter at Santa Anita a few months later.
Imperial Gesture and Bella Belluchi are the other two options - both from the amazing 2001 field that produced a wicked fast final time. IG had a good trip and ran a huge number. Bella Belluchi was a soundly beaten 3rd - just ahead of You and Take Charge Lady. BB had some minor trip trouble and was stuck on what many felt was a dead rail that day.

* Breeders Cup Sprint - Swept Overboard's 4th place finish in 2001. Everything was against him in a race loaded with awesome sprinters who had much more favorable circumstances. He was beaten only a length with a 116 Beyer in a wildly underappreciated performance. He returned to Belmont one more time the following year and won the Met Mile by 5 lengths at 11/1 odds with a 122 Beyer.

* Breeders Cup Mile - Rock of Gibraltor.

* Breeders Cup Turf - Precious Passion or Milan. Take your pick.

* Breeders Cup Distaff - Surprisingly probably Hystericalady

* Kentucky Derby - Congaree easily. Hard Spun, Medaglia D'Oro, and Empire Maker distantly round this one out.

* Preakness Stakes - Take your pick. Either Street Sense with a 111 Beyer in a perfect trip hanging performance - or Sweetnorthernsaint in a 105 Beyer performance after he grabbed a quarter coming out of the gate and pressed a solid pace.

Haskin's list wasn't terrible ... but I have no idea what he was thinking with Lookin at Lucky and Cloudy's Night.

Look at the trouble the winner had early on in the BC Juvie .. I realize LaL was a couple paths wider on the far turn ... but on that Pro-Ride it's almost an advantage to be wide on the far turn. It's certainly nothing like your typical dirt or turf track where you pay a price for going wide.

A wide closing running style is prefered if anything.

Wow - I just looked at Haskin's list again and saw his honorable mention ... The Cliff's Edge's 5th beaten 12.5 lengths in the Kentucky Derby was one of the 15 best performances in defeat?

I assume because he lost both of his shoes?? I bet TCE in that race .. go watch Medaglia D' Oro's race in the KY Derby .. that to me was easily the best performance by a horse who didn't finish in the top 3 in the Derby this decade.

Wow, I thought your fellate the Pats post was retarded, but wow.

Vale of York's trouble was only in your mind. You can't possibly think if those two horses switched trips, VOY still wins.

Almost an advantage going wide?!

It's almost an advantage to lose by nose or a head!

It's almost an advantage to miss a game winning field goal!

It's almost an advantage to get a speeding ticket when you weren't speeding!!

Come to think of it, your post is so ridiculous, I'm thinking you are just baiting me into this response!

Almost, that is.

Freddy's post was brilliant. As is he. How dare you insult one of Penn National's top owners in winning %.