Your Breeders' Cup Best and Worst?

Charismatic1 · #1 10-16-2006, 07:31 PM

People:

From your Breeders' Cup history, which has been your favorite BC and which is your biggest Cup Day nightmare and why? It can be from a fan or wagering perspective.

I've only been celebrating Cup day since 2000, but I'd have to say my nightmare occured in 2002. 2004 and 2005 weren't good either, but 2002 was my first year wagering through the "system" on the races in addition to our points championship at my party. I was shocked to have 3 singles on my Cup card (The Rock, Starine, and Vindication). I figured this allowed me to spread a little. In the first four races, I tried catching some value against Azeri and Storm Flag Flying to play with Rock. Didn't matter when Rock lost. My nightmare occured in the late pick 4. I singled Starine at 13-1 and she banked. Vindication sent me to 6 horses in the Turf. I thought High Chap was real strong, but since I had singled twice, I figured I could spread just in case a horse like Falcon Flight (horse for course) or Denon (lover of the give) surprised. I stood against Golan and With Anticipation (fan, but soft turf was discouraging). The win threw me into the Classic where I had 8 of the 12. The house was going crazy as usual, so I couldn't hear Durkin's call and I figured one of my horses was streaking away because I didn't think three of them had a shot (Dollar Bill, E Dubai, and the winner). I knew Hawk Wing's silks, so I knew he hadn't bit me. Someone finally answered my question right before the wire, "the 2 is Volponi!" I suck, but this didn't help.

My favorite Cup is my first. I had my first racing party and had just my 6 best buds over. I wrote scouting reports for them and we went at it. I won the contest with just 38 points which compared to the next couple years, including the Derby prep-race contests, is embarassing. As a race fan, though, that day was incredible. Excluding the Distaff's 9 runners, every field was 14 full (disregarding scratches). You had big bombs (Spain and Caressing), a moderate favorite (War Chant) and a strong fave (Kona Gold) take titles. Most importantly, the biggest margin of victory was Spain's 1 1/2 length score over Surfside. Practically every race was in the balance with just 25 yards remaining. I watch my tape of this Cup more than any other.

#2 10-16-2006, 07:34 PM

1990 was the worst year IMO. Go For Wand, Mr. Nickerson....etc

Late 80's were about my favorite. Ferdinand. Alysheba. Sunday Silence.....

Arazi was one of the most memorable runs too. The way he came flying around the turn....

Kasept · #3 10-16-2006, 07:42 PM

Worst: 1990/2001/2005 -- All the BEL Cups.. In '90, a great wagering day is hardly compensation for seeing my 2 favorite horses die.. In '01, with 9/11 apparent to everyone in attendence, Exogenous flips before my eyes and its a miserable 36 degrees.. '05, a miserable 37 degrees.. horses survive, bankroll does not..

Best: 2000/1993 -- Churchill '00, biggest windfall day ever at the track.. Could do no wrong.. "I'm having a very good day..." Santa Anita '93, picked up a hot doll named Terri by the 3rd race and we were liplocked by the time Lure won the Mile...

cal828 · #4 10-16-2006, 09:25 PM

2003 best for me. Pretty much lost all day until the classic. Very frustrated by the deadheat in the Turf between High Chap and Johar which meant I got half the payoff. Was getting pretty deperate by the Classic. Decided that Medaglia D'Oro and Congaree were probably gonna go right at each other which would probably set it up for one of the closers like Pleasantly Perfect or Dynever. I was right, but very lucky too that Perfect Drift wiped out Ten Most Wanted in one of the turns. Had the tri, three exactas and also win/place on Pleasantly Perfect. That was my best breeder's cup day, but the one that made the biggest impression on me was 2001. Tiznow was amazing. All heart. A lot of people got off of him because he was pretty much refusing to run in his workouts, but he decided to run in the actual race and it was a nose to nose battle with that other horse to the finish. Never forget that race.

Seattleallstar · #5 10-16-2006, 09:37 PM

****ing 1999 BC at Gulfstream, my pops lost alot of cash. The worst BC day ever and one of the worst gambling days ever.

best one would be 2003 at Santa Anita Action this day and Plesantly Perfect completed a very great day

2004 at Lone Star wasnt so bad either because of late pk 4 which we singled zapper, and ouija board

Suffolk Shippers · #6 10-16-2006, 09:59 PM

2004 at Lone Star Park was my big day. Hit a $2 trifecta with Speight on top with My Cousin Matt @ 65-1 coming in third for about $2800 I think...Also hit the late pick 4 with Ghostzapper singled.

