Best Race You've Seen In Person

[Pedigree Ann]

Maybe I was more impressionable when I was a youngster, but one that stands out in my mind was the 1971 San Juan Capistrano, when His Felinity, Cougar II (all turn to the south and bow low), came flying past turf champion Fort Marcy and drew out. I hugged a complete stranger that day, which if you knew me, you would find astonishing. I also saw Ack Ack win the San Antonio that year, but it didn't make the same impression on me. That was the difference between those two horses - Ack Ack was a workmanlike runner, while the Coug was a dramatic one.

Other races that come to mind are Agitate winning the Hollywood Derby (12f turf in the summer) over Stardust Mel, the filly La Zanzara winning the San Juan Capistrano over the guys (a damp, misty day), and the gutsy win of the 'pretty horsie' Solar Salute over the hulks Quack and Royal Owl in the Santa Anita Derby.

[LARHAGE]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

Maybe I was more impressionable when I was a youngster, but one that stands out in my mind was the 1971 San Juan Capistrano, when His Felinity, Cougar II (all turn to the south and bow low), came flying past turf champion Fort Marcy and drew out. I hugged a complete stranger that day, which if you knew me, you would find astonishing. I also saw Ack Ack win the San Antonio that year, but it didn't make the same impression on me. That was the difference between those two horses - Ack Ack was a workmanlike runner, while the Coug was a dramatic one.

Other races that come to mind are Agitate winning the Hollywood Derby (12f turf in the summer) over Stardust Mel, the filly La Zanzara winning the San Juan Capistrano over the guys (a damp, misty day), and the gutsy win of the 'pretty horsie' Solar Salute over the hulks Quack and Royal Owl in the Santa Anita Derby.

Oh my God, I loved Solar Salute!!!!!! I haven't heard that name in eons!!!!!!

[FATPIANO]

1978 JCGP Exceller, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, a blast from the past

[horseofcourse]

1979 Ohio Derby...Smarten set a track record that still stands today at venerable junk heap T-down! Of course that was my only visit to a thoroughbred track!! For some reason talked my dad into taking me for my 13th birthday and he did...increased my birthday payroll just a tiny bit with my 10 dollar win bet on Smarten...(low odds though!) Good horse, destroyed the field!! Seen lots of good quarter horse races, but those don't count.

[2Hot4TV]

John Henry winning the Goodwood at Santa Anita before he was a racing God. He payed 7/2 that day.

[ceejay]

Conquistador Cielo's ('82) Belmont wire job, laying off 6 days from a track record in the MET Mile!

[SniperSB23]

Apparently I posted in the wrong thread earlier. The best races I've seen in person are probably the 2005 and 2006 Whitneys.

[-BT-]

1. 1973 Secretariat & Sham- my first Derby
2. 1997 Preakness- Silver Charm, Free House & Captaim Bodgit
3. 1966 Scarborough Downs- cheap claimers in Maine, but a triple dead heat for win

[disappearingdan_akaplaya]

cigar tying the streak at arlington is my obvious choice!!!!!! it was the first year i started going to the track and that, horse and race and arlington itself all in that same day made me fall in love with this game!

[Thunder Gulch]

Just thought of another..Kona Gold's track record sprint in the BC at Churchill had the crowd buzzing afterwards.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by horseofcourse

1979 Ohio Derby...Smarten set a track record that still stands today at venerable junk heap T-down! Of course that was my only visit to a thoroughbred track!! For some reason talked my dad into taking me for my 13th birthday and he did...increased my birthday payroll just a tiny bit with my 10 dollar win bet on Smarten...(low odds though!) Good horse, destroyed the field!! Seen lots of good quarter horse races, but those don't count.

Kudos for finding and remembering an Ohio race to rightfully toss into this circle!

Whodathunkit!

(I cut my teeth on the old Akron-Cleveland area tracks......most of which disappeared and were consolidated into "modern day" Thistledown just before you were born)

[slotdirt]

Smarten....definitely one of the more underrated stallions of the last 25 or 30 years.