Has this ever happened before?
 

http://www.drf.com/news/article/104785.html

Life is Sweet to take on the boys in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Has an older filly or mare ever beaten older males before (let alone survive the race)?

Cascapedia lost the '73 Hollywood Gold Cup by a neck. Manta was 3rd to Ack Ack in '71. Calumet's champion Two Lea, dam of Derby-Preakness winner Tim Tam, won it in '52.

Honeymoon ran second in 1946, as a 3yo. She and the winner carried the same actual weight. Females meeting males was not uncommon in US racing until fairly recently. Guess who ran third to John Henry in the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 1981; it was Easy Goer's mum Relaxing. She had beaten the guys in the Gallant Fox H(G2) and the John B. Campbell H (G2) earlier in her career.

It's never happened and it never will. It's shameful that they would even take that kind of risk. Thank God they are being more careful with Zenyatta.

It's pretty funny that they are racing the lesser of the two more adventurously. OK....it's not really funny.

But with good excuse!

"This is Zenyatta's second race back, which is a big deal," he said. "She's never gone a mile and a quarter. I think I'd like to keep her in a more comfortable situation."

Shirreffs said he was more comfortable starting Life Is Sweet in the Gold Cup.

"She's in the middle of her campaign," he said. "The Gold Cup seems like a bit more wide-open race."

The good news is they will have to race her next year if they want to break Pepper's Pride's record. At this point, I don't think it will be tainted if she finishes her career in New Mexico.

They don't do any of that crazy mile and a quarter racing do they?

I hope not. She's clearly ill-suited to the distance.

Wouldn't they have to go about 6 turns to get 10f?

Zenyatta is ducking the Gold Cup cause it's her second start back.

Life is Sweet is in the Gold Cup cause she's ducking Zenyatta.

Same trainer.

You just cannot make this stuff up!

WTF!

It's amazing.

The timing could not be better for a older female to take on
older males with the incredible depth in the handicap division.

Yes, and when she beats them, she will be immediately compared to Lady's Secret.

Well that would be odd.

What would not be odd is she would take home
a lot more purse money than Zenyatta if the above actually
occurred.

it's obviously all the wygods fault. what are they thinking?! it's a good thing the mosses are so much smarter about not running a mare against the opposite sex. :rolleyes:

The only thing which would be even crazier is if Tiago shipped west to run in the Whitney, or the Woodward, or the Jockey Club Gold Cup or anything he would have a good chance of winning.

Apparently Dottie feels Life is Sweet is expandable..

:tro:

That would be one hell of a long flight.

Ha, typo. My bad.