Haskell Invitational Winners

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

PMAC14 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:17:51 GMT

Lori,

I completely agree about big brown. Desormeaux rode him like he was a machine, instead of riding him like the freak of a horse he was(bad feet and all)! He wanted to run from the start and kent should have let him. We would have had a triple crown winner. But thats the way it goes, the difference between "brilliant" and "immortal" Human error. DAMN and i believe that is the second time for KD. For some reason i dont hold it against him. He does cash a few tickets . HA

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

warren fraser — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:11:53 GMT

aye dont believe any three year old would beat any of these boys except for maybe the great ruffian.sorry but i dont think rachel a. is ready for this group.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Jim S — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:22:43 GMT

Best horse of this group? Without a doubt, Holy Bull.......most exciting Haskell? Bet Twice in 1987.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

ABZ — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:36:57 GMT

Nice ride Chris!

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

cpd — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:49:11 GMT

wise times look who he ran against danzig connection, personal flag, broad brush,& johns call but i am partial i rode him

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Lori — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:05:46 GMT

I was there to watch War Emblem win the Haskell....hmmm, only "one" horse won it that year! Why does a dual classic winner have to take criticism? NO RESPECT! I was there to watch Big Brown win the Haskell, again, only "one" horse won that year! He was a dual classic winner also; no rspect for him either. HUMAN error caused him to lose the triple crown.......thanks Kent! I was there to watch Rachel Alexandra win the Haskell, and that my dear frieds was the #1 equine to win the Haskell. Give the horses the credit for running in and winning the Haskell. Just because some horses are trained or owned by idiots, it doesn't lessen the fact that War Emblem won, or Big Brown won or any horse that wins a big race. When the gates open, whose legs do they run on? THE HORSE!

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Deacon — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:29:06 GMT

The verdict is still out on Rachel, she is a very nice filly but this years 3 year old crop is less then spectacular. We are all so starved for a champion that we are ready to annoit Rachel. In my mind, still no match for Ruffian or Lady's Secret or Susan's Girl.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

ABZ — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:09:45 GMT

I need to change my selection, I had Holy bull very narrowly over several of the other excellent haskell winners.

Now...

Rachel Alexandra is my selection as the greatest Haskell/Monmouth Invitational winner ever.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

afleetalexforever — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:37:19 GMT

Yeah I would have to rate her Haskell win in the top 3 easily, she did so against a top group of colts and ran them off their feet, Summer Bird had every chance to go wtih her but couldnt and Munnings set some soft fractions for his brilliant speed and faltered. Giver her the due she deserves and go ahead and inscribe her name on the HOY trophy. As thats in the bag, now we want to see her against Zenyatta, and if you think Zenyatta will catch rachel in that last 1/4 mile lol, you dont know horse racing, Zenyatta only has 1 move just like MTB, and in a race with the speed Rachel is blessed to have the race will be over quickly, why do u think that the connections chose to stay out west, duh not that hard. BB last on the list is a very acceptable place for him, he was not impressive in this race getting up over a very low quality field, he was not impressive in the Monmouth made up race either, and the fact that his connections ducked Curlin in the Woodward and the JCGC basically meant one thing, that they didnt have the confidence needed in him to put him against an all time great, probably a good move also because he was a few cuts below the quality of a Curlin, or Hard Spun, Street Sense, Any Given Saturday and others, had BB ran in the 07 Derby with those horses he would have finished 5th or 6th, Facts Are Facts, you can look great running against garbage competition, as attested to by Zenyatta's Perfect record out west.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

drfager01 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:45:11 GMT

HOLY BULL ON TOP WAJIMA 2ND, BET TWICE 3RD.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Abbie Knowles — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:17:57 GMT

What Cigar did not deserve to be HORSE OF THE YEAR? ARE you crazy? He achieved way more than most horses ever achieve! Rachel has zillions of miles to go to match his achievments!

CIGAR rules ok!

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

shesfast — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:19:45 GMT

RA is #1 Haskell winner! Almost broke BT's track record in the slop! Definitely a Great Filly. She has HOTY for sure. Absolutely what racing needs to draw the public back to racing.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

goodwin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:01:29 GMT

meleah?

not a super filly?

