Home

Please click here to go back to the homepage.

Want to Submit an Article or Image?

Cinch Magazine accepts your horse-related articles and .jpg/.gif images! If you would like to contribute your work please click here.

The 2008 Breeder's Cup Classic Results
J.L. Orchard

How It All Began

Since John Gaines dreamed up the meet in the 1980s, no one could have imagined the prestige that was to come. A race hailed internationally as the championship day of horseracing. The Olympic sports for racehorses and the richest of all sports worldwide, tallying $26.4 million in purses. And to think that friend and fellow horse breeder, John Galbreath had told Gaines in response to the idea, "you must be smoking pot." By the end of their conversation, Gaines had won Galbreath's support. 

            The promotional posters leading to the inaugural Breeders' Cup read "the greatest day in the history of thoroughbred racing." No greater prediction has ever been made in this sport.

On November 10, 1984, at Hollywood Park 64,254 fans watched at 11:15 am as the contestants of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile opened the world to what would soon become, the greatest day in the history of thoroughbred racing.

Before long racetracks were altering their schedules to accommodate those headed for the Breeders' Cup. Races that once were such as elite turf race, the Washington D.C. International, went under do to the sudden and outrageous fame brought to the Breeders' Cup. And now every year at the end of October the world gathers at set tracks in the U.S. and Canada. 2008 met the world in triumph.

2008 Breeder's Cup Results

 

Jess Jackson was right, Curlin should have stayed off synthetic. When the 25th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic rolled around many were expecting a match between the elusive Horse of the Year, Curlin and the popular Big Brown, who was retired do to a foot injury twelve days prior. Instead it was a race between America's big money winner and the rest of the world.

                Thanks to the uprising brought on by Big Brown's controversial career, for the first time in the Breeders' Cup's 25 years, the acclaimed meet was steroid free. This fact didn't faze the international field in the least. In fact the entire day was an international success.

                Europe set the stage at the beginning of Saturday's events when Muhannak became the victor in the Breeders' Cup Marathon. Later Irish-bred Conduit brought the upset in the $3 million Turf around the infamous right hand turn at Santa Anita where this years cup was held. Also in the list of notable victories was filly Goldikova who made her fourth consecutive victory on October 25th against the boys in the $2million Mile. But Midshipman is the $2 million Juvenile victor to look forward to in next years Kentucky Derby. The two-year-old owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and trained by American Bob Baffert has shown true champion qualities this year combining high speed, stamina and the heart to win all but one of his races. Both trainer and Midshipman's jockey for the Breeders' Cup are optimistic about the horse's future confessing that the horse is getting smarter and has a good cardiovascular system perfect for racing.

                But the international contender that drew the real upset at Saturday's meet was the horse of the Jordan Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed. Raven's Pass broke from gate ten in the eleven horse field, just one spot over from Curlin in the highlight race of the day, the $5 million Classic. After a race previous to the Breeders' Cup Classic went terribly wrong for Raven's Pass the horse took a break. When he returned he came late in his next start. That all changed come autumn when the horse peaked and proved his stuff to a crowd of over 85,000 defeating defending horse of the year, Curlin.

Raven's Pass had fought it out with Henrythenavigator in the final furlong after Curlin made his charge and weakened, finishing in fourth. Undefeated Japanese competitor, Casino Drive too was left behind, now carrying a record of 3 for 4.

So maybe Jess Jackson was right. Turf isn't Curlin's game, or synthetic rather. Or maybe the Breeders' Cup Classic just did it again. Some horses can't capture the Classic twice. It is questioned over if the synthetic surface slows the horse's excelerateion ability than does dirt and is known to fare 40 degrees warmer than traditional track surfaces. But thus far the synthetic surfaces have proved consistently good and did not seem to faze those horses accustomed to turf. Curlin just wasn't.

We can only guess how the Classic would have ended if Big Brown had been there. As we know, Big Brown knew turf, loved turf, and won on turf. Curlin wouldn't have won and it's only a guessing game over where Big Brown would have finished.

                Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow left with no victories when his single Breeders' Cup entry, Kip Deville sought to become the fourth horse to consecutively win the Mile two years in a row. Going into the race Dutrow's only concern was how much to bet. He should have placed his money on Goldikova who ran down Kip Deville leaving Dutrow's horse in second.

When Dutrow was asked about Big Brown on the other hand, if you looked close enough, you might have detected a tear beneath those glassy shades. This years Breeders' Cup went to the foreign competitors. 

                Now it’s a question of time how much longer both Classic winner, Raven's Pass and American champion, Curlin will continue their illustrious careers. We can hold our breaths now until next years racing season kicks starts and hope that maybe it will be as fast paced as this one.