Surviving hot and contested paces
 

What are some of the most memorable performances you have of horses surviving duels and contested paces to run great performances -- either in victory or defeat?

For instance, Holy Bull's Travers win is obviously a classic example of this in victory. Hooking a rabbit and refusing to let deep closing Concern by.

Rachel Alexandra's Preakness win where she went eyeball-to-eyeball early with future wire-to-wire Breeders Cup Sprint winner Big Drama early, and held off Mine That Bird's late rally.

Seattle Slew's defeat to Exceller where he hooked a rabbit and a monster effort at 12 furlongs.

In the old days, beating a top class field in this fashion was considered the truest test of a horse and these were viewed as the stallion making performances.

Here's a colorful description of what they called 'winning the hard way'

One of the most valiant sprint performances by a filly I ever witnessed was Xtra Heat in the Test Stakes on July 28th 2001

She got into a breakaway 3-way speed duel with Harmony Lodge and Secret Liaison at 7 furlongs at Saratoga ... had the race been 6.5f (you get a ton of run-up at that distance) the first quarter would have been 20 and change.

Notice how Xtra Heat's two pace rivals faired.

* Xtra Heat




* Harmony Lodge's Saratoga Form (21 Beyer)





* Secret Liason (-0 Beyer)






Future BC Sprint winner Orientate ran a 22 2/5 first quarter in a sharp wire-to-wire win at 6f that same day.

One of the greatest I ever witnessed was Spurious Precision.

2004 Woodward Stakes - Ghostzapper by a zap

affirmed and alydar went side by side thru most of the belmont. that was an amazing performance.


and carson hollow didn't survive the early lead she had in the test, but i thought her performance against you was amazing.

I remember that call "You is in tight"..........gotta love Durkin

Precisionist, 1985 Strub.

This is NOT how it is done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUbnpreuD4Q

Wild Again's Breeders Cup Classic win...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1VbCecIKm0


Very impressive, but Princess Rooney went much faster in the Distaff.

You knew I would break this one out:

Spend A Buck's Jersey Derby and later that year holding off the elder Carr De Naskra in the Monmouth Handicap.

I like that Xtra Heat was coming off Beyers of 117 and 120 going into the BC Sprint and was still 17-1. Nowadays a horse with those numbers would (justifiably) be 3-5, filly or no.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...1433/index.htm


like where john nerud said 'no one horse could beat dr. fager' (emphasis is mine).

Silver Charm. Santa Anita Derby.

Roses in May's effort in the 2004 Whitney is often overlooked because of the hanger Perfect Drift. However, watching that race and looking at the chart shows you how that pace absolutely fractured the other horses who were even remotely involved in the early running. Peace Rules and Newfoundland, coming off a 1-2 finish in the Suburban, were beaten over 8 and 9 lengths respectively. Seattle Fitz, coming off a win in the Brooklyn, was beaten over 15 lengths.

I actually have that race as the top effort figure wise in horse racing since 2004 when pace is taken into consideration. It narrowly edged out Ghostzapper's Iselin the same year.

Hook and Ladder in the 01 Gulfstream BC Sprint Hdcp

Lil's Lad in the 98 Florida Derby..

I don't think I had the proper amount of respect for that race when it first occurred. It was a really, really good performance.

Sunday Silence's Preakness....One of those moments when you look back and wonder what could have become of a "clean" Patrick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48c26AJAXY

or it'll make you wonder why day made that move down the backstretch.

I forgot about that race! Both races!

Spend A Buck was one tough mofo.

Silver Charm - Dubai World Cup

gamest effort I've ever seen
it seemed like the whole field made a run at him, one by one, in that endless NAS stretch

Not to take anything away from Sunday Silence, but I believe had Easy Goer not tried to reach over to bite a piece of Sunday Silences face off, Easy Goer would have won.

His 1984 Super Derby was excellent. Shoemaker let him open a clear lead through fast fractions and he got nailed by Gate Dancer at the end. It was double digit lengths back to Haskell winner Big Pistol in 3rd.

I thought the way Medaglia d'Oro tried to hang on in the 2004 BC Classic after dueling with Congaree was pretty nice. Also liked the way Winning Colors held for third in her Preakness after putting away Forty Niner. When you consider that Forty Niner came back to win the Haskell and Travers and was a 2yo champion, you realize the quality of horse he was and for Winning Colors to run his ass into the ground and still not spit the bit was a testament to her quality.

St liam loses to ghostzapper by a "Zop" in the Woodward.

Technically, Roses In May didn't do it from on the lead while winning all of the pace calls ... but that was one HELL of a performance in the Whitney.




Roses In May's Whitney performance was heavily disguised on Sheet figures because he saved all the ground and carried just 114lbs.

Awesome race to watch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LfPmfEPjUw

Storm Cat had a couple of great performances at age two where he pressed fast paces set by the great sprinter Groovy.

Breeders Cup Juvenile:

Storm Cat breaks on top, outsprinted by Groovy, puts him away, opens up, but it nailed by a deep closer in the last jump

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcXdbgc9MgA

This one's pretty legendary - Kotare Chief's Auckland Cup in 1987. 2 miles? No sweat. Leads by 25-30 at one point, and not only holds on but breaks the track record. And I may be wrong, but I think that 3:16.63 has only been beaten once since.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxvnSpVDJdY

Hardly 'contested', admittedly...

Smarty Jones in the Belmont.

One of the gamest wins you'll ever see.

The great 2-year-old filly Flanders battled for the lead with Hall of Famer Serena's Song the whole way and just beat her in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. Sadly, she broke down right after the wire.

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


One of the rare races in the entire history of the sport where two genuinely great divisional horses duel and battle and survive to finish 1-2 at the wire.

I loved Tasso. I couldn't believe that horse never developed past 2.

Also, nice job by Lukas with his two in there, Louisiana Slew and Ketoh. The former cost 2.9 million and made back all of that purchase price except for the last 2.825 million.

Ketoh was a homebred half to Althea (among others) that won his debut by double digit lengths and had great expectations. He died early in his 3yo season.

The great Go For Wand made a valiant attempt to do it in the 1990 Breeders Cup Distaff, but broke down in the mid-stretch while desperate to hold Bayakoa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7JBsb00Lbs

I got quite a laugh from the announcer. With a 1000 meters to go he says "now they're starting to panic these blokes, and they should be". Or how about " he can almost lie down and have a rip". What is a rip? A stiff drink?

Urgent Request in the 95 Santa Anita Handicap. Dueled on a rapid pace, then held off Best Pal's big late run..

Seattle Slew in the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZFr6N2lNY4.

I never realized that he broke through the gate prior to this performance.

This was a great last impression for "Slew". It really showed his heart and determination. A lot of handicappers and historians were not overly impressed with him winning the triple crown. It was this race that sealed his greatness. This is the race that everyone remembers, even in defeat...

Seattle Slew's Kentucky Derby is a great example of it as well.

It was a painfully slow race and came back terrible on figures (Beyers, Ragozins, and my projections) -- but he ran tremendous to blow the break from such a big field and bull his way into a speed duel. Win the battle and the war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWO0QgZKoYY

Had any even marginally respectable closer been in that race and showed up they would have got him -- but it was still a great performance.

He ran again after the Gold Cup.