Last year at Belmont my only good score was a $1 box super on the Euros in the turf...

SundayStar · #7 10-16-2006, 10:31 PM

as a fan, my favorite by far was sunday silence silencing all the critics showing everybody he was the man.

least favorites were all the tragic breakdowns....especially go for wand and landseer.

Cpt.Bodgit · #8 10-16-2006, 09:32 PM

I'd say my favorite 2 were 2003 and 2005.

2003
I make about 3k due to Cajun Beat and then Pleasantly Perfect (hit the ex in the sprint and the tri in the classic)

2005
I had half of the super in the Turf and the Tri in the Classic but was screaming for Ace to get up because I had him singled in most of my tickets.

I would say 2005 was my favorite because it was my first in attendance although I didn't net as much money. Funny story too about it because I was with my girlfriend and she kept saying how cold she was and I told her to calm down because it was probably like 55 out she crying about nothing. Then when we get back home and watch the day that I taped and Bob Costas is talking about it being one of the coldest BC's ever!!! Needless to say my girl doesn't believe my weather forcasting now.

Worst BC probably 2004 because I didn't cash a single ticket!! I mean not even close to cashing a ticket!!!

#9 10-17-2006, 08:17 AM

Groovy deserved to win a cup. He had the misfortune of catching two Cups in a row out west on the pavement.

#10 10-17-2006, 08:25 AM

My favorite BC was the one at Belmont in 1990.
Only time I ever made a huge score with a mistake ticket.
The OTB's in Ny state used to use a letter system, rather than numbers. And the letter system was constant and never tinkered with, until that day, unbeknownst to me.
I made a 10 dollar 3 horse exacta box on the Classic and went to a friends home to watch the last two races. I realized while there that they had tinkered with the letter system on that day and made the entry A and A and the rest of the numbers altered accordingly.
Instead of having Unbridled and his entry mate with two other horses. I found out that I had Unbridled and his entrymate with two other horses I didn't want.
One of them turned out to be Ibn Bey, who ran 2nd at around 40-1.
I was in college and the 3 grand or so that I got back represented a huge amount of money.
Sadly, thats the last score I ever made with a mistake ticket.

sham · #11 10-17-2006, 08:34 AM

Last year's John Deere Turf was the best payoff for me. Boxed the 4 Euros in Xta and Tri and cleaned up. My only regret is that I did not play the super. I figured at least one American horse would be in the top four.

For visual impression, Skippy winning the classic was awesome. Of course I was a big fan of Skip Away which biased my appreciation of his win, but it was still a powerful performance by anyone's measure.

Cajungator26 · #12 10-17-2006, 01:27 PM

Ooops...

Guess I should have posted my fave BC was Unbridled's 1990 win and the worst for me was the same year when Go for Wand broke down... tough day.

kentuckyrosesinmay · #13 10-17-2006, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Ooops...

Guess I should have posted my fave BC was Unbridled's 1990 win and the worst for me was the same year when Go for Wand broke down... tough day.

Hey Cajun...

I found this. It'll make you ball your eyes out. Don't worry...they don't show the break down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQfRXM94EMU

repent · #14 10-17-2006, 06:53 PM

I know what the worst was.
Lone Star Park 2004.
and the worst part was, you knew it was going to be a disaster 2 years ahead of time.
I go to LS more than any other track, andi it was clear that it had no business hosting the BC.
Hell,
I expect Monmouth will do a better job.

Repent

King Glorious · #15 10-17-2006, 07:11 PM

Loved 1986 and 1995. Hated 1991 and 1999.

1986 was my first time ever to the track and it was the best BC I've seen. Started off with Capote winning the Juvenile over a very deep field (Gulch, Polish Navy, Bet Twice, Demons Begone, and Alysheba). Next was Brave Raj winning with an awesome burst in the Juv Fillies. Smile then took down the overrated NY hero Groovy. Saw a great ride to get Last Tycoon home in the Mile. Then Lady's Secret made her bid for HOY with a dominating performance in the Distaff. The underrated American 3yo Manila then took down the European Superhorse Dancing Brave in the Turf before Skywalker outran Turkoman and Precisionist as they battled for HOY.