Before the start ~ your personal, pre BC I memories

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Still think that Day's ride on Wild Again was his best work.

I was splitting my time between the Lexington Training Center and Mare Haven in mornings and UK's campus the rest of the day (it was the best of times ), and at the former two the excitement level was of course palpable. The Classic, controversy aside, was an incredible finish to the day. A lot of us thought that Wild Again's owners were crazy to pay the supplement. We would toast WA and PD and them that evening.

First place was worth $1.35 million, which didn't seem like a very good return, considering the money Wild Again's ownership had risked.
"Don't worry about us, pal," said Ron Volkman, one of the owners. "We more than made up for it at the windows."
Wild Again paid $64.60 to win, still a record for the Classic.
Pat Day, riding Wild Again--his first of six Breeders' Cup winners--followed orders from trainer Vincent Timphony, which included not hitting the colt because he might shy from the stick.
Said Day: "As we turned for home, Slew O' Gold ranged up on the outside of me, and my horse was tiring significantly at that point. I thought that was as far as we were going to go.
"But as Slew came to me, he never got by me. My little horse just refused to give up. He dug down with such a gutsy last quarter of a mile that it gives me goose bumps just to talk about it. I could hear him grunting every jump, just straining."
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-...eders-cup-race

Pat Day recalls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anKQHZLf1GA

The Wild Inaugural Classic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGoay4TJ-I0

Relive the day (thanks KirisClown)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH0XVYLHnZg

[GenuineRisk]

What a delightful thread! Thanks for starting it MMSC.

[alysheba4]

Had Gate Dancer to win and place.........thought he got Hosed, still do. Hollwood park was so great back in those days

[Gate Dancer]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

Had Gate Dancer to win and place.........thought he got Hosed, still do. Hollwood park was so great back in those days

Amen..............

[randallscott35]

Forget my wagering stories.

What I remember from 01 and 05 at Belmont is it being really really cold. I'm a baby. I need warmth.

[Cannon Shell]

When ever I hear the TRF ad played on Steve's show and they replay the stretch call of Gulchs 1988 BC sprint win I cringe. I had Play the King at something like 70-1. Ruined my whole day until Personal Ensign's win. How that isnt the greatest BC moment is beyond me.

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

When ever I hear the TRF ad played on Steve's show and they replay the stretch call of Gulchs 1988 BC sprint win I cringe. I had Play the King at something like 70-1. Ruined my whole day until Personal Ensign's win. How that isnt the greatest BC moment is beyond me.

.......P.E. getting up in the last jump to beat Winning Colors Ruined my day. that was 2 great fillies doing serious battle.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

When ever I hear the TRF ad played on Steve's show and they replay the stretch call of Gulchs 1988 BC sprint win I cringe. I had Play the King at something like 70-1. Ruined my whole day until Personal Ensign's win. How that isnt the greatest BC moment is beyond me.

one hell of an effort from an amazing horse. i don't know that any horse has ever tried harder than personal ensign did that day. every time i watch the replay, i still think she's not going to win...even tho i know the result. just seemed too impssible to do. she wouldn't quit, when she had every right to toss it in.

[Gate Dancer]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

When ever I hear the TRF ad played on Steve's show and they replay the stretch call of Gulchs 1988 BC sprint win I cringe. I had Play the King at something like 70-1.

This is still the best exacta I've hit in betting the Breeders Cup. Actually bought the ticket at Arlington Park then watched on TV. I love that commercial on ATR. Early in BC history, the Woodbine horses were virtually ignored. If I remember correctly, I loved Play The King because he had ran a 1:10.00 flat 6 furlongs in his prep race and by Woodbine standards back then anything under 1:12.00 was smoking. (long before poly was invented)

Great memories!!!! (although a little sketchy)

[hi_im_god]

i went to hollywood park with the girl i married 3 years later and watched the races. they had placed temporary seating on the apron between the stands and the track and I had two seats there for $15 each. they were in the sun all day but were just before the finish line. i remember I couldn't believe how well placed the seats were for $15.

i remember the "pavilion off the stars" had just opened and had the most expensive seats but they were on the wrong side of the finish line.

i'm looking through the program and seeing all the notes i scribbled on it and wonder if it would be worth anything if i hadn't done that. i can also see my ex's cryptic 5,1,1,4,7 on the pages with the classic and wonder what it means.

mostly I remember betting $50 on the slew o' gold entry in the classic. i was probably making about $7/hour and paying $300/month or so for rent. i had assured myself and my ex he couldn't lose. $20 would have been more than i could afford to bet on 1 race at the time.

it remains one of my personal touch points for not betting heavily on favorites.

[Bogey]

Huge fan of Gate Dancer - the ear muff blinkers were cool.

[cal828]

Originally Posted by Bogey

Huge fan of Gate Dancer - the ear muff blinkers were cool.

Have never seen anything quite like that before or since. I saw him in the Arkansas Derby. I think it was the 1984 running. He got beat that day by the filly Althea and another horse by the name of Pine Circle. Wonder how they ever figured out that he needed the ear muff blinkers?