What DOES she have to do to qualify? Running 109 and change, and then putting away the Belmont winner in the slop, 2/5ths off the track record, isn't enough?

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Old Timer — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:52:23 GMT

To all the Big Brown fans, who think the horse gets no respect, yes it's true that his connections generate much dislike among many racing fans. However the list is not for the Triple Crown but for the Haskell. Big Brown belongs way down the list. After the TC, he barely wins the Haskell and then beats up some claimers on the grass in a race that was set up for him. Then is heard no more! Sorry -- but Holy Bull; Point Given: Bet Twice; Skip Away all win hands down. The voters have put BB in the right place IMO.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Skip — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:35:21 GMT

Skip Trial and Bet Twice are my 2 Favorites. I was there for both.

Skip Trial closed fast, was full of dirt/mud and I will never forget it since my name is Skip and I did not bet him!

The most exciting finish though, was Bet Twice over Alysheba. I was standing at the finish line and of course I had a $40 straight exacta with Alysheba on top.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

John T. — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:57:47 GMT

I see were Wajima was only seventh

in the rankings but that is probably because he was a 3 year old 34 years ago.If all ten previous Haskell winners mentioned in the rankings were 3 year olds at the same time I think he would have taken care of them.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

LDP — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:56:19 GMT

Deacon,

KD is my least favorite also, he got way to cocky on BB. Jocks should learn from the others have made in the past about thinking their horse is indestructable. No horse is, and it takes just one mistake to mess up a perfect career. Man o War should've been unbeaten, and it took him being turned completely around at the break and getting boxed in on the rail to be beaten. He should've won, but his jock got boxed and lost all chance. In last years Classic Curlin was the best on dirt or turf, but that ride cost him. On dirt i think the move would've held, but whatever. In the 07 Classic SS shouldn't have been on the rail it was too deep, and that is probably why he flattened out. KD's ride on BB in the Belmont was just awful, and then he had the nerve to say he thought he did a good job. He should've had BB on the lead, but no, he runs him up on the heals of another horse, yanks him every way possible and then wonders why the horse is not wanting to run. BB even with missing the training was so much the best that if he'd been ridden right he would've won. KD rode one of the worst races in history, and honestly if he said what he said in that interview, and BB were my horse, he'd be off the second the words came out of his mouth. Good job, my a**.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Deacon — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:31:10 GMT

LDP: When I was real young my dad would take me out to Santa Anita and he knew a couple of the trainers. One was Robert Wheeler who trained many great horses and he told my dad once that a great horse will win you a close race, but a great jockey will still lose you a close race. Ask Shoemaker (if you could) about Gallant Man, ask Stewart Elliot about Smarty Jones, and my least favorite jockey Kent Desormeaux about Real Quiet in the Belmont, FuPeg in the Preakness and Big Brown in the Belmont. I am in agreement about Robby Albarado. Sometimes these jocks think their horses are indestructible. Curlin got only a fair ride in last years classic. RA got cocky as you say.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

LDP — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:49:06 GMT

Deacon,

Thanks for the compliment, though i think a few others would beg to differ. I too would agree that RA is the better jockey, but i think he messed up the Classic for Curlin last year. I think he just thought Curlin was so much the best and got kinda cocky. I myself thought that Curlin should've either been closer to the pace and made a move at the top of the stretch, that way he'd have the jump on RP or HTN, or he should've waited to make his move. Same deal in the Man o War, i think he should've been farther up. If you took RR and his positions throught the race and swapped the Curlin would've been coming home first. RA was acting like Curlin could race only as a closer after the Stephen Foster, and IMO it was the reason his races were so close, he had to make up so much ground and grind it out. On dirt he could be explosive, i think his win in the mud at Monmouth proved not only that but he could sustain such an explosive run. Curlin could run from anywhere and i have no idea why RA didn't let him in his last few races run near the front.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

