Unofficial Champion Stayer 2010: Bourbon Bay
By Erwin Wodarczak
Stamina is on everyone’s mind as we head into the Triple Crown, so it is timely to also discuss one category that continues to go missing from the list of annual champions. Unlike the year-end awards presented in Australia, Hong Kong, and Europe, the Eclipse Awards offer no specialist category for long-distance runners, or stayers. Sprint specialists of both sexes are recognized with year-end championship honours—distance specialists are not. In other words, of the two most important characteristics of the classic modern Thoroughbred—speed and stamina—only one is officially recognized and implicitly valued.
Since 2008, in an effort to counter this trend, Left Coast Racing (leftcoastracing.com) has hosted the Stayers’ Watch series and the Unofficial Champion Stayer Award. Both series showcase North American racehorses who give their best performances at distances of 1 1/2 miles or longer. Stayers’ Watch tracks horses racing in such long-distance or “marathon” races. The Champion Stayer Award each year honours the horse whose overall performance in long-distance races, on dirt, turf, and synthetic surfaces, are deemed superior to its rivals.
This year, Left Coast Racing awarded the unofficial title of Champion Stayer for 2010 to BOURBON BAY.
Bourbon Bay was a decisive victor in Santa Anita’s three major turf marathons (plus an allowance score) early in 2010. He closed against a slow pace in the San Luis Obispo Handicap on February 21; reeled-in rapid pace-setters in the San Luis Rey Handicap on March 20; and prevailed in a stretch duel over Skellytown before holding off Unusual Suspect in the San Juan Capistrano Handicap on April 18. In winning those three handicaps Bourbon Bay became the first horse since Kotashaan in 1993 to sweep Santa Anita’s “stayers’ triple”.
After the San Juan Capistrano Bourbon Bay was given the summer off, returning to action in the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship in October. At 1 1/4 miles the race was not at his best distance, plus he likely was rusty after the long layoff—nevertheless he raced well to finish third. He was then aimed for the Hollywood Turf Cup, but developed a fever the day before and was scratched. He did not run again in 2010.
UNUSUAL SUSPECT’s durability—he raced 15 times this year, on both turf and synthetic surfaces, at both middle and stayers’ distances—earns him an honorable mention. He actually competed in more distance races than Bourbon Bay, and won a Grade I stake, the Hollywood Turf Cup — Bourbon Bay’s major wins were all Grade IIs. However, the Hollywood Turf was Unusual Suspect’s only win during the year, although he did finish in the money in four previous attempts at stayers’ distances. More significantly, he was soundly beaten by Bourbon Bay in all three of their meetings.
ELDAAFER also earns an honorable mention, with his wins in the Turfway Park Fall Championship and the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. In the latter race, he set a Churchill Downs track record for 1 3/4 miles.
Left Coast Racing congratulates Bourbon Bay and his human connections for earning the Unofficial Champion Stayer title, and we wish them all the best for their 2011 campaign.
Retrospective List of Unofficial Champion Stayers
This list of top stayers from the past, commencing from the beginning of the “graded stakes era” in North America in 1973 and continuing to the present day, is intended to complement Left Coast Racing’s Stayers’ Watch series and Unofficial Champion Stayer Award.
The precedent for naming “retrospective” champions was set in the early 1970s, when the late Kent Hollingsworth, then editor of The Blood-Horse, pored over old racing publications and statistics and compiled a list of “champions” from before 1936, the year the Daily Racing Form began naming annual champions. That list, first published in a limited-edition book called The Great Ones, eventually gained quasi-official status and is regularly reprinted. In fact, Hollingsworth’s list is considered so authoritative that it is not unusual for a writer to state that, say, Sir Barton was named Horse of the Year for 1919—when in fact there was no such title at that time.
Top horses for each year were selected based on their records in races of 1 1/2 miles or longer, adjusted according to each race’s grade-level. Victories in dirt races are given more weight to take into account North American racing tradition—which in part explains, for example, Easy Goer (1989) being ranked above two turf horses who raced more often at these distances. Horses listed as “honorable mentions” are for cases where either the rankings are very close, or the horse’s accomplishments, while not championship-calibre, warrant special mention.
Disclaimer: I make no claims that this list is definitive. I realize that I bring to this project only a fraction of the knowledge and historical perspective that Kent Hollingsworth brought to The Great Ones. However, I hope that this list will prompt discussion of the need to promote stamina as well as speed in the Thoroughbred among racing authorities and fans alike.
Year/Horse/Comments:
2009 Cloudy’s Knight 1st: Kentucky Cup Turf, Sycamore S., Valedictory S., W.L. McKnight H.; 2nd: Breeders’ Cup Marathon
2008 Champs Elysees 1st: Northern Dancer Turf S., Hollywood Turf Cup; 2nd: Jim Murray Memorial H.; 3rd: Pattison Canadian International Championship also Canadian Horse of the Year
2007 English Channel 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S.; 2nd: Sword Dancer Invitational H. also Champion Turf Horse largest winning margin in Breeders’ Cup Turf history (7 lengths)
2006 T.H. Approval 1st: Sunset H., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H.; 2nd: San Luis Rey H., San Luis Obispo H.
2005 Relaxed Gesture 1st: Canadian International Championship; 2nd: Sword Dancer Invitational H.
Meteor Storm (honorable mention) 1st: W.L. McKnight H.; 2nd: San Luis Rey H., Canadian International Championship
2004 Better Talk Now 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Sword Dancer Invitational H.
2003 (vacant) (No North American horse won more than one graded stayers’ race during the year)
2002 With Anticipation 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 2nd: Breeders’ Cup Turf
Continental Red (honorable mention) 1st: San Luis Rey H.; 2nd: San Luis Obispo H., Sunset H.; 3rd: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Kentucky Cup Turf H.