sweet terchi — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:16:40 GMT

Holy Bull

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

Deacon — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:38:55 GMT

LDP: No arguements from me, I too love debating. My point with regards to the BC Classic being more of a important win then the Derby was using both races as a reference point. HOTY honors go to the best horse (agreed). Head to head these rwo were preety even. Curlin won the Classic in spectacular fashion, as did Street Sense in the derby. In the Preakness, I thought Borel rode a very poor race. He has a habit of moving his horses too soon (he is still doing that), and misjudging speed. If Jerry Baily or Pat Day ride Street Sense all year then I think we see a much different outcome. You definitely had the better jockey in Robby Albarado. Like i said, I love Curlin and his Dubai World Cup victory last year was awesome. I love discussing these races and reminicing, I don't get upset over stuff like this. You bring a lot of education and spirit to these these blogs. I have enjoyed reading these and putting my two cents worth in.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

LDP — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:27:27 GMT

Deacon,

I never said the Classic was more important than the derby or visa versa. I just think that by the time both horses reached the Classic it was a tied ball game. Curlin got the extra brownie points with the public for running, and running well in all three TC crown races, and beating older horses. SS got merits for winning the Derby, Travers, and the last years Juvinile. I would say both horses had equally hard campaigns. Curlin was run harder the first half of the season, especially since he was only in his first season of running. He ran the three preps and all TC races. SS ran only two preps and in only two Crown races. The tally at this point is Curlin six races SS four. Curlin then only ran twice before the BCC the Haskell and the JCGC, while SS raced three times. Tally is Curlin 8 and SS 7. With the Classic Curlin has 9 and SS has 8. You could say Curlin faced lesser competition, but for being thrown into the Crown last year with so little foundation, then doing as well as he did, by going from maiden to Classic winner is just amazing, horses aren't suppose to do that. By the Classic i do think SS was tired and though the slop didn't do him any favors i don't think he disliked it. I think had SS been raced more sparingly like he had in the begining of the season he would've peaked at the Classic and run better than he did. Both are great horses, and i on the flip side of you have no faults with SS, i just have always liked Curlin better. I am not trying to start an argument or trying to make you change your opinion. I like hearing your reasons for defending your pick, and i like debating them. Debating like this, to me is fun, but if you'd rather to stop then yes i can agree to disagree.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

LDP — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:11:05 GMT

Vespone,

Thanks for correcting me. I was thinking about it a while after i posted and relized i messed up. My point was though he didn't run a lot during his two year old season he did run two seasons not just one. But thank you.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

GunBow — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:43:35 GMT

Deacon:

Looking at the 1995 Horse of the Year, I believe Cigar definitely deserved it over Thunder Gulch. What I didnt mention in my earlier post on Thunder Gulch is that he threw in a dull 4th in the Blue Grass and was 5th, beaten 14 lengths, by Cigar in their lone matchup in the Jockey Club Gold Cup(although Thunder Gulch was shown to have a career ending injury shortly after the race). Thunder Gulch was the first horse since Whirlaway in 1941 to win the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and Travers, but Cigar was perfect in 1995, winning 8 grade 1 races racing across the US(Florida, Arkansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, California, and New York) while never being challenged(won all 10 races by a length or more, and won 9 of them by at least 2 lengths). Thunder Gulch accomplished alot, and was a gritty runner, but he did not have the brilliance of Cigar, something reflected in Beyer speed figures; Thunder Gulch's top Beyers were 110, 108(twice), and 105(twice) while Cigar ran lower than a 111 only once(a 108) in his 10 1995 starts and had top figs of 121, 118, 117(twice), and 116.

I saw Cigar and Thunder Gulch in person at Hollywood Park during the summer of 1995. I saw Thunder Gulch in the Swaps Stakes, a race he won by 2 lengths over Da Hoss, with Petionville 3rd and Mr Purple further behind. Although impressed by Thunder Gulch's heart and professionalism, Cigar's 3.5 length victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup was in another league, proving before a very skeptical California crowd(which booed Cigar in the walking ring, supporting Cal-bred hero Best Pal instead) that he was a truly special horse.

re: Haskell Invitational Winners

skips girl — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:29:03 GMT

ok so, i'll give. a season and a half, due to injury. still doesnt rank him with the other horses listed here.