2001 Blueprint 1st: San Luis Rey H., Sunset H.; 3rd: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H.
2000 John’s Call 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H., Turf Classic Invitational S., Cape Henlopen S.; 3rd: Breeders’ Cup Turf
1999 Single Empire 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey H.; 3rd: Hollywood Turf Cup S.
1998 Buck’s Boy 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Turf Classic Invitational S., Pan American H., Riggs H. also Champion Turf Horse
1997 Chief Bearhart 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Canadian International Championship, Elkhorn S.; 2nd: Stars and Stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf S. also Champion Turf Horse and Canadian Horse of the Year
1996 Windsharp 1st: San Luis Rey H., San Luis Obispo H.; 2nd: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. last female champion stayer
1995 Sandpit 1st: San Luis Rey H., Caesar’s Palace Turf Championship H.
1994 Bien Bien 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey H.; 2nd: San Luis Obispo H.
1993 Kotashaan 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, San Luis Rey H., San Luis Obispo H., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Oak Tree Invitational S. also Champion Turf Horse and Horse of the Year
1992 Fraise 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 2nd: Hollywood Turf Cup S., Turf Classic Invitational S.
1991 Miss Alleged 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Hollywood Turf Cup S. also Champion Female Turf Horse
1990 El Señor 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 3rd: Breeders’ Cup Turf
1989 Easy Goer 1st: Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup last champion stayer to race primarily on dirt surfaces
El Señor (honorable mention) 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H., Hialeah Turf Cup; 2nd: Turf Classic Invitational S.
Frankly Perfect (honorable mention) 1st: Hollywood Turf Cup S., San Luis Rey H.; 2nd: Sunset H.
1988 Great Communicator 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Hollywood Turf Cup S., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Obispo H.; 2nd: San Luis Rey S., Oak Tree Invitational H.
1987 Theatrical 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Turf Classic Invitational S., Sword Dancer H., Hialeah Turf Cup H. also Champion Turf Horse
1986 Dahar 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey S.; 2nd: Sunset H., Hollywood Turf Cup S., Hollywood Invitational Turf H.
1985 Vanlandingham 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Jockey Club Gold Cup; 3rd: Hollywood Turf Cup Invitational S. also Champion Male Older Horse and Champion Turf Horse
Nassipour (honorable mention) 1st: Rothmans International, Dixie H., Seneca H.; 2nd: Niagara S.; 3rd: Pan American H.
1984 John Henry 1st: Hollywood Invitational H., Sunset H., Turf Classic Invitational S.; 3rd: San Luis Rey S. also Champion Turf Horse and Horse of the Year
1983 All Along 1st: Rothman’s International, Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic also Champion Female Turf Horse and Horse of the Year
Erin’s Isle (honorable mention) 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey S., Hollywood Invitational Turf H.; 3rd: Sword Dancer H., Turf Classic
1982 Lemhi Gold 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Sword Dancer H., San Marino H.; 2nd: Hollywood Invitational Turf H. also Champion Older Male Horse
1981 John Henry 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, San Luis Rey S., San Luis Obispo H., Sword Dancer S., Oak Tree Invitational S., Hollywood Invitational Turf H. also Champion Male Older Horse, Champion Turf Horse, and Horse of the Year
1980 John Henry 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Hollywood Invitational Turf H., Oak Tree Invitational S., San Luis Rey Stakes, Hialeah Turf Cup H.; 2nd: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 3rd: Turf Classic Invitational S. also Champion Turf Horse 1979 Bowl Game 1st: Washington D.C. 1979 Bowl Game 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic Invitational S., Hialeah Turf Cup H., Arlington H.; 2nd: Brooklyn H. also Champion Turf Horse
1978 Exceller 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hollywood Invitational H., Sunset H., Oak Tree Invitational S., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. only horse to defeat two Triple Crown champions, Affirmed and Seattle Slew, in same race (Jockey Club Gold Cup)
1977 Johnny D 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic S.; 3rd: Canadian International Championship S., Man O’ War S., Lawrence Realization S. also Champion Turf Horse
Majestic Light (honorable mention) 1st: Man O’ War S.; 2nd: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic S., Canadian International Championship S.
Exceller (honorable mention) 1st: Canadian International Championship S.; 2nd: Man O’ War S.; 3rd: Washington D.C. International Invitational S.
1976 Youth 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Canadian International Championship S. also Champion Turf Horse
1975 Snow Knight 1st: Man O’ War S., Canadian International Championship S., Seneca H.
Forego (honorable mention) 1st: Woodward S., Suburban H. also Champion Older Male Horse and Horse of the Year
1974 Forego 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Woodward S. also Champion Older Male Horse, Champion Sprinter, and Horse of the Year
Astray (honorable mention) 1st: San Juan Capistrano H., San Luis Rey S., San Luis Obispo H.; 3rd: Bowling Green H.
1973 Secretariat 1st: Belmont S., Man O’ War S., Canadian International Championship S.; 2nd: Woodward S. also Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse, Champion Turf Horse, Triple Crown Champion, and Horse of the Year
Prove Out (honorable mention) 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Woodward S. defeated Secretariat in Woodward S., and Riva Ridge (Champion Older Male Horse) in Jockey Club Gold Cup
